Breakfast

The French word for breakfast is le petit déjeuner (the little lunch).  Try to avoid having your breakfast in the hotels and eat at the local cafes together with locals. There is a great atmosphere as well as the excellent selection. Alternatively stop at the bakery for some great pastry or sandwiches.

Lunch and Dinner Menus

You may encounter several different types of menus, offering varying degrees of selection and price, which it is helpful to understand:

Menu prix-fixe: Every French restaurant must offer a fixed-price meal, which usually consists of four courses (with a choice of dishes at each course), and may include wine (but not coffee). Better than à la carte, quality is invariably good, and tax and service are included. Many restaurants offer several set menus at different price levels, with more expensive ones including extra courses, pricier ingredients, or a superior vintage of wine. Look for a menu du jour (a set menu of the day), which will generally be the freshest, and check out what those around you have ordered.

A La carte: Everything that is not on the special menu. These dishes are usually more expensive and come with a garnish of vegetables. Usually there will be a plat du jour (dish of the day).

Table d'hôte: These words posted outside a farmhouse once meant that anyone was invited to join the family at a single sitting and at a fixed price. Nowadays, the idea has caught on at a number of country restaurants, offering a chance to try real home cooking inexpensively.

Menu touristique: Usually dull meal aimed at the tourists, not generally recommended.