French Dining Vocabulary
Essential Terms
l'addition bill
assiette plate
bio/bilologique organically grown
carte (à la carte) menu (from the menu)
chaud hot
compris included
comptoir/zinc counter/bar
couteau knife
cuillère spoon
dégustation tasting or sampling
entrée starter/appetizer
formule set-priced 2-course meal
fourchette fork
froid cold
gratuit free
menu set-price 3-course meal
service compris service charge/tip included
plat (du jour) main dish (of the day)
prix-fixe fixed-price
Salé/sucré savory/sweet
serveur/serveuse server
serviette napkin
tiède warm
verre glass
Drinks boissons
acidulés acidic/sour
apéritifs pre-meal drinks
alcool/ non-alcoolisé alcohol/non-alcoholic
bière beer
blonde/brune lager beer/dark beer
boire/boissons to drink/drinks
café coffee (see introduction)
chocolat chaud hot chocolate
digestifs post-dinner drinks (brandy, liqueurs etc)
eau (du robinet) water (tap water)
infusion/tisane herbal tea
lait milk
limonade lemon-flavoured soft drink (like Sprite)
pression draught beer
thé (glacé) tea (iced tea)
tilleuil linden flower tea
verveine verbena tea
viennois with whipped cream
vin wine
Food à manger
abats offal
agneau lamb
agrumes citrus fruits
aigre doux /douce bitter/sweet
ail garlic
aÏoli garlic mayonnaise
ananas pineapple
anchois anchovies
andouille (andouillette) tripe sausage
aubergine eggplant
bar sea bass
bavette undercut of sirlion
betterave beetroot
beurre butter
bifteck haché hamburger
bifteck steak
bisque seafood soup
boeuf (bouguignon) beef (with red wine)
bouillabaisse Mediterranean fish and shellfish soup
brochette/kebab served on a skewer
brouillé scrambled
brûlé toasted
caille quail
campagnarde country/provincial
canard duck
carré d’agneau rack of lamb
cassis blackcurrant
cassoulet white beans in casserole with meats
cerises cherries
champignons mushrooms
charcuterie cold meats
chèvre goat cheese
choucroute sauerkraut
chou-fleur cauliflower
choux cabbage
citron lemon
cochon pig
compote stewed fruit
concombre cucumber
confiture jam
consommé clear soup
coq rooster
coquilles St. Jacques scallops
cornichons pickles
crêpe flat pancake
crevette small shrimp
croque-monsieur toasted ham and cheese sandwich
croquet-madame toasted ham and cheese sandwich with an egg on top
crudités fresh, raw vegetables
crustacés shellfish
cuisse thigh
cuit cooked
Daube meat cooked slowly in red wine sauce
daurade sea bream
dinde turkey
entrecôte rib or rib eye steak
épaule shoulder
epicé spicy
épinards spinach
escalope boneless chop
escargots snails
farcie stuffing
faux-filet Sirloin steak
filet mignon tenderloin
foie de veau calf's liver.
foie gras goose liver
au four oven baked
fraises strawberries
framboises raspberries
frites fries
friture whitebait
fromages cheeses
fruit de mer shellfish/sea food
fumé smoked
galette buckwheat pancake
gamba large prawn
gaufres waffles
gelée frozen
gésier gizzard
gigot leg
gingembre ginger
glaces ice cream
gras fatty
grillades grilled meat
grillé grilled
haricots beans
homard lobster
huître oyster
jambon (cru) ham (cured)
jus juice
langouste clawless spiny lobster or rock lobster (crawfish)
langue tongue
lapin rabbit
lardons bits of bacon
légumes vegetables
magret de canard duck breast
mesclun mixed salad leaves
miel honey
mille feulles fine layers of puff pastry
morceaux pieces
moules marinières mussels cooked in white wine sauce
oeuf egg
oie goose
os (de moelle) bone (marrow)
pain au chocolat croissant with chocolate centre
pain au Levain/ l’Ancienne sourdough bread
pain aux noix walnut bread
pain campagne country-style bread with thick crust
pain de mie sliced bread
panier basket
parfum flavour
persil parsley
piment pepper or chili
pistou pesto
poisson fish
poitrine brisket (of beef)
pomme (de terre) apple (potato)
pot-au-feu beef and vegetable stew
potiron pumpkin
poule au pot chicken and vegetables stewed in broth
poulet rôti chicken (rotisserie)
poulpe octopus.
Provençal with garlic, olives, tomatoes, onions and sometimes anchovies
ris d'agneau (de veau) lamb (veal) sweetbreads
rognons kidneys
rôti roasted/rotisserie
rumsteck rump steak
sanglier wild boar
saumon salmon
soja soy
soupe de poissons fish soup
Suprême de volaille chicken breast in white sauce
tapenade black olive and caper paste
tartare minced raw meat (of steak, salmon, or tuna)
tartine buttered baguette or open sandwich
terroir regional specialties
têté de veau veal’s head
thon tuna
tripes tripe
truffle truffles, gourmet fungus
truite trout
vapeur steamed
veau veal
velouté de tomates cream of tomato soup
velouté de volaille cream of chicken soup
viande meat