Avoid These French Food Faux Pas!

Remember, if you have been invited to a dinner party or for aperitifs, NEVER arrive on time! Especially in the Charente (as we have le quart d’heure Charentais – an expectation of being 15 minutes late for virtually everything!)

An exception is if you have booked a table at a restaurant. In this case, you should definitely be on time; otherwise, you may lose your table and not get your meal at all!

While we’re on the subject of restaurants, make sure you wait to be allocated a table – seating yourself is not the done thing in France!

How To Dine Like a Local at a French Restaurant

Don’t forget to greet people

A polite “bonjour” or “bonsoir” goes a long way in France – in fact, it’s considered very rude not to greet the waiter or hosts on arrival. In smaller, rural restaurants, you’ll probably even hear new arrivals greeting other patrons, too, and it’s best to follow suit.

If you have been invited to a dinner party or to someone’s house, it is good manners to greet every single person there and give the bises (kisses on the cheek), no matter how long that might take. If you don’t,  the guests may think you are very impolite.

Sidenote: if you have been invited to someone’s house, it is also good manners and commonplace to take a gift – a bottle of decent wine, chocolates, or flowers, perhaps.

Similarly, don’t forget to say goodbye on the way out, too!

Les Bises: Everything You Need to Know About Greeting Friends in France

Don’t butter your bread!

Remember to eat your bread properly – always place it on the table, not on a plate. It is acceptable to tear the baguette with your hands, but you must never put butter on your bread (an exception is at breakfast time when butter or jam is acceptable)!

Nibble it or use it to mop up your plate at the end of a dish. Other than with bread, be wary of eating with your hands – watch what the others do. Eating with your hands is generally considered to be bad manners in France, except in very casual settings.

If you see a small bowl at your place, generally, this is not a finger bowl. It may be used for drinking cider in the north or for coffee or other beverages. It is not a finger bowl!

Don’t cut your salad!

Generally, salad isn’t served before the main course; in France, it comes afterwards. Be cautious with your salad, too. Most French people, especially traditionalists, will never cut their salad with their knife! It should already be cut into bite-sized pieces. If you come across a larger piece, simply fold it and pop it in your mouth without cutting.

Don’t avoid eye contact!

When you chink glasses with people for a toast, say sante and look them in the eye as you do. It is bad manners and bad luck not to do this in France!

Also, never overfill your glass or that of your guest. This is a typical British mistake, where we like to fill the glass to the top! In France, wine is to be savoured and to complement food, and a correctly poured glass (between a quarter to half the glass), allows the wine to breathe. Always serve wine to others first and yourself last.

Similarly to the UK, you generally shouldn’t put your elbows on the table. Keep your hands above the table and not below or on your lap!

Don’t order cheese after dessert!

Cheese always comes before the dessert course in France, and you should not dig in twice at the cheeseboard unless invited to do so. It is not good manners. It could be interpreted that the meal was not sufficient or not to your liking.

Cut your cheese wisely – there is a whole etiquette surrounding the cutting of different cheeses. Above all, do not remove the rind on soft cheeses and do not cut the nib off the brie!

Don’t give the server your cutlery!

You may need to keep cutlery between courses, which is something you may not be accustomed to. Once you have finished your meal and wish for your plate to be cleared, place the knife and fork pointing towards the top left of your plate.

Finally, don’t start eating until your host or hostess says, “Bon appetit!”

While these are good guidelines to follow, don’t stress too much! If you are with friends, allow them to guide you and enjoy your experience – locals will understand if you make a few slip-ups, especially if they see that you are trying your best.

Bon appetit!