How To Survive Ordering in a French Restaurant in Paris

How to order in a french restaurant and survive the experience ;D If you want more vocab for ordering in a French restaurant, I put more in my How to Survive Ordering in a French Cafe video - this one focused more on procedure and cultural awareness.

My name is Jay Swanson - I'm an American writer living in Paris on an artist visa and hoping to make the city of light my home base - at least for the foreseeable future. I write science-fiction and fantasy, vlog daily, and love pizza a little too much.

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FAQ:
How long have you lived in France? On and off for over two years.

What do you miss most about ho- NACHOS

Where are you from originally? - Pullman, Washington - a small university/agricultural town near Idaho (and yes, the potatoes are amazing).

What do you edit with? - Adobe Premiere - it's pretty much all I've ever used since high school.

Aren't you ever freaked out by leaving your camera behind to film yourself? - Yep. But not too badly - I tend to be careful when I do.

Do you make money off YouTube? - Ha, no. I wish. It took me over 500 videos to make my first $100 off adsense. I think it will slowly change, but VERY slowly.

[alexandrelarsac]

As a French, i can say your tips are very good. We have a much more formal culture. We are not taught to make other people feel good (be nice, smile..) but to show them respect. That's why you NEED to begin all your interactions with the French with greetings. "Bonjour, " "Bonsoir", "s'il vous plait", "merci" and "au revoir" are magic formulas. Never start an interaction straight to the point in a shop, or restaurant. YOU ARE BEING RUDE ! That's explain a lot of "French are assh.. with tourists". .. Respect those and you'll find out that even Parisians can be nice.

[kam]

I've worked in a very touristic area of Paris as a waiter. 50% of the customers were from the US. To me, the 2 biggest cultural differences were how you talk about wine (the concept of terroir in France vs the varieties of grape used in the US - both are totally different yet interresting approaches) and the tipping culture. Almost every guidebook / YouTube vlogger / whatever get it wrong (and state you do not leave tips in France), but you've nailed it. I can't thank you enough for that.

I remember that day... An old lady from the US asked me if the service / tips was included. I tried to explain how things work in France. Tips and service ain't synonymous here. The service is always included (understand: the waitors' wage is decent enough) but tips never are. The French for "tip" is "pourboire", which literally means "to drink". It's just an extra few euros you leave so the waiter can have a drink after his shift (be reassured, we don't drink ALL of our tips :D).

She looked at me as if I was trying to scam her, and left the place without leaving a cent, because she'd rather trust her guidebook than a local trying to be helpful (I'm still wondering why she asked, though).

Oh and on a side-note: if you see something like "15% included for the service at the bottom of your bill", don't pay attention to it. The waitor won't get 15% of the bill. It will be split between him, the barman, the guy who prepares the deserts, the Maître D, and even the manager (and not equally so, as you can guess). Most of the time, it's just a way to bend the law to underpay his employees. The golden rule still applies: leave a couple of extra euros, and that'll be fine.

[ritur]

You have no idea how helpful your paris videos are. I will be traveling to paris for the very first time in a few months and I am going to rewatch all your videos!
I don't know french so this is very helpful

[paulhorton]

A couple of comments on steak which the French usually eat quite rare (shockingly pink to many Americans and Brits). The waiter will ask you for "la cuisson?" which means how do you like your steak. The classic French presentation is "à point" which is pink and juicy and is definitely worth trying; any more cooked will have to be "bien cuit". Also, it's fine to order any sauce "à côté" (on the side) like in the video... means the restaurant can't get away with smothering something inferior with sauce and hoping you won't notice... it happens sometimes.

[marym]

I think it’s worth mentioning that french waiters usually cover a lot of tables and will not want to stand around waiting for you to make a decision about what you want to eat.

[bawoman]

One small tip from moi..whenever you see "formule" remember that those almost never include the drink/le boisson...just an appetizer and/or a dessert. Sometimes some places lure you in with a reasonably priced formule but then overcharge the drinks.
On that same vein, sometimes you eat better and cheaper getting the plat du jour and a simple drink, instead of a formule/menu, especially if you're not that in the mood for mediocre appetizers or desserts and just want one quality dish.

Also...in french, an appetizer is called an entree...and an entree is called a "plat principal"

[rubaidaallen]

The French pride themselves on manners, so, yes, say hello whenever you enter any establishment. I remember my French professor in college reminding us of this constantly. I love your videos. So informative. The Louvre one is my fave. I'll be sure to remember your tips while in Paris. 😊😊

[harushouse]

These are tips I wish my sister knew years ago! She went to Paris for a college trip and got separated from the group and couldn't find her way back to the hotel and every French person she asked for help was rude to her or ignored her.. I know it's not the same as a restaurant and I'm not sure if she said Bonjour or not but nevertheless it is a bit rude to turn someone away who is alone, lost, and scared

[alistairt]

My first time in France, I was 18 and it was my graduation gift after graduating high school. My French was terrible, but I got around just starting a conversation with, "Bonjour/Bonsoir", "Pardon/Excusez-moi Monsieur/Madame/Mademoiselle", "Au revoir", et "Merci". People were all so kind and they give you more of their patience. I feel like waiters are a different breed cause that's the only time I've come across impatient/rude interactions, which is not all the time but just a heads up to anyone sensitive lol I returned to study in France, in Lyon, and my French has greatly improved and my experienced was just a lot better in many ways, obviously haha

Of all the comments that I read and hear about the French being rude, all I can say is that the French are just not as easily open to strangers like some cultures. They're more, in general, "reserved", but if you show respect, they will show respect back. Just don't expect them to have a beaming smile, a fake bouncy/cheery tone, and be overtly nice to you, cause just culturally, they don't act that way, which I can see might come across as rude or mean to some people. They're more on the reserved spectrum, but so much like the Nordics(looking at you Finland lol). But mind you, the more south you go, the warmer and more open French people are. I travelled around Provence and there are literally people who would stop and chat with you, just randomly. It's def a nice change from Paris, or just northern France in general.

Also, you just can't compare cultures. You can't just say, "well from where I'm from we don't do this and that!" Obviously, people from different societies and cultures will do certain things a little bit differently, and act and communicate a little bit differently, than what you're used to in your hometown, neck of the woods, city, state, province, region, or country. Hey, people have different cultures right? It all boils down to respect, and also preparing to know some basic phrases here and there, which I follow whenever I visit any foreign country. It goes a LONG way when you make an effort, and just be respectful. Shocking! Kinda applies to day to day life right? lol Just remember life's too short, travelling is expensive, and we're not getting any younger. So why let some bad apples/bad situations ruin your travel experience?!(I mean unless your passport gets stolen, you get stabbed, beaten up by a mob, kidnapped and sold to slavery, or someone you know gets killed, but I think those are extreme scenarios... :/) Anywho, safe travels! 😉

[mytod]

AaaH! One tip from me - do NOT snap your fingers at the waiter or yell "garcon'!!

[alyssajennelle]

I’m a new subscriber & I love binge watching these vlogs! Just made plans to visit Paris next summer and your videos are my favorite to watch for information & entertainment. Thank you!

[roychefets]

Tips are already added to your bill when you receive it. There is no need to add a tip. However when you get your change it's considered elegant to leave some or all of the coins as a little extra.

[krsone]

Laura's reaction to the best croissant in the world "it's pretty good" with a smirk, haha I love her reaction - she doesn't seem to agree with that title.

[shelbywells]

I've got a pretty crazy story about restaurants near the Champs Elysees. I will avoid the area except for the Arc de Triomphe from now on. The waiters kept asking 'if we had money', even though we had dressed for dinner and I just thought it was super rude and the owner of the place kept moving groups of people in and out of the tables by the windows depending on how pretty they looked! So bizarre so we just had a drink and returned their insults on the way out.

[md]

Great tips! Would have enjoyed hearing all of you order in French. Next time?

[jejunemoon]

Thanks for the tips. A few comments—after 6pm it’s “bonsoir” not “bonjour.” And add “Monsieur’ or “Madame”—the French like the polite niceties (and it might get you a French menu).

[rosabelletan]

I went to Europe like France, Italy and Switzerland in year 2017, I loved it so much. Even though I went to Europe with a tour guide most of the time the tour guide does the picking of the best dishes for us in restaurants but still sometimes when we are on our own we can’t really understand the menu so we just ordered a cup of hot chocolate and a main dish. That’s why I still need to understand those French words on the menu so I won’t get confused. Now I have more confidence after watching this video but I’m going to Europe again in 10 or 15 years

[goedeck]

When i was dining with a French friend, after the meal we had café, but suggested i try a café gourmand. It is a café with a few tiny delicious desserts!

[nickjamesc]

Been a subscriber for a couple years now, loving all the new content! Wanted to point out that recently I was back in Paris with my mother and we went to a restaurant where the menu they gave her with english actually did have higher prices. Lol I was surprised places still did that, but wanted to let viewers know sadly it does still happen some places. Keep up great work !

[susanburnham]

Leaving for Paris in 8 days and this is helping me prep for my trip!!! Thank you!!