French Table Manners Everyone Should Know

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Do you want to dine like a true Parisian? French table manners might seem fancy, but they are all about showing respect and enjoying your food. These manners can help you feel comfortable at any formal event. Here’s your guide to mastering French dining etiquette.

Using Cutlery

In France, your silverware is placed in a specific way. The spoon and fork face downwards. This tradition comes from when families had crests engraved on the back of their silverware.

• Cutlery order: Your cutlery is set for each course. Start from the outside and work your way in.
• Multiple plates: If you see several plates, the top one is for the first course. When you finish, your host will take it away, and you’ll use the next plate.

Bread Basket Etiquette

Forget individual bread plates, unless you’re at a wedding or very formal event. Instead, you’ll likely see a bread basket in the middle of the table.

• Taking bread: Take the top piece of bread.
• Sharing bread: If someone asks for bread, don’t hand them a piece. Instead, pass the entire basket. Let them take what they want, and then put the basket back.

Understanding Wine Glasses

The biggest glass is for water. The second biggest is for red wine.

• Red wine: Red wine glasses are larger to let the wine breathe. This helps the wine release its flavors.
• Cheap wine: Be careful with wine that has a screw top. In France, this often means it’s an inexpensive wine.
• Pouring wine: Don’t fill the glass too much. About one-third full is perfect. Too much wine looks greedy. The point of wine is to enjoy the food, not to get drunk. To prevent drips, twist the bottle slightly when you finish pouring.
• White wine: Dry white wine glasses are smaller because the wine is served cold and needs less air.
• Dessert wine: Dessert wine glasses are the smallest. These wines are sweet, white, and served cold.
• Serving wine: Traditionally, men served the wine. Now, the host serves, no matter their gender.

Pro Tip: Want to impress your host? Offer to serve the wine.

Champagne Glasses

Champagne is served in special glasses. There are two types: coupes and flutes.

• Champagne coupe: It is said the champagne coupe shape was inspired by the breast of Marianuanet.
• Champagne flute: A tall, narrow glass.
• Pouring champagne: Tilt the glass and bottle when pouring. This stops too much foam from forming.

Sitting at the Table

Good posture is important.

• Sitting up: Sit straight, but not stiff.
• Feet: Keep your feet flat on the floor or crossed at the ankles.
• Napkin: Unfold your napkin and put it on your lap. Keep it there for the whole meal. Use it to clean your fingers or the corners of your mouth.
• Elbows: Don’t put your elbows on the table. Rest your forearms or wrists if you need to. If not, keep your hands on your lap.

Eating Soup

Eating soup the right way shows good manners.

• No slurping: Don’t slurp your soup.
• Using your spoon: Submerge your spoon in the soup. Tilt the spoon slightly as you bring it to your mouth. If there is too much in your spoon, use the side of your plate to remove some of the soup. Don’t put the whole spoon in your mouth.
• Finishing the soup: When you get to the end, tilt the plate slightly to get the last bit of soup.

Serving Yourself

Be mindful when serving yourself from a shared dish.

• Share size: Look at how many people need to share the dish. Take a fair amount.
• Passing the dish: Pass the dish to the next person.

Eating Elegantly

Small bites make a big difference.

• Small bites: Take small, delicate bites.
• Chewing: Don’t talk with your mouth full. Rest your cutlery on the side of your plate while you chew.
• Drinking wine: Take a sip of wine after your bite.
• Cheers: When cheering, don’t hit your glass against others. Raise your glass, make eye contact, and that’s it.

Did you know? Hitting glasses together used to be done to avoid poison.

Cheese Course

The French take their cheese seriously.

• Serving cheese: Serve cheese at room temperature so the flavors can develop.
• Cutting cheese: How you cut the cheese depends on its shape.
  • Rectangular cheese: Cut into slices.
  • Round cheese: Cut like a cake, starting from the middle.
  • Oddly shaped cheese: Cut in the way that makes the most sense.
• Serving: Don’t serve cheese that has already been eaten.
• Eating cheese: Break your bread into small pieces. Use your knife to put cheese on the bread. Eat it like a small sandwich. Don’t spread the cheese like Nutella.
• Cheese rinds: Remove the rind of hard cheeses, but not soft cheeses.

Pastries

The French also have rules about pastries.

• Breakfast: Eat pastries like croissants for breakfast.
• Afternoon: Enjoy doughy pastries in the afternoon.
• Dessert: Have light cakes or mousse for dessert.
• Eating cake: Cut a piece with your fork and bring it to your mouth.

Tea and Coffee

After dinner, you might have tea or coffee.

• Holding the cup: Always bring the saucer with the cup. Hold the cup by the handle. If the handle is small, pinch it. If it’s big, put your finger through it.
• Looking: Look down when you sip from the cup.
• Milk: If there’s a milk pot, pour as much milk as you like into your cup.
• Tea bags: If you have a tea bag, you can infuse your tea to your taste.
• Draining tea: Once infused, drain the tea bag. You can use a spoon to drain it, then put it on the side of your saucer.
• Chocolates: You will likely be offered chocolates with your tea or coffee.
• Choosing chocolate: Read the pamphlet to learn about the flavors.
• How many: Don’t take more than two chocolates.
• Eating chocolate: Use your fingers to grab a chocolate. Take small bites and rest it on your saucer between bites.

Conclusion

Following these French table manners shows respect for your host and the food. You don’t need to follow every rule perfectly, but knowing them can add fun and elegance to your dining experience.