Table of Contents
Holy blue!
You’ve been having a bad dinner in France.
But don’t worry. MailOnline Travel has interviewed French chef Justine Bordet, from London Le Cordon Bleu Cordand Didier Agueh, artistic director of the French brand and executive presenter of Park Plaza Hotelsto find out exactly how to eat out in France.
Here they share clues that you’re in a tourist trap restaurant, the key mistake when ordering a steak, and why getting butter on your bread at a French restaurant is a bad sign.
The worst misstep
Ordering from the wrong menu
Didier says a “common mistake tourists make in France” is “confusing the different types of menu.” He explains: ‘In France, the “menu” usually refers to a set menu in which everything on it is included.
“If they only want to choose one dish, they need the ‘a la carte’ menu, which has a list of dishes that can be ordered as separate items, rather than together as part of a set menu.”
French food experts have shared the top mistakes tourists make when dining out in France. LEFT: Justine Bordet is the head sous chef at Cord by Le Cordon Bleu. RIGHT: Didier Agueh is the brand artistic director and executive presenter of Park Plaza Hotels
Although snails are “considered more of a novelty” in France, Didier says they should be “cooked in garlic, parsley or thyme butter” if tourists want to try them.
Eating bread without the proper label
Although “it is normal for them to bring bread to the table when you go out to eat, there are some customs to take into account when eating it,” says Didier.
He explains: ‘In France, bread is meant to be enjoyed with the main course or to soak up the sauce at the end of the meal. For this reason, you will rarely be served butter with bread; You’ll know you’re in an authentic French restaurant if they follow this custom.’
Justine warns that tourists should never order crackers with cheese, since “in France cheese is eaten with bread.” However, he adds that in some regions of France the cheese is served with “half-salted butter.”
sort snails
Didier says: ‘Snails are one of the first things that come to mind when you think of French food, but the truth is that they are considered more of a novelty than something eaten frequently. Many French people do not eat them at all.
Justine agrees, adding: “Tourists believe that the French spend their time eating snails, frog legs and foie gras, but it is exceptional and less common than it seems.”
If you’re tempted to order snails, Didier explains: “The best way to enjoy them is cooked in garlic, parsley or thyme butter. If that’s not an option, go elsewhere!”
without saying bonjour
Justine says tourists often make the mistake of “not saying bonjour when entering a public place,” like a restaurant.
Didier explains that tourists will have to be clear about whether “they like a well-done steak,” since in France it is usually served rare.
Waiting for a well done steak
Didier warns: ‘The French like their steak rare, so keep this in mind when telling the waiter how you like yours cooked. If you like your steak well done, you can cook it medium rare, so always be clear and make sure the waiter knows that you don’t like even a little pink.
How to spot a tourist trap restaurant
Open all day
Didier says: “France still follows fixed meal times and authentic restaurants are likely to respect them. Lunch is served between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. and dinner between 7 and 10 p.m. in all shifts. Eating early is not very French and restaurants that open before this time are probably designed to cater to tourists. If they are open later for dinner, it is a good sign that the French dine there.
Long menu
Justine says: ‘Some restaurants look traditional and authentic, but they are tourist traps. The longer a menu is and the more options it has, you should generally avoid it.’
The dishes you must try
Justine recommends trying bouillabaisse, a seafood stew, in the southeast region of France.
Justine explains: ‘It all depends on the region and the season. France is really vast and varies greatly in terms of gastronomy from one region to another.
‘Most French specialties are shared dishes. The French attach great importance to sitting around a table for a while and sharing a typical, well-cooked dish with friends or family.’
While the chef says that “it would be impossible to list all the delicious specialties” of France, she recommends some regional dishes that tourists should add to their wish list.
Brittany – galette bretonne (a tasty buckwheat pancake) and kouign-amann (a sweet, round cake).
Bordeaux – the mouclade (steamed mussels served in saffron sauce) and cannele (a rum-flavored pastry filled with custard).
Southwestern France – cassoulet (a meat stew with sausage, pork and beans) and poulet basquaise (chicken cooked in pepper sauce).
Southeast France/Provence – ratatouille (vegetable stew), bouillabaisse (seafood stew) and l’aioli (garlic and olive oil sauce).
Auvergne – the truffade (a crepe made of thin potatoes and cheese) and l’aligot saucisse (mashed potatoes, melted cheese and sausage).
Drôme – gratin dauphinois (baked potatoes with cream).
Savoy – raclette (processed cheese) and fondu savoyarde (cheese fondue).
Northeast France – choucroute (sauerkraut and sausages) and tarte flambee (pizza-like dough topped with cheese, bacon or mushrooms).
Justine also recommends trying “les cuisses de grenouille” (frog legs), adding “don’t be afraid, the meat is very similar to that of the bird.”
Tourists should also try beef bourguignon, French onion soup and French veal soup, according to Justine.
