TRANSLATING A FRENCH MENU

LE MENU

I'll admit it - the main thing I'm interested in when I think of spending time in Paris is THE FOOD!  Many restaurants have menus that do not have the English translations.  So while I'll have a pocket translator with me, to save time, I plan on memorizing a few simple terms before I go.

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Often the menu will be listed on a chalkboard:

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And you can't expect every waiter to stop and take the time to translate the entire menu for you all the while attending to others in a busy cafe
La carte des vins is the wine menu

Une dégustation is a tasting menu, with small servings of multiple dishes (déguster means "to taste")

Courses
A French meal may include numerous courses, in this order:
un apéritif - cocktail, pre-dinner drink
un amuse-bouche or amuse-gueule - snack (just one or two bites)
une entrée - appetizer/starter (false cognate alert: entree can mean "main course" in English)
le plat principal - main course
le fromage - cheese
le dessert - dessert
le café - coffee
un digestif - after-dinner drink

Special terms
Le plat du jour is the daily special (literally, "dish of the day") which is usually part of le menu.
Ardoise (f) means "slate"; it refers to the specials board (as in the photo)
Gratuit and offert both mean "free"

The waiter will often add the word petit ("little") to his offer: Un petit dessert or Un petit café

When you're full, do not say "je suis plein" (which means something else) - say Je n'en peux plus or J'ai bien/trop mangé

Typical French and regional dishes
aïoli - fish/vegetables with garlic mayonnaise (In English, aïoli refers just to the mayo)
aligot - mashed potatoes with fresh cheese
le bœuf bourguignon - beef stew 

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le brandade - dish made with cod
la bouillabaisse - fish stew
le cassoulet - meat and bean casserole 

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la choucroute (garnie) - sauerkraut with meat
le clafoutis - fruit and thick custard tart
le coq au vin - chicken in red wine sauce
a crême brûlée - custard with a burnt sugar top
la crème du Barry - cream of cauliflower soup
une crêpe - very thin pancake

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un croque-madame - ham and cheese sandwich topped with fried egg
un croque-monsieur - ham and cheese sandwich

juliesparis

une daube - meat stew
le foie gras - goose liver
___ frites (moules frites, steak frites) - ___ with fries/chips (mussels with fries/chips, steak with fries/chips)
une gougère - puff pastry filled with cheese

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la pipérade - tomato and bell pepper omelette (Basque)
la pissaladière - onion and anchovy pizza (Provence)
la quiche lorraine - bacon and cheese quiche
la (salade de) chèvre (chaud) - green salad with goat cheese on toast
la salade niçoise - mixed salad with anchovies, tuna, and hard-boiled eggs

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la soupe à l'oignon - French onion soup

And to ask for the check, say, "vérifiez se il vows plaît" (check please) or "Puis-je avoir le chèque s'il vows plaît" (may I have the check please?).

Sample of the famed Chez Paul menu