French restaurant phrases: ordering food politely
The safest French restaurant phrase is je voudrais... (“I would like…”). It is
polite, simple and useful for ordering almost anything: je voudrais un café,
je voudrais la carte. Add s'il vous plaît (“please”) and use vous with staff
unless they clearly invite a casual tone.
| Word | Transcription | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| restaurant | /ʁɛstoʁɑ̃/ | restaurant | Un nouveau restaurant.A new restaurant. |
| menu | /məny/ | menu | Le menu est ici.The menu is here. |
| commander | /kɔmɑ̃de/ | order | Je commande un café.I order coffee. |
| serveur | /sɛʁvœʁ/ | waiter | Il a été impoli avec le serveur, et j'étais gêné.He was rude to the waiter and I felt bad. |
| table | /tabl/ | table | Une grande table.A big table. |
| réservation | /ʁezɛʁvasjɔ̃/ | reservation | J'ai fait une réservation avant le déjeuner.I made a reservation before lunch. |
| la carte | /la kaʁt/ | the menu / list of dishes | Je peux voir la carte ?Can I see the menu? |
| l'addition | /ladisjɔ̃/ | the check / bill | L'addition, s'il vous plaît.The check, please. |
| une carafe d'eau | /yn kaʁaf do/ | a jug of tap water | Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît.A jug of tap water, please. |
Getting a table
Use bonjour first, then ask for the table. In restaurants, vous is the normal
polite choice.
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Hello, a table for two, please. | Bonjour, une table pour deux, s’il vous plaît. |
| We have a reservation. | Nous avons une réservation. |
| Do you have a table outside? | Vous avez une table dehors ? |
| For three people. | Pour trois personnes. |
If you are not sure how formal to be, the same logic as
tu vs vous applies: choose vous with staff.
Ordering food and drinks
Je voudrais... is softer than a direct je veux... and works well for learners.
Je voudrais un café et une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plaît.
I would like a coffee and a jug of water, please.Nous sommes prêts à commander.
We are ready to order.
In France, la carte is the list of dishes. Le menu often means a fixed-price
set menu, though learners and tourists will also see it used more broadly.
Paying and leaving
When you want to pay, ask for l'addition.
| English | French |
|---|---|
| The check, please. | L’addition, s’il vous plaît. |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ? |
| It was very good. | C’était très bon. |
| Thank you, goodbye. | Merci, au revoir. |
Use c'était très bon for food that tasted good. If you want the broader “that
was good / nice”, c'était très bien can also fit.
Common mistakes
Using je veux too bluntly
Je veux is not always rude, but in a restaurant it can sound too direct. Je
voudrais is the safer default.
Je veux un café.→ Je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît.
I would like a coffee, please.
Asking for the wrong “bill”
For the restaurant check, say l'addition. Une facture is more like an invoice
or formal bill.
L’addition, s’il vous plaît.
The check, please.
Forgetting to greet first
In French service encounters, greeting first is basic politeness.
Bonjour, je voudrais une table pour deux.
Hello, I would like a table for two.
Restaurant phrases work best when the food words are already familiar, so pair this page with French food vocabulary. In Fluera you practice restaurant requests as short exchanges — greeting, ordering, paying — so the phrase comes with the right register and sound. Try it when you practice French.
Practice
Question 1 of 10
Frequently asked questions
How do I order food politely in French?
je voudrais... plus the item: Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît ("I would like a coffee, please"). It is polite and safer than the more direct je veux.How do you ask for the check in French?
l'addition is the check. Une facture is more like an invoice or formal bill.Is it le menu or la carte?
La carte is the list of dishes. Le menu often means a fixed-price set menu, though in tourist contexts you may see it used broadly. If you want to see the list, je peux voir la carte ? is a good phrase.Should I use tu or vous with restaurant staff?
vous. Staff and customers normally use the polite form unless there is a clearly casual relationship. Add s'il vous plaît for requests.