French Food, cuisine, restaurants Flashcards
Le menu, la formule
refer to the fixed-price menu, which includes two or more courses (with limited choices for each) and is usually the cheapest (and in some restaurants, the only) way to eat. The choices may be written on the ardoise (see below) or on a special page in the carte. (Outside of France, this is often called the “prix fixe menu”; the original term is French, but the French just call it the menu.)
la carte
The sheet of paper or booklet that the waiter hands you (what English speakers call the “menu”) is la carte - anything you order from it is à la carte
La carte des vins
the wine menu
Une dégustation
a tasting menu, with small servings of multiple dishes (déguster means “to taste”)
un apéritif
cocktail, pre-dinner drink
un amuse-bouche or amuse-gueule
snack (just one or two bites)
une entrée - appetizer
starter
le plat principal
main course
le fromage
cheese
le dessert
dessert
le café
coffee
un digestif
after-dinner drink
Le plat du jour
is the daily special (literally, “dish of the day”) which is usually part of le menu.
Ardoise (f)
means “slate”; it refers to the specials board
Gratuit, offert
both mean “free”
Je n’en peux plus, J’ai bien/trop mangé
When you’re full, do not say “je suis plein” (which means something else)
commander
to order
Vous avez choisi ?
Have you decided?
Que voudriez-vous ? Vous désirez ?
What would you like?
Je vous écoute.
What would you like? (Literally, “I’m listening to you.”)
Que prenez-vous ?
What are you having?
Qu’est-ce que je vous sers ?
What can I get you?
Je voudrais… J’aimerais…
I would like…
Je vais prendre… Je prends…
I’ll have…
Combien coûte… ?
How much does … cost?
C’est à votre goût ?
Do you like it? Is everything ok?
C’est terminé ?
Have you finished?
Ça a été ?
Was everything ok?
allergique à…
allergic to…
diabétique
diabetic
végétarien / végétarienne
vegetarian
végétalien / végétalienne
vegan
Je ne peux pas manger…
I can’t eat…
bleu, saignant
very rare
rosé
rare
à point
medium-rare
bien cuit
well done
le serveur (not garçon)
waiter
la serveuse
waitress
le/la chef
cook
à la carte
side order (not part of le menu)
l’addition (f)
check/bill
le socle
base of credit card machine
le pourboire
tip
service compris
tip included
A la vôtre !
Cheers!
Bon appétit
Enjoy your meal
défense de fumer
no smoking
les animaux sont interdits
no pets allowed
affiné
aged
artisanal
homemade, traditionally made
à la broche
cooked on a skewer
à la vapeur
steamed
à l’etouffée
stewed
au four
baked
biologique
bio - organic
bouilli
boiled
brûlé
burnt
coupé en dés
diced
coupé en tranches / rondelles
sliced
en croûte
in a crust
en daube
in stew, casserole
en gelée
in aspic/gelatin
farci
stuffed
fondu
melted
frit
fried
fumé
smoked
glacé
frozen, icy, glazed
grillé
grilled
haché
minced, ground (meat)
maison
homemade, in-house, chef’s own
poêlé
pan-fried
relevé
highly seasoned, spicy
séché
dried
truffé
with truffles
truffé de
dotted/speckled with
aigre
sour
amer
bitter
piquant
spicy
salé
salty, savory
sucré
sweet(ened)
aiguillettes
long, thin slices (of meat)
aile
wing, white meat
aromates
seasoning
___ à volonté (e.g., frites à volonté)
all-you-can-eat ___ (e.g., all-you-can-eat fries/chips)
la choucroute
sauerkraut
crudités
raw vegetables
cuisse
thigh, dark meat
émincé
thin slice (of meat)
fines herbes
sweet herbs
un méli-mélo
assortment
un morceau
piece
au pistou
with basil pesto
une poêlée de ___
assorted fried ___
la purée
mashed potatoes
une rondelle
slice (of fruit, vegetable, sausage)
une tranche
slice (of bread, cake, meat)
une truffe
truffle (very expensive and rare fungus)
aïoli
fish/vegetables with garlic mayonnaise (Provence) (In English, aïoli refers just to the mayo)
aligot
mashed potatoes with fresh cheese (Auvergne)
le bœuf bourguignon
beef stew (Burgundy)
le brandade
dish made with cod (Nîmes)
la bouillabaisse
fish stew (Provence)
le cassoulet
meat and bean casserole (Languedoc)
la choucroute (garnie)
sauerkraut with meat (Alsace)
le clafoutis
fruit and thick custard tart
le coq au vin
chicken in red wine sauce
la crême brûlée
custard with a burnt sugar top
la crème du Barry
cream of cauliflower soup
une crêpe
very thin pancake
un croque-madame
ham and cheese sandwich topped with fried egg
un croque-monsieur
ham and cheese sandwich
une daube
meat stew
le foie gras
goose liver
___ frites (moules frites, steak frites)
___ with fries/chips (mussels with fries/chips, steak with fries/chips)
une gougère
puff pastry filled with cheese
la pipérade
tomato and bell pepper omelette (Basque)
la pissaladière
onion and anchovy pizza (Provence)
la quiche lorraine
bacon and cheese quiche
la (salade de) chèvre (chaud)
green salad with goat cheese on toast
la salade niçoise
mixed salad with anchovies, tuna, and hard-boiled eggs
la socca
baked chickpea crêpe (Nice)
la soupe à l’oignon
French onion soup
la tarte flambée
pizza with very light crust (Alsace)
la tarte normande
apple and custard pie (Normandy)
la tarte tatin
upside-down apple pie
des abats
giblets, offal
des algues
seaweed
une andouillette
chitterling sausage
des béatilles
assorted organ meats
le boudin
blood sausage/pudding
la cagouille
snail
la cervelle
brains
des civelles
spaghetti-like baby eels
le civet
game stew thickened with blood
la crête de coq
rooster’s comb
des cuisses de grenouille
frogs’ leg
un escargot
snail
le foie
liver
le gésier
gizzard
la langue
tongue
le pied de cochon
pig’s foot
le pieds paquets
tripe and trotters
le ris
sweetbreads (not be be confused with le riz - rice)
le rognon
kidney
le sang
blood
le steak tartare
made with raw, mashed beef
la tête
head
des tripes
tripe (stomach lining)
le veau
veal
la viande de cheval
horsemeat
