How to Read a Menu in French (or at Least Fake It)
2025-01-06 · 5 min read
A French menu is designed to make you feel either deeply cultured or profoundly lost, and there is very little middle ground. The good news is that most French menus follow a predictable structure, and learning about twenty key words will get you through ninety percent of dining situations without pointing at the menu and saying je voudrais ça.
The menu is divided into sections. Entrée in French means starter, not main course. Plat or plat principal is the main dish. Dessert is dessert. Fromage is the cheese course, which comes after the main and before dessert. If you see formule or menu du jour, that is a set-price meal with limited choices at each course, and it is almost always the best value in the house.
Key protein words: poulet is chicken, canard is duck, agneau is lamb, boeuf is beef, porc is pork, poisson is fish, crevettes are shrimp, moules are mussels. Cooking methods: grillé is grilled, rôti is roasted, braisé is braised, poêlé is pan-fried, fumé is smoked, cru is raw. With just these words, you can decode most of the menu before the waiter arrives.
Sauces and preparations are where it gets more complex. Beurre blanc is a white butter sauce with wine and shallots. Velouté is a smooth, velvety soup or sauce. Confit means slow-cooked in fat. Tartare means raw, as in steak tartare. If you see en croûte, it means wrapped in pastry. Gratinée means topped with cheese and broiled. These are not decorative terms. They fundamentally change what arrives on your plate.
When in doubt, ask the server. The French phrase Qu'est-ce que vous recommandez means what do you recommend, and it works in every restaurant from a Michelin three-star to a neighborhood bistro. French waiters have a reputation for being intimidating, but most are genuinely proud of their menu and happy to guide you through it. The effort to engage in French, even badly, is almost always appreciated.
