Slow Travel France - French Language Lessons, Out for Dinner, ordering in restaurants * Sometimes spelled with a final t. Meals Although, like us, the French eat three meals per day, what they eat at each meal differs from what's customary in the US or UK. Generally breakfast is coffee and bread and jam. Contrary to common belief, croissants are not usually eaten daily but rather on more special occasions like weekends. (That said, we encourage you to eat many croissants au beurre whenever you like! After all, it's your vacation!) Both lunch and dinner can be larger or smaller meals. Traditionally the midday meal was the largest one. Nowadays, there is more variation - some people prefer to eat a smaller lunch and a larger dinner or vice versa. Lunch is served in restaurants usually between 12pm and 2pm. Dinner service usually starts at 7pm, although many French people don't go out for dinner until at least 8pm.

ENGLISH please (in order to get waiter's attention) s'il vous plaît seel voo pleh * If pronouncing all of the consonants "t", "r" and "w" together is too difficult, leaving out the "r" will give you a close enough approximation. However, note that toi (twah) is a different word that means "you" informal. ** The French invariably pronounce foreign words as if they were French. It's not a bad idea to learn to pronounce your name as it might be pronounced in France. We are dah-VEED roh-NEES (David Ronis), zhoh-nah-TAH mohr-GAHN (Jonathan Morgan) et stehv koh-EHN (Steve Cohen)! Beverages Usually, servers first ask you what you would like to drink. Common choices are aperitifs, mineral water and wine. Below are some terms that will help you with your beverage order. ENGLISH ay-vee-ah Other Beverages Often, servers will offer you a drink before your meal. Also, many people like to have an after-dinner drink.

Please refer to the Café Talk lesson for a list of common aperitifs and after-dinner drinks. Ordering Food When your drink order has been taken, it's time to turn to food. A traditional, full French meal might consist of appetizer, soup, fish course, meat course, cheese, dessert and coffee. Nowadays, diners are not expected to eat all of these courses. However, in the spirit of trying something new, you might consider a course in which you normally don't partake – cheese, for instance. Most fixed price menus are three or four courses and usually offer either an appetizer or soup for the first and dispense with the cheese course. Here is some vocabulary that should be useful when ordering. ENGLISH ça suffit sah sew-fee * Notice the subtle difference in pronunciation between voudrez (voo-dray) in the question and voudrais (voo-dreh) in the answer. ** A potage is usually a soup that is enriched with one or more of the following: cream, butter, egg, or a flour roux (butter and flour cooked together). *** Beware that the words for fish (poisson) and drink (boisson) are very similar.

If you mix the two up, you might find yourself in an embarrassing situation! Special Requests Many travelers have dietary restrictions or preferences. Here are a number of terms that will be helpful should you have any special needs. ENGLISH biologique bee-oh-loh-zheek * Feminine form in parenthesis. Also note that the indefinite article ("a" in English) is left out of the translated French phrase. Je suis un vegetarien is incorrect. Menu Items The following are examples of dishes commonly found on menus. It is, by no means, comprehensive. The gastronomy of France is vast and it's beyond the scope of these lessons to provide a detailed pronouncing dictionary of food terms. We do hope, however, that it will be helpful with the basics. (Note, again, that in this section we've switched the order in which the terms appear: French-English-Transliteration.) Appetizers Here are some appetizers you might find on a menu. FRENCH chicken breast sew-prehm duh voh-lahy* * The last syllable in volaille is basically a diphthong – a combination of two vowels, "ah" and "ee".

In this case, the "ah" component receives the emphasis with the "ee" sounded lightly at the end. Meat In addition to the words for various meats, we're including a few of the organ meats. Europeans eat them with much more frequency than Americans and they are very commonly found on menus. Particularly if you don't like organ meats, you might want to know a few of their names so when they come up, you can avoid them! FRENCH veal sweetbreads (thymus gland) ree duh voh The French, in fact most Europeans, tend to cook their beef less than we do in the US and most wouldn't consider eating a steak well-done. Since both this predilection as well as the system for how meat is cooked is different from that in English-speaking countries, it's difficult to accurately translate the terms "rare, medium-rare" etc. Guidebooks and phrasebooks routinely contradict one another on this subject. That said, below is a guide that will hopefully be helpful. Of course, if meat is undercooked, you can always send it back to be cooked a bit more, although you might get a strange look from the waiter!

In order to have a steak well-done, it might be necessary to order it très bien cuit. FRENCH ice cream glahs * Say that 10 times fast! Actually, since it's so difficult to articulate all of the "t"s, the final "t" in tarte is usually omitted, or rather assimilated into the initial "t" of tatin: "tahr tah-ta". Coffee After a meal, it's very common in France to have a cup of coffee. However, the French very seldom drink coffee with milk or cream after a meal. Like the Italians, there's a feeling that milk in coffee does not aid digestion. Most often, they'll just have a simple espresso. That said, don't let local custom dissuade you from enjoying a café au lait after your meal, if the spirit moves you. Decaffeinated coffee isn't an uncommon request in France. Nor is herbal or black tea. For a comprehensive listing of coffee terms, please consult the lesson entitled Café Talk . Paying the Bill When you are ready to pay and leave, you are expected to ask for your check. Waiters will almost never bring you the check until you request it.

Restaurants in Europe don't expect to "turn over" tables. Once you sit down, the table is usually yours for the evening, or for as long as you like. ENGLISH You can hear this dialog being spoken. Download MP3 soundtrack: fr_restaurants.mp3 (340kb) Click on the link to play the sound file (it takes a few minutes to download). Right click to download the file to save on your computer. Dialog In the Slow Travel Italian Language Lesson: Going Out For Dinner, we encountered a simple conversation between a husband, wife and waiter at an Italian trattoria. What a coincidence that the same couple has decided to come to France the next year! Now they find themselves at a restaurant in Paris. Maître d': Bon soir, monsieur-dame. Vous avez une réservation? Husband: Oui. Pour deux personnes à huit heures et demi. Maître d': Quel est le nom? Husband: Cohen. Maître d': Bon, alors. Suivez-moi, s'il vous plaît. The Maître d' shows the couple to their table, gives them menus, leaves them alone. In a couple of minutes a waiter comes to take their order.

Waiter: Bonsoir. Est-ce que vous voudrez quelque chose à boire? Un apéritif? Wife: Non, merci. Une bouteille d'eau minerale avec gas. Husband: Et un demi-litre de vin rouge du pays. Waiter: Bon. Et à manger? Wife: Je voudrais le menu prix-fixe à dix-neuf euros, avec les escargots à la bourguignonne, la sole meunière, une salade verte, et le mousse au chocolat. Husband: Moi, je voudrais la soupe à l'oignon, le cassoulet, une salade verte et la tarte tatin. Waiter: Excellent! Merci bien. The food is served and the couple relax and enjoy their meal. Finally they are ready to leave. Husband: L'addition, s'il vous plaît. Waiter: Oui. The couple pays the check, which includes a 12% service charge to which they add a few extra euro, and then they leave, stomachs full, and extremely content! Waiter: Bon soir. Merci.

How To Order At A French Restaurant Without Sounding Dumb (Or Pretentious) | The Date Report How To Order At A French Restaurant Without Sounding Dumb (Or Pretentious) • Tweet There’s something about French restaurants that immediately conjures an image of a snotty, extremely expensive bistro where your waiter sneers, just waiting for you to mispronounce something. While this is certainly accurate in some cases, the truth is that French food, like any cuisine, is extremely varied in taste, price, and regional differences. From French cafes to casual bistros, there’s a world of more casual, wallet friendly options in addition to traditional high-end cuisine. The reason French restaurants in general make such great date spots is that the French put such an emphasis on the meal. A traditional French repas is usually divided up into four or five parts: the appetizer, the entree, the cheese plate, the dessert, and of course, the wine. The important thing is not to rush: whether you order one plate or five, take the time to enjoy the food, the wine, and the company. French restaurants are practically made for lingering.

A good date is therefore easily extended, past dessert and onto coffee, then followed by an apertif, etc, etc… Of course, because the French take their food so seriously, and foodies take French food so seriously, some basic vocabulary knowledge is good to have. The “eu” sound, in oeuf, boeuf bourgignon, and d’heuvre is pronounced with the same vowel sound we use in words like “uhm” or “uh”. Consonants at the end of words aren’t altogether dropped, as some assume, but they’re definitely not stressed. “Ls”, like the ones in bouillabaisse or sommelier are usually pronounced softly, more like the English “y.” But what matters most of all, in ordering French food, is trying: take a stab at pronouncing and go for it. People will appreciate your effort, and anyone who dares correct you (especially on a date!) is not worth your time. Bra-ser-ee. Not “brassiere.” Honest mistake, but try to leave undergarments out of your first date conversation.

“Maitre” Doesn’t Rhyme With “Waiter” Thank goodness maitre d’s have gone out of fashion in the past few years, because this is a tricky one to navigate in terms of pronunciation/pretentiousness. In French, maitre d’ means “master of –“, which is shortened from “master of hotel/restuarant/the world. (So, the head waiter/restaurant manager of, say, Applebees, would be “Maitre D’Applebees.”) In French, this is pronounced “meh-treh deh”, but in English it’s been colloquially butchered to “Mayder Dee”, which is awful, but not nearly as awful as showing up at a restaurant and demanding to speak to the “mehtreh deh”. Few restaurants have maitre d’s these days, but when faced this one, you can easily sidestep the whole problem by simply saying “the restaurant manager” or “the host”. Hors d’oeuvre: Not “Orderves” For some reason, the common English pronunciation of this switches order of the “v” and the “r” in the word.

So it’s not “orDERVEs”, but rather “orDEVREs”s. Crepes: crehp Pronouncing this word correctly is like walking a tightrope. If you go too hard on the vowel, you’ll end up incorrectly pronouncing it “craype” (like the paper). Too soft on the vowel, and you end up saying “crap”, which is pretty darn unappetizing. It’s “crehp”, with the same vowel sound you make with “meh.” Crepes, by the way, are a delicious and light dish which can be prepared either savory or sweet. Probably not something you’d order as a main dish at dinner, but a perfect lunch item. As for dessert, they’re of course delicious when prepared with ingredients such as chocolate or nutella (what isn’t delicious when made with nutella?), but may be best in the original “au sucre” form, with just lemon and sugar. Au Jus: Oh, Joos! Au jus has such a disgusting definition for such a delicious thing: it basically means something that is cooked/served in its own juices.

*Shudder.* Anyway, this is sometimes confusing because it means “juice” and it isn’t too much of a stretch to interpret the spelling as “juice”. Alas, the term is actually pronounced “oh joos.” No risk of sounding pretentious saying it that way: it’s of French provenance but a common English expression, too. We Are The Champignons If you pronounced this word as it is written, you’d probably end up ordering something like “Champ-pig-nons.” The French word for mushroom is, however, “sham-pee-gnon.” Vichyssoise: Vee-She-Swahz Vichyssoise is a soup made from leeks, onions, potatoes, chicken stock, and, most importantly, cream. Julia Child claims that this “French” dish is actually an American invention, which means you can pretty damn well pronounce it however you want. BUT, for the sake of erudition: vee-she-swahz.

Your Sommelier Probably Didn’t Come From Somalia No offense to the Sommelier from Somalia who is inevitably reading this and outraged right now, but, chances are your wine expert for the evening is not of Somalian descent. (Because it’s a small country! It’s just the odds!) This is just to say that while most people say “Soh-MAH-Lee-Ay”, the term is actually “SEHM-eh-yay.” In French the “l” is silent, but you can bring it back if you’re worried about sounding too tres: Seh-Mel-yay. Coq Au Vin: Get Your Mind Out Of The Gutter Are you really able to say “cock” on a first date without blushing? Power to you. If the thought of it makes you want to avoid this dish at all costs, don’t worry: it’s actually pronounced more like “kok” (not “cawk”): kok-oh-van (without going too hard on the “n”). Or go ahead and overemphasize “cock” with a straight-face and gauge how cool your date is based on their reaction.

If You See The Word “Grenouilles”… …don’t even bother trying to pronounce it because this is the French word for frog and the dish you are looking at most certainly consists of frog’s legs and it is this writer’s opinion that no one is going to want to kiss you after they see you eat frog’s legs. Related: 15 Foods You Should Avoid On A First Date A Macaron Is Not A Macaroon Macarons are starting to be as popular as cupcakes were a few years ago: they’re chic, pretty to look at, and come in a seemingly endless variety of flavors. However, these sweet almond confections are not to be confused (or pronounced like!) macaroons, which are meringue-like cookies of Italian descent. The French treat is pronounced “mah-cah-rohn.” Profiteroles In French, profiteroles are pronounced “pro-fee-trolls,” with an emphasis on the last syllable. However, this dish is common enough in the US that it’s perfectly acceptable to pronounce every syllable in the American way: pro-fee-ter-oles.

Related: What Your Food Says About You On A Date The Croissant/Kwa-ssant Debate The croissant, while obviously French in origin, is now sold at every bakery, Starbucks and 7-11 in the country. Because of this, it’s completely fine to pronounce this “cruh-sahnt”. Yep, in French, it’s “kwa-ssant”, and if you’re completely committed to sticking to this pronunciation, then go right ahead, but if you ever fault someone for saying it the English (normal) way, you’re going to come off as insufferable. On a different note, what in America is usually referred to (logically) as a chocolate croissant is sometimes billed as “pain au chocolat”. (Look for the square shape.) This is pronounced pan-o-sho-ko-laht. How to Order in a French Restaurant without Blowing Your Diet - YouTube How to Order in a French Restaurant without Blowing Your Diet Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented.

This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jun 2, 2011 Watch more Healthy Eating videos: Don't let the cream and butter sauces keep you from your local French bistro. We'll help you enjoy a guilt-free meal. Step 1: Skip the soup Skip the French onion soup and the seafood bisque in favor of almost any other appetizer; they're usually the most fattening starters on the menu. Tip Try the moules marinieres, which are mussels in white wine, garlic, and shallot sauce. Step 2: Avoid these words Avoid any food accompanied by the word mousse, pate, terrine, hollandaise, meuniere, beurre blanc, bechamel, or bearnaise. All indicate a high fat content. Tip Go for dishes described as "Provencal," which means they are served with a sauce of tomatoes, onions, and olives. Step 3: Focus on fish For a safe bet, order grilled fish. Bouillabaisse, a fish stew, is also a good choice.

Step 4: Ponder the duck Life is too short to never have delicious duck a l'orange, but since it weighs in at nearly 1,000 calories, save this dish for special occasions. Step 5: Weigh the meats If you have a yen for meat, steak au poivre is less caloric than beef bourguignon. Step 6: Say cheese If you are offered cheese after dinner, stick mostly with the hard varieties and avoid ripe vacherin, which is so creamy – i.e. fattening – it's served with a spoon! Step 7: Savor dessert Skip the profiteroles and tarte tatin, or apple tart, in favor of some sorbet. If you want a richer dessert, creme caramel is slightly less caloric than creme brulee. Did You Know? A comparison of restaurants in France and America revealed that the French eateries' portions were 25 percent smaller than their U.S. counterparts. Category The Top 10 Foods You Have To Eat In Paris You are here: Home / Eat.

/ The Top 10 Foods You Have To Eat In Paris The Top 10 Foods You Have To Eat In Paris By Chris Cockren With so many options and so little time to spend in the city of lights, this list highlights The Top 10 Foods You Have To Eat In Paris! I like to plan… a lot. As I painstakingly prepared for our trip to Paris, I researched food extensively. I mean, hey, let’s face it: how many chances am I really going to have to go to Paris…. Exactly. And if I’m only going once (or maybe if I’m lucky twice), I wanted to do it right. I wanted to eat the very best Paris had to offer. And that’s exactly what I did! And so came the idea to do this “Top 10 List”, so that if you ever have the amazing opportunity to visit Paris, this can serve as your gastronomic guide. As I sat down to write this post, it was a pretty daunting task… there is a ridiculous amount of insanely delicious, unbelievable food in Paris. How do you decide what’s the best?! But trust me, if you eat everything on this list, you are going to be very, VERY happy with your trip!

I know I was. In no particular order, here’s my top 10: 1. Caramels Words do not describe how good the caramels are from Patrick Roger and Jacques Genin . Amazing in texture, rich in buttery flavor, these little treats will forever change your life. I brought some home for friends and watched their eyes light up with uncontrollable joy as they slowly savored each morsel of caramel goodness. If you have to pick only one place to do your caramel shopping, I would definitely choose Jacques Genin (get the natural caramel or the ginger caramel… both are amazing). Jacques Genin Caramels: Patrick Roger Caramels: 2. Bordier Butter Really Chris, really? No, c’mon…. butter? That’s in your top ten?! I need to have butter in France?! Yes, you really, really do! Le Beurre Bordier will revolutionize your current standard of butter. It will seriously blow your mind. Bordier butter is amazingly super smooth and super rich in flavor. You will literally eat loaves and loaves of bread just to eat more of this butter (especially when you add a sprinkle of fleur de sel).

I bought this butter at Laurent Dubois Cheese Shop, although you may be able to find it elsewhere. 3. Baguette, Pain au Chocolat, and Pastries Since coming home from Paris, I’ve yet to have a baguette or pastry that comes even remotely close to the ones I enjoyed while in the City of Light. It’s sad really. Kind of depressing just thinking about it… Ask Asheley, I’ve actually been quite upset that I don’t have daily access to artisan boulangers and patisseries. So while you are in Paris, take advantage of the superior breads and baked goods. Find yourself a quality Artisan Boulanger (bread shop) like Eric Kayser and Patisserie (bakery), and make sure to enjoy your fair share of goodies daily! Here are some specific recommendations: Baguette from Eric Kayser: No matter where you buy a baguette, make sure it has pointed ends, a sign that the bread was made by hand. If the ends are rounded, it typically means the bread was machine made and of inferior quality (although probably still better than most of the bread we’ve had here in the U.S.).

Also, the bread should have a nice, dark, golden brown crust. When you knock on the bread, it should sound hollow inside, and finally, when you break into the bread, you should see a beautiful hole structure like this: Pain au Chocolat from Angelina Patisserie : This was my go-to breakfast treat while in Paris. It is basically a croissant with chunks of chocolate throughout. My favorite was at Angelina’s, with Eric Kayser coming in at a close 2nd. If you are at Angelina’s, make sure you also get a hot chocolate… it’s crazy good. Any Croissant-like Pastry at Eric Kayser: You can’t go wrong with any croissant or croissant like pastry at Eric Kayser (I had a lot of them). This one here is a pastry with a lemon filling. It was legit! Asheley still claims her life is forever changed after eating it. St. Honore Pastry from the Cake Shop in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel : This was an absolutely perfect architectural masterpiece of pastry genius. Puff pastry, cream puffs, whipped cream, and caramelized sugar… what’s not to love?! I’m still having dreams about it.

Definitely make your way into the Mandarin Oriental for this treat. You can eat it within their Cake Shop Patisserie or bring it back to your hotel to enjoy! Kouglof from Vandermeersch Bakery: Kouglof is a sweet, yeast-risen dough that is studded with raisins and soaked with a syrup that keeps the pastry super moist. It is then coated with a sprinkling of sugar to give it an extra sweet kick. Vandermeersch Bakery is definitely off the beaten track: we had to take a 20-minute metro ride to the outskirts of Paris just to get there. And they only make their kouglof on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and it does sell out quickly from what I’ve been told, so plan accordingly. 4. Chocolate There is no shortage of great chocolate in Paris. You can read all about my chocolate experiences while in Paris here: The Best Paris Chocolatiers . But if you twisted my arm and said I had to narrow it down, this is what you need to eat: Jacques Genin: World-renowned for their amazing caramels, Jacques Genin also has awesome chocolate.

I bought a box of assorted dark chocolates to enjoy back home here in the U.S., and I am loving what I’m tasting! The truffles are decadent, the chocolate carousel is plain good fun, and this dark chocolate bar with candied hazelnuts is to die for. Patrick Roger: You really cannot go wrong with anything from this MOF Chocolatier (MOF is the highest honor given to a professional in the French culinary world). My only advice here is don’t shy away from the combinations that sound unique or different. That’s his specialty! I also am in love with the little colorful half-spheres in the bottom-left of the photo: those are liquid caramel enrobed in a thin layer of dark chocolate. The wall of single-sourced chocolate bars are also very worth your time. If I had to pick only one chocolatier to go to, Patrick Roger would probably be it. Franck Kestener : Hands down, you need to get the Atlantique from this MOF Chocolatier (although pretty much everything is good, including the couple macarons I sampled). This square dark chocolate bar is filled with luscious caramel and a delicate layer of crunchy shortbread.

I bought three of these bars. Enough said. Pierre Marcolini : Okay, okay, I know… technically Pierre Marcolini is a Belgian Chocolatier (and I actually went to the one in Brussels, not Paris). However, they do have a boutique in Paris so I’m including it here. The chocolates are good, but the real star here is the marshmallows. The marshmallow itself is delicate, sweet, and fluffy with a hint of vanilla. It just melts in your mouth. Cover that with a super thin layer of dark chocolate… amazing! 5. Cheese from Laurent Dubois You need to have cheese in Paris. More importantly, you need to have cheese from Laurent Dubois in Paris. As you can see on the awning, just like Patrick Roger and Franck Kestener, he is also a MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) in his culinary field of cheese-aging. As you enter the shop, a cheese consultant will help you select the perfect cheese. Laurent Dubois also has the capability of vacuum-sealing your cheese so you can bring it home! Our cheese consultant was superb.

They had us try some different varieties to get a sense of what kinds of cheeses we liked, then they started making some recommendations based upon our needs/wants. Want cheese to pair with a certain wine? Or maybe to pair with certain foods? Oh, and you want the cheese to be perfectly ripe for 3 days from now? A week from now? No problem for these experts! For instance, we told him we wanted a nice variety of cheese for a get-together we would be having back home the following week. He not only picked great cheeses based on what we tasted and liked, but he also found ones that were perfectly ripe and ready to eat when our party was taking place. 6. L’Avant Comptoir Wine Bar Owned by Yves Camborde, L’Avant Comptoir serves up amazing natural wine and unbelievably good little plates (i.e. tapas / hors d’oeuvres) within a tiny, casual, standing-only bar. Look up at the ceiling for the menu… it’s hanging down on oversized cards! Then nestle up to the bar and enjoy the communal bread, Bordier butter, and pickles. Remember how I said you need to have Bordier butter while in Paris.

Here’s your opportunity!!! This is the only place in Paris we visited twice because it was so freaking good. I’ll be writing a more in-depth post all about L’Avant Comptoir soon, but here’s a sneak peak of what to order: Jamon (cured ham) and Artichoke Cream on Waffles Foie Gras and Roasted Pepper Skewers with Balsamic Reduction 7. Macarons Sometimes spelled macaroon in America, the French macaron is said to have been invented by Laduree in the early 20th Century. Although the macarons at Laduree are definitely delicious, I’m partial to the ones at Pierre Herme . The macaron itself is the delicate, sweet, meringue-like shell that sandwiches some sort of ganache, buttercream, or jam filling. Plan on stopping by one or both of these macaron meccas while in Paris! Macarons at Pierre Herme (definitely get the Lime-Basil and the Salted Caramel): Macarons at Laduree: 8.

Splurge Dinner The food, the wine, the service, the ambience… enjoying a splurge dinner is an experience that you will not soon forget. Since it was our honeymoon, we actually did a splurge dinner almost every night (it was pretty darn awesome). In doing so, we created memories that will absolutely last us a lifetime. Besides having unbelievably great food, all the following restaurants have amazing natural wine lists with bottles for anyone’s price range. I totally get that everyone’s vacation budget is totally different (one person’s average night out is another’s big splurge), so I included places in many different price ranges so that anyone can eat like royalty alongside food-loving locals: Spring Restaurant Chef Daniel Rose offers a spectacular market-driven five course menu that rotates weekly for about 75€ per person. The service is extremely warm and friendly to foreigners, and the food is absolutely unreal. The open kitchen offers fantastic views for food-lovers like me, watching Chef Rose and his staff work with extreme detail. Check out my full review here: Spring Restaurant . Chez L’Ami Jean Chef Stephane Jego serves up incredibly-generous portions of skillfully prepared food within a fun and lively atmosphere.

The servers move around the tiny restaurant with crazy speed and you can watch Chef Jego at work throughout your entire meal through the kitchen window. He has several menus available, including an a la carte, normal tasting menu, and then an over-the-top tasting menu. We chose the normal 6-course tasting menu, which changes on a regular basis, and was about 50€ per person. It was a fantastic value! Bistro Paul Bert A neighborhood bistro serving up elevated French classics, Bistro Paul Bert is a very affordable dinner option in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. The regularly-rotating prix fixe menu, consisting of entree (appetizer), plat (main), and dessert, is only 36€! There are several delicious dishes to choose from for each course. Check out my full review of the restaurant here: Bistro Paul Bert . Le Chateaubriand Chef Inaki Aizpitarte’s Le Chateaubriand is not an easy reservation, but you will be rewarded with an amazing 50€ prix-fixe menu that changes daily. The place is packed with locals, and the food offers some pretty unique flavor combinations.

If you can’t get a reservation, try his wine bar Le Dauphin a couple doors down. Formerly the sous chef at Mario Batali’s michelin-starred Del Posto in NYC, Chef Kevin O’Donnell came to Paris to head up the kitchen at L’Office. Bringing his Italian culinary influences along for the ride, Chef O’Donnell’s French-Italian fare is utterly spectacular. And at only 26€ for the regularly-rotating three course menu, L’Office is affordable for pretty much anyone’s budget. Restaurant Guy Savoy I know, no picture for this one, sorry! Restaurant Guy Savoy has three coveted Michelin stars, the highest honor given within their rating system. The menu is not cheap by any means (315€-360€ per person), but you will eat, drink, and have service like never before (unless, of course, you are accustomed to eating at such haute-cuisine establishments). We decided to dine at Guy Savoy after reading some amazing news on Wendy Lyn’s blog, The Paris Kitchen. (You can read her review of the restaurant here: Guy Savoy ).

During the summer, she announced, Chef Guy Savoy was offering a 5-course Tasting Menu for only 165€… oh, and it included wine pairings! The food was mind-blowing, the wine pours were generous, and the service was absolutely perfect. It was an incredible evening and definitely worth every penny. 9. Falafel @ L’as Du Fallafel I know, crazy right?! Who would have thought Paris had an unbelievable falafel place! It’s not just good, it’s described by many, many people as the best falafel sandwiches in the world. I’ve only had falafel in NY and Paris, so I’m not ready to make such a bold statement yet… but I can say that it is hands down the best falafel sandwich I have ever had ( Taim Falafel in NYC would definitely be my 2nd favorite). The falafel sandwich is layered perfectly, so that every bite contains equal parts of falafel, roasted eggplant, tahini sauce, pickled cucumbers, red cabbage, and sauce piquante. And the best part, it’s only about 5 or 6€.

It is a perfect lunch option (and hint, Pozzetto is just a short walk away for some after-lunch ice cream!) 10. Dessert Paris is full of amazing desserts. Besides the already mentioned dessert-esque pastries I mentioned above, there are some other favorites I want to share with you: Gelato at Pozzetto I sampled ice cream/gelato at a few places in Paris, and this was by far my favorite. The gelato is super creamy and packed with flavor. Grab a cup with a scoop of Pistachio and of Giunduja (chocolate-hazelnut), you won’t be sorry! Dessert Soup: We had a couple dessert “soups” while in Paris, and both were eye-opening good! I’ve never had soup for dessert before, but as soon as I got home from Paris, I’ve been working on recreating these two dishes (stay tuned for recipes!). The flavors were bright and refreshing, with a perfectly balanced creamy component in each: Blueberry Soup with Mascarpone @ L’Office Peach Soup with Almond Ice Cream @ Fish Boissonnerie Crepes You have to get a Crepe and Creme Brulee while in Paris!

We found delicious examples of both at L’Avant Comptoir. You can get your crepe filled with whatever you fancy, ours had both chocolate and chantilly cream! The creme brulee was perfectly cooked and had a hint of unexpected lavender. Creme Brulee Souffle @ Bistro Paul Bert I’m sure you can get an excellent souffle at many spots in Paris, but the Grand Marnier Souffle at Bistro Paul Bert was pretty darn perfect. While you are in Paris, there is so much to eat and so little time! Enjoy every second! Enjoy every morsel! I know we did! 10 Common Ordering Mistakes People Make in Paris Restaurants - David Lebovitz 10 Common Ordering Mistakes People Make in Paris Restaurants 222 comments - 01.21.2010 The other night I was sitting at Le Garde Robe , minding my own business, trying to get down a glass of natural wine. Being seven o’clock, naturally, in addition to being thirsty, I was starving, too.

And the lack of food (and sulfides) must have started affecting my brain because I started thinking about how I often hear tales from visitors, such as when they told a Parisian waiter they didn’t eat meat and shortly afterward, were presented with a plate of lamb. Or they ordered a salad, that was supposed to come with the sandwich, and was actually just a single leaf of lettuce. Hoo-boy, and yes, I’ve made a few gaffes of my own, too: I once ordered a glass of Lillet (pronounced le lait, which isn’t well-known around Paris) and the perplexed café waiter brought me out a long, slender glass of le lait (milk), presented with great panache, on a silver dish with a nice doily. Of course, everyone was staring at the grown man who ordered a tall glass of milk. And I don’t think it was because of the starched doily.

Anyhow, I was scanning the chalkboard at Le Garde Robe, looking at the various charcuterie and cheese on offer, and noticed filet mignon, and thought, “A steak is a funny thing for a wine bar to serve, especially one that doesn’t serve hot food.” Until I remembered what it is in French. And if everyone wasn’t already staring at the idiot at the wine bar, nursing a stemmed glass of milk, I would’ve kicked myself for thinking that’s a big, juicy steak. Which it’s not, in France. 1. Mixing Up the Mignons Mignon in French means “cute”. And to my pork-loving friends and readers, that can only mean one thing: pigs. French people think cows are attractive. So much so, that they’ve even issued stamps with various cow breeds depicted on them. But in this case, a filet mignon is pork tenderloin, not the lean, thick-cut steak that you might be used to. Which doesn’t explain why Le Garde Robe, which doesn’t have a kitchen, had filet mignon on the menu. Which means I have to go back to the wine bar. Oh well…all in the name of research.

Of course. 2. Don’t Order an Apéritif in a Restaurant Apparently, no one orders a kir anymore. (Update: Or maybe so? ) A refreshing drink made with aligoté white wine and a dapple of cassis, before I found out I’m not supposed to drink them anymore (the memo must’ve blown off my porch, or something..) a kir makes a nice apéritif on a warm spring or summer evening—at a café. Because I was recently informed that they are no longer in fashion, I suppose it’d be best to cut them out entirely. (And yes, that means the sparkly kir royal, made with Champagne, too. Merde!) Which brings me to ordering an apéro in a restaurant, which is something you very rarely see in Paris. Most people go to a nearby café for one, perhaps to sit on the terrace, before heading to a restaurant.

So when the waiter asks, “Vous desirez un apéritif?”, you don’t have to feel obligated and say, “Bien sûr!”, especially since a round of four will set you back at least €25 ($36 at today’s exchange rate), and a round of kir royals is likely to set you back a whole lot more than that. And there’s likely a fairly good bottle of wine you could get for the same price. Like Sancerre. Sancerre rocks, and if I could only drink one wine for the rest of my life, it would be Sancerre. 3. Drink in only the sights on the Champs-Elysées It boggles my mind when people come to Paris, and have a soda at a café on the Champs-Elysées, then go wild when they get the check. Image going to the most expensive hotel in New York City or Los Angeles and ordering a Coke. You’re standing on some of the most expensive real estate in the world on that street and you’re going to pay for that privilege if you choose to park your backside in one of those chairs.

If you want to sit there and enjoy the view, fine, order that €8 Coke, and suck it up. (Watch your belongings!) But I advise skipping a drink on that boulevard (and really, you should be drinking wine, like Sancerre, instead of soda in France anyways..), unless you’re really, really thirsty. In which case, hit the supermarket at the end of the street, number #52, to be precise, and grab a beverage there. 4. Fish (a little) for Scallops I fell for this once, a long time ago in Switzerland, and ordered the escalopes, thinking I was going to be tucking in some fork-tender, round nuggets of under-the-sea goodness. Hardly. Instead, I was presented with a few thinly-pounded pieces of leathery veal. It wasn’t all that bad, in a chewy-meat kind of way, but I was definitely not getting misted with that dewy, salty spray of the sea. In French, escalope refers to any kind of boneless meat or poultry (and fish, although rarely) that is thinly-sliced and usually pan-fried.

If you want those sweet scallops, order the Coquilles Saint-Jacques , a moniker which has been commandeered by Americans as a dish with scallops served in their shell, with a bunch of other stuff mixed in to fluff it up a bit. In France, though, the term just means the fresh scallops, sold in their shells, which can be prepared in a variety of ways. Just ask your friendly waiter. Without the shells, they’re called Saint-Jacques or sometimes noix de Saint-Jacques, even though they don’t have any noix (nuts) in them. Perhaps you have to go to a triperie, or a place that specializes in offal to find scallop nuts. 5. Ban the Butter, or Be Breton I love French butter . Especially the amazing salted butter from Normandy and Brittany. But you’ll never find it served with bread, except in upscale restaurants, in Paris. Bread is meant to be an accompaniment to a meal, not a before-the-first-course course, grabbing for the rolls as soon as the bread basket hits the table. And the French don’t pick up a slice of bread and yank a wad off with their teeth.

Bread is meant to be eaten by pulling off a mouth-sized piece, and placing it between your lips. Your teeth should not be showing in public when you eat bread. Which is why, as soon as I get in the elevator of my building alone with a fresh baguette, I rip my incisors into it like a savage beast. Butter isn’t normally spread on bread except in three instances: 1) Salted butter goes on rye bread, eaten with oysters from Brittany or elsewhere, 2) At breakfast, bread is spread liberally with butter, because it’s from the day before and needs it, and 3) With sausage or cheese, especially bleu cheese. It’s good. Try it! Waiters are semi-used to being asked for butter by my compatriots, so if you want it and they give you a snarl, tell them you’re from Brittany, a region filled with French people that aren’t as enamored with cheese as they are with butter. So just tell the waiter J’ai besoin d’amann, which is butter, in Breton.

I don’t know how to say “I need…” in Breton, so anyone out there who speaks that mystical language is welcome to enlighten me. 6. Don’t Turn Off the Tap People. The French Middle Ages were ages ago. They haven’t sent anyone to the guillotine since 1977 (er…) and people don’t use rags to clean the streets anymore. ( er ….) and yes, the tap water in Paris is fine to drink. It truly is and live to tell you about it. Just like there is a movement in other places to stop drinking water in plastic bottles, it’s time to cut down on this folly, which is a huge waste of money and resources. (Disclaimer: I buy water only for my espresso machine and for traveling. But to balance it out, I don’t always flush when I go #1, and sometimes resort to other water-saving measures .) Even though by now you’ve probably lost your appetite, by law, in a restaurant in France, if you ask for tap water, they have to give it to you. Sometimes it takes a few times for it to sink in that you’re not buying water, and to get the free stuff, but don’t be bullied.

And you know those waiters who you don’t want to think you’re a cheapskate order tap water when they go out to eat, too. (Just like those queens with the perfect stubble and 28″ waists at Gucci who sneer at you because you can’t afford that €385 shirt. I never feel bad because if they didn’t work there, they wouldn’t be wearing a €385 shirt either.) Never feel intimidated into ordering a bottle of water, either just because you’re in Europe and you think you’re supposed to, or because you’re afraid of French water. Just say “Non” to bottled water, in any language. 7. Bring On the Rosé For some unknown reason, some visitors think it’s very downscale to drink rosé. But much of the rosé in France is pretty good, especially in the summer. And in fact, rosé has overtaken white wine in France and I’m proud to say I’ve done my part to help tip those scales. Unlike those sugary pink wines from, well, you-know-where, you will rarely come across a sweet rosé in Paris: few people here like drinking sweet wine.

So you can order rosé with impunity and not feel like a cheapskate or a dolt. Heck, I even put an ice cube in mine. Just like they do in Marseille. And Parisians know better than to mess with les Marseillais. But just in case, I included a picture of a carafe that was served to me in Marseilles last summer, which you’re welcome to print out and carry around with you, like I do in case anyone gives me a hard time about putting ice in mine. 8. When is a salade Not a Salad? I read on one of those travel bulletin board where everybody whines and complains (I’m always, like, “Dude, get a blog. It’s awesome!”), from a furious hotel guest in Paris who ordered a hamburger which the menu said came with salade, and…damn those cheese-eaters!…there was only one leaf of lettuce on his or her plate. In French, the word salade on its own means lettuce, as in either a head of lettuce, or by-the-leaf. Usually a meal-sized salad is called something like salade Parisienne and can have all sorts of wonderful things on it.

Like the salade œuf mollet, above, with bacon, crisp croûtons, and a warm poached egg from Le Nemrod , which I couldn’t resist showing you. (You don’t have to print it out if you go there. They know it already.) If you want a green salad, ask for a salade verte, a simple “green” salad. Which goes ecologically well with that “green”-minded tap water you’ve ordered, I might add. 9. Hold the Veggies Some veg head friends of mine came to Paris and went to a vegetarian restaurant up near Montmarte. The next day, they told me how stunned they were that there weren’t any vegetables on the menu. Yes, being a vegetarian can pose a challenge in Paris, although I’ve seen more and more vegetarian restaurants coming across the radar lately, and cafés and other casual places often feature vegetarian dishes, too. However in regular restos, some non-meat eaters are surprised when they tell the waiter they don’t eat meat, then are presented with a salad…oops, I mean asalade, piled high with ham or bacon.

France has an interesting way of categorizing things (and if you don’t believe me, let me tell you about my last appointment at city hall) and at a butcher shop, you’ll find beef and lamb, and sometimes pork. Chicken is at the volailler, although in butcher shops, too. But at a charcuterie, you’ll find pork products and fresh pork, but you won’t find fresh beef or lamb, and not chicken. And if you’re looking for horse to eat , you’ll have to go to a chevaline. So if you say you don’t eat ‘meat’, that can be translated in a variety of ways. But just to be safe, I’ve memorized how to say that I don’t eat horse in every conceivable language. (Except in Breton. But I think I’m safe.) Hey, where’s Number 10? Oops, I guess I just made a mistake, too. Okay, so I told you some of my foibles and mishaps in Paris restaurants and cafés. Got any of yours to share, or any to add to this list?

Meals and the Culture of Spain Meals and the Culture of Spain Meals and the Culture of Spain Spanish Meals & Eating Customs By Lisa & Tony Sierra Updated November 23, 2016. Spaniards love their food! In fact, the typical Spaniard probably eats more food than any one of us in the USA, but they take their time eating, spread their meals throughout the day, and walk between meals. Below is a brief description of a day of Spanish meals, from breakfast to dinner, with approximate mealtimes, as well as sample menus. The Smallest Meal of the Day Continental Breakfast A typical breakfast might include café con leche - strong coffee with hot, frothy milk, bollos (sweet rolls) with jam, toast with jam or mild cheese, or simply "Maria" crackers dunked in hot milk. Some families buy sweet and lemony magdalenas from the neighborhood bakery, but it is now very common (and more economical) to buy bags of these petite, fluffy, cupcake-like cakes in the supermarkets. Generally, breakfast in Spain is eaten at home, before dashing off to work or school.

However, you may see some workers duck into the closest cafeteria at around 10:00am to enjoy a quick mid-morning "coffee break." continue reading below our video BBQ Side Dishes: The 411 Tapas - Little Spanish Meals Tapas are eaten well after breakfast, but before lunch, the large mid-afternoon meal! They are small plates, canapés or finger food, may be warm or cold dishes, and vary greatly from region to region - season to season. Tapas-Time generally includes bar-hopping to wine-taste and chat A different Tapa is ordered at each stop This time is just as much about socializing with friends and neighbors as it is about the quality of the tapas Friends may have a circuit, making regular stops at favorite bars The Spanish love tapas so much, they made a verb out of it. The phrase Vamos a tapear! means “Let’s go eat tapas!” There are literally hundreds, perhaps thousands of tapas.

A few of the most popular tapas are: Tortilla Española - Spanish Omelet, also called tortilla de patata, or potato omelet Patatas Bravas - Potatoes with Spicy Brava Sauce Gambas al Ajillo - Shrimp in Garlic Want more tapas recipes? Read our Tapas FAQ , or visit our Tapas category page. La Comida – Lunch The midday meal or la comida as it is called in Spain is the largest meal of the day. It is definitely a large meal, usually with multiple courses. Traditionally, Spaniards have a 2-3 hour break from work or school in order to enjoy la comida and take a short nap or siesta, and the entire country closes up shop from about 2:00pm to 4:30 or 5:00pm. The siesta is a tradition that goes back centuries. When most people worked in agriculture and air conditioning did not exist, it is easy to understand why folks needed fuel from a large meal, and a rest from the hot Spanish sun before returning to farm work outside. Everyone in Spain enjoyed this afternoon break, from school kids to shop workers and government officials.

Most Spaniards still enjoy a break and large meal, but life in Spain is changing. In larger cities like Madrid and Barcelona, many people spend over an hour commuting to and from their work, making it impossible to go home for a meal and siesta. Because of this, Spanish government employees in Madrid now work a standard eight-hour day with a one-hour lunch break. Many large supermarket and retail chains in large cities don't close for lunch anymore. Most small shops still close to enjoy their meal and a break before re-opening in the late afternoon. The Largest Meal of the Day Multiple Courses with Wine Eaten between 1:30 and 3:30 pm Below is a sample meal that you might find on a menu at a restaurant, or if you were invited to someone’s home for lunch: Vegetable, Bean or Seafood Soup (many times rice, potato or pasta-based) Fresh Fish or Seafood, Roast Chicken or Lamb, Fried Potatoes, Rabbit Stew, etc. Green Salad or Vegetables Dessert - Flan, light pastry, fresh fruit or ice cream Coffee and Liqueur or Brandy Bread is ALWAYS on the Spanish table. It is plentiful and fresh and used to mop up sauces.

Since Spanish lunches are always large, and courses come one at a time, pace yourself! Like Italians, Spaniards believe in taking their time and enjoying their meals, so la comida can last an hour and a half or longer. Since Spaniards love eggs and dairy foods, you will find that many desserts are made from fresh milk or cream. Fresh fruit is typical to see on the dessert menu and may be served with a soft cheese. Don’t forget an espresso shot – You’ll probably need it after the big lunch! La Merienda - Snack The late-afternoon snack in Spain is called la merienda and is necessary since lunch is done by 3:30pm, but dinner isn't usually eaten for another five to six hours. La Merienda is especially important to children, who always seem to have lots of energy and play soccer in the streets, etc. La Merienda can be anything from a piece of French-style bread with a piece of chocolate on top, to bread with chorizo sausage, ham or salami. It is eaten around 4:30 or 5:00pm, and since dinner isn't served for at least another 3-4 hours, nobody worries that this snack will ruin the appetite for dinner!

La Cena – Dinner Light fare, such as an omelet or fish with a green salad Eaten between 9:00 pm and Midnight A dinner might include fresh fish or seafood, a portion of roast chicken or lamb, with fried potatoes or rice. Portions are usually smaller, and plates are simpler. A simple and quick dish, commonly eaten at dinner is arroz cubano , which is a mound of white rice, topped with tomato sauce and a fried egg. Green salad and/or a vegetable dish are standard at lunch and dinner. A lighter dessert of fresh fruit or flan (Spanish vanilla custard) may also be eaten. Often times, rather than sitting down to dinner at a restaurant, a group of friends may decide to meet and tapear, (make the rounds at their favorite tapas bars) before seeing a movie, going to a club or show. After Dinner Spaniards are night owls. The typical Spaniard does not eat dinner until at least 9 o’clock in the evening and probably does not get to bed until close to midnight. On the weekends, on holidays and during the summer months, it wouldn’t be unusual for a Spanish family to turn in round 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning.

So, after the late-night dinner, Spaniards continue their socializing in their neighborhood cafés and taverns or go out to a nightclub or pub. The last stop on the way home from an evening of fun might be to a churreria or a churro stand. Churros are fried pastries that look something like fried potatoes, though they have nothing to do with potatoes. The closest thing that we have in the USA would be fritters or donuts. However, fresh churros, bought from a street vendor or sidewalk café, served hot and sprinkled with sugar are delicious. To accompany your churros, hot chocolate is the drink of choice! Chocolate in Spain is NOT like the chocolate that you may have had in the USA. It´s not like Mexican chocolate either, which has cinnamon and other flavors in it. Spanish chocolate is made hot and very thick. It is usually made from fresh, whole milk, not a "just add water" chocolate packet. It’s sweet and so thick that you can practically stand a spoon in it!

Question: If you were to order Rochebaron in a French restaurant, which food would you be served ?
Answer: CHEESE