Say “Bonjour” before anything else, then ask with “Je voudrais…” or “Je vais prendre…” and finish with “s’il vous plaît.” In a French café, “un café” gets you an espresso. At the bakery, expect two questions back: “Et avec ceci ?” (anything else?) and “Sur place ou à emporter ?” (for here or to go?).
In the US, walking up to a counter and saying “Can I get a croissant?” is perfectly polite. In France, opening with the order and skipping the greeting reads as rude, as if you were treating the person as a vending machine. Start with Bonjour Madame or Bonjour Monsieur (Bonsoir in the evening), wait for the reply, then order. When you leave, say Merci, au revoir or Bonne journée.
To get a waiter’s attention, say Excusez-moi or S’il vous plaît with a small raised hand. Calling out Garçon ! is outdated and comes across as condescending.
| You say | You get |
|---|---|
| un café, un express | a single espresso, the default |
| un double | a double espresso |
| un allongé | an espresso stretched with hot water, the closest thing to American drip coffee |
| un crème, un café crème | espresso with steamed milk, the standard milky coffee in a café |
| un grand crème | a larger crème, often made with a double espresso |
| un noisette | an espresso with a spoonful of milk or foam, named for its hazelnut color |
| un déca | a decaf espresso |
| un chocolat chaud | hot chocolate |
| un thé, une infusion | black tea, herbal tea |
| une carafe d’eau | a jug of tap water, customarily free with a meal |
Two habits from home cause most of the confusion. First, asking for “un café avec du lait” is understandable but not how people order; say un crème or un noisette. Second, size words do not work the way they do at home: you will not be offered small, medium and large in a traditional café. If you want more coffee, order un allongé or un grand crème.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Une table pour deux, s’il vous plaît. | A table for two, please. |
| On peut s’asseoir en terrasse ? | Can we sit outside? |
| Je vais prendre un crème, s’il vous plaît. | I’ll have a coffee with milk, please. |
| Pour moi, un thé. | A tea for me. |
| Qu’est-ce que vous avez comme desserts ? | What kind of desserts do you have? |
| Où sont les toilettes ? | Where is the restroom? |
| L’addition, s’il vous plaît. | The check, please. |
| Je peux payer par carte ? | Can I pay by card? |
The check will not arrive on its own. In France, bringing it before you ask can feel like rushing you out, so lingering over one coffee is normal. When you are ready, catch the waiter’s eye and say L’addition, s’il vous plaît. Do not ask for le chèque: that is a bank check.
Where you drink can change the price. Many cafés charge less for a coffee drunk standing at the counter (au comptoir) than at a table inside (en salle) or outside (en terrasse), and the price list shows both. Menu prices already include service, so a tip is optional; leaving a few coins for good service is a kind gesture, not an obligation.
| Ask for | What it is |
|---|---|
| une baguette | the standard baguette |
| une tradition | a baguette made to a stricter traditional recipe, crustier and chewier |
| une demi-baguette | half a baguette |
| bien cuite / pas trop cuite | well baked and dark / pale and soft |
| un croissant | a croissant |
| un pain au chocolat | a chocolate pastry, called une chocolatine in much of the southwest |
| un pain aux raisins | a spiral pastry with raisins |
| un pain de campagne | a country loaf |
| Vous pouvez me le trancher ? | Could you slice it for me? (for loaves, not baguettes) |
A typical exchange is short and follows a script. Here it is from start to finish:
| They say | It means |
|---|---|
| Qu’est-ce que je vous sers ? / Vous désirez ? | What can I get you? |
| Je vous écoute. | Go ahead, I’m listening. |
| C’est à qui ? | Who’s next? |
| Et avec ceci ? / Et avec ça ? | Anything else? |
| Ce sera tout ? | Will that be all? |
| Sur place ou à emporter ? | For here or to go? |
| Vous avez de la monnaie ? | Do you have smaller change? |
These exchanges are short enough to rehearse in full. Run through the bakery script out loud a few times, then try it on a real counter, or practice it first with a tutor on PollyStop until “Et avec ceci ?” no longer catches you off guard.
Yes. Skipping the greeting is the most common reason visitors get a cool reception. Bonjour Madame or Bonjour Monsieur, then your order, changes the whole tone of the exchange.
A single espresso. For coffee with milk ask for un crème, for a dash of milk un noisette, and for something closer to American drip coffee un allongé.
It is not required. Prices on the menu already include service. Leaving some small change for good service is appreciated but entirely optional.
Both are correct. Pain au chocolat is used in most of France, while chocolatine is common in much of the southwest. Either will get you the same pastry anywhere.
Say L’addition, s’il vous plaît, or On peut avoir l’addition ? The waiter will usually not bring it until you ask.
