· 6 min read
French Phrases for Restaurants: Order Well
By Language Lab editorial team
French phrases for restaurants and cafés: asking for a table, understanding the waiter, ordering food and drinks, and paying, with a model conversation.
Eating out in French comes down to about twenty-five phrases. Ask Vous avez une table ?, do you have a table. The waiter will ask Vous avez choisi ?, are you ready to order, and you answer Je prends followed by the dish, I'll have. If you do not recognise something on the menu, Qu'est-ce que c'est ? asks what it is, and le plat du jour is the day's special. Et comme boisson ? is the question about drinks. Before you eat, people say Bon appétit, and with a glass in hand, Santé ! To finish, L'addition, s'il vous plaît asks for the bill. Every phrase here comes from the BBC's French Quick Fix lists.
Arriving
| French | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bonjour | Hello |
| Vous avez une table ? | Do you have a table? |
| Pour... personnes | For... people |
| s'il vous plaît | please |
What the waiter says
| French | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Vous avez choisi ? | Are you ready to order? |
| Et comme boisson ? | And to drink? |
| Bon appétit | Enjoy your meal |
| Ça fait... | That's... (the cost) |
These are the lines to recognise. Vous avez choisi ? is the cue to order, Et comme boisson ? is the cue to name your drink, and Ça fait is followed by the amount.
Ordering
| French | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Je prends... | I'll take..., that is, I'll have... |
| Je voudrais... | I would like... |
| le plat du jour | the day's special |
| Qu'est-ce que c'est ? | What is it? |
| C'est tout | That's all |
Drinks
| French | Meaning |
|---|---|
| un café | a coffee |
| un thé | a tea |
| au lait | with milk |
| une bière | a beer |
| une carafe d'eau | a jug of water |
| une bouteille de... | a bottle of... |
During and after the meal
| French | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Santé ! | Cheers! |
| Génial ! | Great! |
| Où sont les toilettes, s'il vous plaît ? | Where's the toilet, please? |
| L'addition, s'il vous plaît | The bill, please |
| C'est combien ? | How much is it? |
| Merci | Thank you |
| Au revoir | Goodbye |
A meal in ten lines
The whole pattern, using only phrases from the tables above.
- You: Bonjour. Vous avez une table ? Hello. Do you have a table?
- Waiter: Vous avez choisi ? Are you ready to order?
- You: Qu'est-ce que c'est, le plat du jour ? What is the day's special?
- You: Je prends le plat du jour. I'll have the day's special.
- Waiter: Et comme boisson ? And to drink?
- You: Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît. A jug of water, please.
- Waiter: Bon appétit. Enjoy your meal.
- You, afterwards: Un café, s'il vous plaît. A coffee, please.
- You: L'addition, s'il vous plaît. The bill, please.
- You: Merci, au revoir. Thank you, goodbye.
Tips that make it easier
- Learn the waiter's two questions by ear. If you recognise them, the rest follows.
- Have one ordering phrase ready. Je prends and Je voudrais both work.
- Practise the ten-line meal aloud until you can do it without the page.
- Test yourself and spread your practice over several days. A 2013 review of learning research rated practice testing and distributed practice as high utility, and rereading as low.
Language Lab's French course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, so you can rehearse ordering out loud before the real thing.
Frequently asked
How do I order food in French?
Say Je prends and the dish, which means I'll have, or Je voudrais and the dish, I would like. Add s'il vous plaît.
How do I ask for a table in French?
Vous avez une table ? You can add Pour and the number of people, then personnes.
How do I ask for the bill in French?
L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
What does Vous avez choisi mean?
Are you ready to order? It is what the waiter asks when coming to take your order.
How do I ask what a dish is in French?
Qu'est-ce que c'est ? What is it? The day's special is le plat du jour.
How do I ask for water in a French restaurant?
Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît: a jug of water, please.
Sources: BBC Languages, French Quick Fix: food and drink, basic, accommodation, shopping, social and celebration phrases (archived pages); Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: Coffee, orange juice and croissants in Rouen, Andy Li / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons).
