French 1 On va au café
Eating in Paris!
PlayersLe serveurLa serveuse
PlayersMaître d’(hôtel)The person that seats you
Seating – Prendre une place When you enter a typical Parisian
restaurant you are met at the door by the maitre d' who will escort you to your private and comfortable table. That is, if you're the Pope. The rest of us have to wait at the door and try to figure out if it's "seat yourself" or "wait to be seated".
If you seat yourself when you're not supposed to, you'll anger your server. He'll move you to a table that's so close to the restroom that people will use your tablecloth to dry their hands -- if you're lucky. On the other hand, if you wait for a server to seat you and it's "seat yourself", he'll gesture angrily at the empty tables implying "What, none of these were good enough for you, cretin?!"
The TruthAt most cafés in France, you
just seat yourself, especially if it is « sur la terrasse » or « au bar ».
If you wish to be seated inside (à l’intérieur) then just ask someone for a table.
In fine restaurants, a maître d’ will seat you.
Les Deux Magots
Le café de la paix
Le café de la mairie
Le Café Saint-Séverin
Culture Note: Eating on the terrasse is
preferred so that you can get fresh air, and people watch. Also, most cafés are not climatisés (air-conditioned). It is more expensive though.
Pets are allowed in most restaurants in France. It is not uncommon to be seated next to a poodle (un caniche).
How to orderTo order:Je voudrais I would
likeJ’aimerais I
would likeJe prends I’ll
takeDonnez-moi… Give
me…Apportez-moi… Bring
me…
How to payTo pay:C’est combien? How much is
it?Ça coûte combien? How much
does it cost?Quel est le prix? What is
the price?
Culture Note:Le pourboire (a tip) is almost
always included in the price of your meal.
Check the menu, it should say: « Le service est compris ». If it is you are covered.
If not, you can ask: « Est-ce que le service est compris »? Just be sure to check the menu beforehand to avoid an embarrassing moment.
La nourriture
Oh là là, j’ai faim!
Un sandwich au jambon et au fromage
Un hamburger Des fritesUn cocaUn hot-
dog
Un steak
Les boissons
J’ai vraiment soif
Un cocaUn soda
Un caféUn jus d’orange
Un citron pressé
Une eau minéraleUne eau
Un chocolat
Un lait
Le verbe prendreIrregular verb
Je prends Nous prenons
Tu prends Vous prenez
Il/Elle prend Ils/Elles prennent
Practice Ordering: Qu’est-ce que vous voulez comme boisson?
Je voudrais…
Now Practice Paying: Voilà l’addition monsieur/madame!
C’est combien?
Ça côute….euros.