(Last Update: 08.09.2024) We are in Paris, of course we will travel around and eat and drink in cafes and restaurants. Stylish and cute restaurants, nice cafes, bistros and brasseries you can find on almost every corner... They will all be happy to host you with different menu options... Will they really enjoy it? That part is a bit unclear :)
Because French waiters their sullenness and their slowness is world famous... However, I got used to them in this long time, it doesn't seem strange to me anymore; Sometimes, when you come across very cute waiters, you may even feel like you have found a gold mine... But compared to the solution-oriented, practical-minded, and high-service culture waiters in Turkey, the waiters in Paris will seem quite bad to you. Frankly, the waiters we call sullen are mostly found in Paris, because I have been living in Nice since July 2023, believe me Nicein and French Riviera – Côte d'Azur The waiters in the area are much friendlier. So, there is such a thing as metropolitan unhappiness in Paris 😉
In this article, "where to go, where to eat?" Rather than anything else, I would like to share with you a few things about what you will encounter in cafes and restaurants in Paris. Because I don't want you to be disappointed by cultural differences.
If you want to start the day with breakfast, first of all, keep in mind that you cannot get close to a Turkish breakfast anywhere in the world and say “croissant+coffee“I advise you to get used to being a temper tantrum. You've already come here on holiday, after all, it's more fun to experience the local culture rather than living your habits.
If you want tea instead of coffee with your croissant, be prepared to drink "shake tea". Rarely, tea is served in a single teapot, but this is generally what you will encounter; So get ready to start the day with warm and paper-tasting tea :)
If you are lucky, butter, bread and concentrated orange juice can also be added to the menu. But I can't help but mention that their butter is amazing. Especially "President" brand butter has "demi sel" (dömi sel) I mean, as someone who doesn't normally eat butter, I love semi-salted products. Also, if there is squeezed orange juice on the menu, do not miss it, but I have never liked the concentrated ones and have gone away…
Various menus for lunch and dinner are written at the door entrances. Although it is a little difficult to read the handwriting and understand what you are reading, if you are in a touristic area, you can probably access the menu in English. In fact, something like this happened to a friend of mine once: When the waiter brought a French menu at the restaurant he went to, my friend asked "English?" ' he asked, and after a while the waiter brought my friend a French-English dictionary 😀 I hope you won't experience such things and you can easily access the English menu 😉
In the menus “formula (formulaThere is a habit of offering various groups of dishes, which they call ")", together at a more reasonable price; In this way, formula prices are more advantageous because it is easier to manage the kitchen.
Formulas are usuallyEntre+Plate (antge e pla)” i.e. entree plus main course, “Plat+Dessert (let's say plat e”, that is, it can be a main course plus dessert or all together as “Entre + Plat + Dessert”. Don't worry, if you are in a central part of Paris, French waiters generally speak English, especially young people love speaking English.
Not only in cafes and restaurants, the officer who greets you when you first enter any place. definitely, definitelyHello (bonjuğ)” You should say and greet him. Otherwise, you will be very rude, and since you do not realize that you are being rude, you may interpret the reason why the other person is rude to you as "French people are rude to those who do not speak French."
However, greetings are very important in French culture, and of course, thanking and asking for something... I wrote about little tips about the French on this subject. A Few French Words to Make Your Life Easier I recommend you read my article.
When you go to many restaurants in Paris without a reservation, you may be left out; So if you are going somewhere important to you, I strongly recommend you make a reservation in advance.
One in cafes and restaurants in ParisIt is very important that you wait for the waiter to seat you when you enter the door.; Although this is not the case in cafes, if you try to sit anywhere you like in restaurants, the waiters will they are crashingThey are confused about what to do. Because the place where you live may be outside their service area of responsibility or the service has not been opened there yet. That's why they can displace you in a not very polite way and do not take this as an insult to you personally, the poor people are shocked because their business has gone upside down.
The waiter welcomed you, found a seat and seated you. Of course, you can request to change your seat, but they can also shock you when you try to grab a chair from the next table to put your bag on, so if you try not to do too much of that swimming, it will be good for you.
And also Tables are often very small in Paris. A table the size of a cafe table in Turkey can be used as a dining table in Paris.; It may be a little difficult to get used to this. Also, the tables are so close together that you may feel like you are sitting at the same table, eating and drinking something together, among people you don't know :) Another thing you should pay attention to is that you should take care of your bag and mobile phone.… In neat and clean You may be subjected to pickpocketing even in one place, The Other ParisYou can meet . It happened to me and that's why I'm telling you. Gone like mountains My Macbook 🙂 You, please be careful.
You're settled, you're hungry, and naturally order You are waiting for the menu, but you will wait. No such thing as "hey waiter, son, can you check?" They don't say so and so.Even if you say , if he sees you by accident, he will say “j'arrive (jagivv) So they say "I'm coming" but they don't come right away :)
Whenever they feel ready, they come and bring the menu and disappear again, you somehow try to decipher the menu and after waiting another five or ten minutes - even if you tried to call them before - they come to your table and take your order whenever they feel like it; If you accidentally ask a question and want to think a little more, then you will be left to the next order taking round, I advise you not to do it :)
Then comes the entree or main course, depending on your order. You can order dessert last. My advice to you is to try to maintain your habits in Turkey. Do not try to change the ingredients of the dishesis, because they do not understand; They don't understand and actually they are right. While in Istanbul “SI want Caesar salad, but it doesn't have Caesar sauce in it." like quick I have seen so many people making demands that it would be a bit of a waste to attempt to continue the habit here.
Drink If you prefer wine and If you don't know which wine to choose It is polite to ask the waiter; They love to give advice, they will talk for two hours :) If you are on a budget but still want to drink something good “le vin de la maison"(lö van dö la mezon) so you can ask for the house wines with your eyes closed; I haven't come across a bad house wine yet. My favorite is red wine Côte du Rhone are the wines of the region…
By the way, if you are not obsessed with the brand of water, you can drink tap water. Tap water is safe to drink in Paris; Although it doesn't taste good if it's warm, but as long as it's cool, it tastes fine. In the ten years I lived in Paris, I never brought bottled water home; it was always cold. I drank tap water. Normal water “une carafe d'eau (ün kağaf do)” you can request. Of course, we don't forget to add "s'il vous plaît"...
You don't want to eat anything extra for dessert, if it would be interesting for you to try small desserts with coffee, then gourmet coffee (cafe gourman or cafe gughman) I recommend you to order it. A coffee and small desserts usually cost around 10€. Every restaurant has a different selection and you're bound to like something from them. You share what you do not prefer to eat with your partner or friend; It would be nice. Maybe one day I will write a separate article about this café gourmand.
You ate and drank, how nice. pay the bill you want “l'addition s'il vous plaît” (ladisyon silvuple) In other words, after saying "ticket please", the bill comes five or ten minutes later. If you accidentally want to pay by credit card, you have to wait another five to ten minutes because I can't say that I have rarely come across a waiter who brings a credit card machine with the bill, except for the very smart ones, I think they love this ritual :)
After you pay your account don't leave a tip Now comes the topic. Mostly service is included in the price And it's usually stated on the bill, so you don't need to leave a tip. I even witnessed a conversation between an American and a waiter on this subject. When the American customer asked the waiter about the ideal tip rate, the waiter said, "Our boss pays our service share, you don't need to leave a tip." And from that day on, I started to not feel bad at all when I didn't leave a tip, but one day, a French I was surprised when my friend told me that she found it very rude not to leave a tip during a conversation :) However, all my other French friends agree that no tip should be left... So I don't know, leave a few or five things if you wish :)
And also When your order arrives, the waiter leaves the bill on the table.. When I was a tourist in Paris, Ipay and goI thought it meant "" but it's not like that :) As you add new orders, the bills accumulate on the table, and then when you want to leave, you make the payment accordingly. Sometimes, because the waiter serving you is finished, they may want to take the payment before you finish the meal; Keep this information in a corner of your mind.
One of the most entertaining topics in cafes and restaurants is toilet is the subject. The style, usage, etc. of every toilet is different. They generally do not approve of non-customer use, but I have not seen them turn away people who are in a difficult situation. For some restaurants' toilets, you may need to get something from the waiter, such as a brand name. Regarding street toilets this article You can read.
Another interesting issue is that toilet sinks, or rather toilet sinks, in cafes and restaurants in Paris. The working principle of taps is interestingStop. It takes you a long time to figure out how to turn on the tap. Some may have normal faucets, some have to be operated by pressing a button under the sink, some have this button on the floor, you have to press it with your foot; sometimes you pull a lever, sometimes you push it; It's definitely a toy and it's as fun as it is annoying :)
To summarize, even if the place you enter is a cafe and your purpose is just to drink a coffee, Sitting down, ordering, receiving the order, requesting the bill, paying the account, waiting for the credit card machine, etc. I suggest you keep in mind that you are participating in an event. Being patient is the greatest virtue in Paris :)
And in some cafes and restaurants "takeaways” service is available. So you don't eat your order there, you have it packaged to eat elsewhere. In fact, those kinds of places ask “are you going to eat here or take away?” meaning “sur place ou à emporter?” they ask. If you are going to eat there, “sur place” (drive plas or shallow plas), if you want a package “à emporter” (enporte or enpoğte) and it is always cheaper to buy it as a package.
These are the things that come to my mind for now. Of course, these issues I mentioned are valid in an average cafe and restaurant. When you go to a very luxurious place, naturally the quality and type of service you receive changes. Is it getting better? I cannot always guarantee this…
After reading this article, you should remember these lines, be as patient as possible and be as patient as possible in case of any strangeness you may encounter while sitting in cafes and restaurants during your visit to Paris. remember me with a smile I request you. Already A Week in Paris I frequently mention these issues in my book, and I believe that you will enjoy reading my book as well.
Wishing you to always have good taste; Bon appetit, honey and sugar.
41 Comments
Mr Ahmet,
Somehow, during my trip to Paris this time, all the waiters were fast, the service was fast, the bill payment was fast, all the waiters were attentive and polite :) I don't know if I changed my perspective or if they changed, everyone was really caring, polite and helpful. But bonjour at the first entrance, s'il vous plaît when asking for something, I never neglected these. I thanked him at every opportunity :) This might be the reason.
It's a good thing Paris exists.
Thank you for this beautiful article, love
b.
I think there has been some improvement after the pandemic, waiters have understood a little better that customers are their benefactors, but only a little :)
Thank you for your nice comment. Hope you come to Paris again as soon as possible.
Thanks for your nice article. We will go with a few of my student friends at the beginning of May. Is there a place or neighborhood where the prices are affordable and that you recommend?
Thank you for reading…
Although I cannot write enough about the restaurants in Paris, you can still find a few of my suggestions at this link: https://www.pariste.net/category/yeme-icme/
Happy Days.
How beautifully and accurately you wrote it :))) You should read this article and not be prejudiced. I hope you continue to write articles like this.
Thank you so much.
Hello. I also read your article “A few French words that will make your life easier”. Anticipating people's ways of understanding and approaches is as important as knowing a language and being able to say the word that will do all our work at that moment. Of course, approaching issues with empathy and accepting cultural differences is necessary all over the world and makes life easier. As you know, we Turks generally take our contrary minds with us wherever we go and we judge what is happening with the judgments of our own world. This is a very important blog that should be taken as an example and should be diversified in all countries, and the authorities of Turkey and France, French culture etc. should support this and similar studies financially and morally. If they do not support it and if they can, they should make an effort and guide people. This is a supply and demand curve and it is definitely a need. Likewise, it would only be possible to create such a complete and accurate content if it were to be made in return for a special payment. I wish conveniences
I hope yours will be a comment that will attract the attention of the relevant authorities. Thank you very much.
I think another feature of Paris cafes is that they are meeting places. Perhaps the fact that houses in Paris can be even 8 square meters brings meetings to cafes. Another strange thing is that there are cafes that people frequent. I think Attilâ Ilhan was a "cafe owner" in the same school in Turkey.
A very enjoyable page. Thank you.
It is definitely a very true detail... Since the houses in Paris are too small, the habit of eating and drinking outside is also higher. Naturally, cafes become ideal places for meetings with friends and family. Then add this information to our article as a comment. Thanks a lot.
I just discovered it this morning. I don't know where I came from or how I found it, but I'm glad I found it. I will be your close follower from now on. Best regards..
I hope you can find everything you are looking for in more than 500 constantly updated articles on Pariste.Net. Thank you very much for your interest and nice comment.
I think the French people in general are unhurried, relaxed and fond of themselves, because they can sit in cafes for hours in the places where they sit, this may be the reason for the indifference of the waiters. I saw a group of 3-4 people sitting in front of a cafe and their cute dogs with them caught my attention, and they wandered around the market for 3-4 hours, without exaggeration. When I passed by the same cafe, I saw that group still sitting. If it wasn't for their dogs, I might not have noticed that they were the same people. Then I was surprised and thought how comfortable people are, they don't get bored of sitting for hours. I said I would be bored. That's why the waiters are used to sitting for long periods of time, so they don't rush and hurt themselves, anyway, everyone gets their turn. They think :))) Also, the reason why the French are thin may be that they sit for long periods of time and enjoy their meals.
Hello, you have very accurate observations about cafes, congratulations. I have already been to Paris many times. I graduated from a French school, so I am very close to this culture. As you said, the antipathy of the waiters and the cold behavior of the Parisians towards foreigners fascinate me)) Still, Paris is very beautiful, worth seeing... Best regards, for all the information you have given. thank you very much)
Hello Ms. Gul,
Yes, the situation of the waiters in Paris is known, but I'm used to it now, I accept them as they are :)
That's why I even learned to have fun with this situation. Sometimes, when I encounter a decent waiter, I even want to stand up and congratulate him :)
Thank you for reading and commenting.
I wish you happy days and good weeks.
By the way, I'm sorry, I forgot to write my name. Serkan Akduman.
Hello Mr. Ahmet… I have been aware of your site for about 2 months. I enjoy following your beautiful articles. I am also an expat, I have been living in Germany for 16 years. With luck, my wife and I will go to Paris by high-speed train tomorrow morning. Our hotel is in Les Halles. We will have difficulty with food, too. Okay, it would be nice to live like the French in France for a few days, but is there any Turkish restaurant or restaurant near Les Halles that you can recommend? Thank you for your efforts and interest…
Hello Mr. Serkan,
First of all, thank you very much. There are definitely doner restaurants etc., but -as far as I know- there is no Turkish restaurant directly on the Les Halles side. I can recommend Derya Restaurant in the Turkish Quarter, a little north of the Strasbourg-Saint Denis metro station. Actually, Labranda Restaurant near Louis Blanc metro station is my favorite Turkish restaurant in Paris, but it is closed on Sundays. If your holiday will continue tomorrow and beyond, please stop by Labranda and convey my greetings to its owner, Gönül Abla...
I wish you happy and beautiful days and happy holidays…
Thank you for your quick reply, Mr. Ahmet. We came for 4 days �� We had enough pizza hut for today. Before coming here, we did not know that there were so many cafe and restaurant opportunities. There are dozens on every corner. Even though today was our first day, I can say that we turned Paris upside down, of course, thanks to the big bus service. We did both the red and blue tours. We just entered the hotel. Tomorrow morning, Luvre Museum and Eiffel again, Sanzelize is already enough for one day. Disneyland on Tuesday and if time allows, visit Ahmet brother's grave (I hope it is easy to get from Disneyland to the cemetery). After walking around for the last time on Wednesday, we return by train in the evening. Our first impressions are very good. Until now, London was at the top for me, but Paris was something else. We had no difficulties in the cafes we went to, people were very friendly, and so were we. Today was a very enjoyable day, of course you played a big part in it. Thanks to the information you provided, our work became much easier. Thank you endlessly, good to have you ������ Serkan Akduman…
I am very glad that your holiday in Paris started pleasantly, Mr. Serkan... To go from Disneyland to Père Lachaise Cemetery, take the RER-A train towards the city center and get off at Nation station. You can easily reach it if you take metro number 2 from Nation and get off at Père Lachaise station. Have a nice holiday…
I'm glad I met you before coming to Paris. I can't thank you enough for your help and interest... I didn't have any luck this time, but next time we come, I would like to meet you even for a few hours and buy you a coffee... thank you...
Your blog is very useful. I can't get enough of reading it. We planned a trip to Paris with my family in August. I'm sure it will go well thanks to your blog. Thank you. I hope we can find the graves of Ahmet Kaya and Yılmaz Güney. Thank you again.
Thank you very much. I hope you have a pleasant holiday in Paris.
I wish you happy days.
Regarding butter, I was using President for the first time and I liked it very much, then I discovered Paysan Breton, now President doesn't sound good to me at all! Of course, I don't know if you can find it in Paris.
In fact, I consume butter as little as possible, we mainly use olive oil in our kitchen; That's why even the current package does not expire until its expiration date, but if I come across it one day, I will try your suggestion, I promise.
I'm glad I came across your site, I haven't been able to get up from your site for hours :) Thank you, thank you and your soul, it's great! Best regards, Gozde
Thank you very much, this is one of the nicest comments I have received 😉
I missed this article of yours before. I laughed a lot while reading it. You wrote it very accurately. Thank you. I would also like to add a few things. Many places (even IKEA's restaurant) do not provide service unless it is lunch or dinner time. They may even have closed the shop and left. They are very particular about meal times. I totally agree with the butter thing. My favorite is Echire Demi-sel. :) I recommend those who want to have a big breakfast to look for places that serve 'brunch' (breakfast + lunch), which are becoming more and more common. Have a nice day.
Thanks very much for your comment. In fact, I have not yet been able to find a decent place for brunch in five years. More precisely, there is, but I could not find anything that suits my taste. If you have places to recommend and share them with us, we would always be happy. Thanks again.
Hello Mr. Ahmet,
Of course, nothing can replace our long Sunday breakfasts with menemen and honey and cream :) A place that I haven't tried but my wife tried and liked is 'Le Cafe de Jacquemart Andre', the cafe of the Jacquemart Andre museum. If you haven't visited yet, maybe you can have brunch and visit the museum at the same time. Best regards. Good weeks.
I have skipped the honey and cream, a breakfast consisting of something salty will also do the job for me, but since the breakfasts here are mostly sweet, I have already given up on the place to have breakfast outside :) But as you said, that cafe is wonderful, you reminded me well, I will go there again for the blog. Let me prepare a nice introductory article :) Best regards and have a good week…
You write perfectly. I will be in Paris on March 16th and I would love to meet you. Thanks to you, I learned Paris in its ins and outs. Please go on. Best regards, Gokce
Thank you very much. Paris is a small place, maybe we'll come across it, who knows?
I hope you have a wonderful holiday in advance…
Thanks to you, I learned a lot of things and created a travel plan for myself, you are doing a great job :)
Thank you so much.
Have a nice holiday in advance…
I'm glad I came across your blog. We will have a European trip in November, including a 3-day trip to Paris. Your comments and suggestions will definitely be useful. There are two places I would love to see, the Louvre Museum and Le Pere Lachaise cemetery. Let's see how it goes.
Thank you so much,
You have chosen very beautiful spots for yourself, Père Lachaise Cemetery is especially beautiful in November.
happy holidays
Thanks a lot. It was a very useful article. .
Thank you for your interest and comment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Ahmet, I enjoy reading your articles whenever I have time. I'm glad I found you. I hope to be there with my wife in April. I am preparing myself for this trip with your valuable information. Good evening from Ankara.
Thank you Ms. Demet, I wish you a nice holiday in advance. Greetings from Paris to Ankara, with love.