You are expected to pass dishes around and to hold a dish so your neighbour can retrieve some of the meal. When one begins a meal, they typically say “bon appétit” (enjoy your meal). Dinner guests should not open their mouth or talk when eating, and should gently wipe their mouth after taking a drink.
French etiquette indicates that you should finish your plate, or the host will be offended (thinking that the meal was bad). What is this? There is a potential conflict here, as in some cultures if you finish your plate it means you didn't get enough!
Bad French Table Manners Are… To start drinking before everybody has a full glass in front of them (and someone has a chance to make a toast). To keep your hands under the table. If you are a man, to serve yourself before offering the food to the woman sitting next to you.
Avoid asking personal questions relating to one's age, sexual orientation, family or children unless you have a well-established friendship. The French highly value their privacy and the privacy of others. Inquiring about one's salary and finances is taboo.
A waiter in a café is sometimes called un garçon de café, but French people use the word un serveur much more often, for any type of waiter. A waitress is une serveuse. Yelling “Garçon !” to catch a waiter's attention in a restaurant (or a café) is rude and outdated.
Tipping in French restaurants and cafés is not expected
This is indicated on the menu or the bill with the phrase “service compris.” Nevertheless, if you have a friendly or efficient waiter, you can leave a small gratuity (un pourboire), but this is by no means required.
Bread is essential to the French, who eat a lot of it, with each meal, each course – except desert when bread is put away. It is served in slices in a basket. Help yourself, then put the bread directly on the tablecloth, close to your plate – not on your plate. If you are in a formal place, bread plates might be used.
Foie gras (Goose's fatty liver)
The Périgord region is also known for foie gras. This controversial dish is much loved by the French and is considered somewhat a staple of the French diet.
The Myth Of Polite Burping Abroad
When we asked people where it's polite to burp, answers included France, Italy, Spain, Canada and Japan. It seems a good number of countries have been named in connection with this idea. But if you actually burp at a dinner table in those countries, you will get some weird looks.
In France, breakfast is the least important meal of the day
It's the meal that will get you through a busy morning until lunchtime.
France is a country known for its fine dining, fresh produce and the slim waistlines of the locals, but the reality is quite different. Half of French adults are overweight and one in six is obese and it's mostly to do with the fact the nation has been having a not-so-secret love affair with junk food for years.
“French people eat late because most standard job hours are 9 or 10 to 6, instead of 9 to 5 like in the States,” Alysa explains. “So, by the time everyone gets home, gets settled, and a meal is prepared, it's about 8 pm.”
A French breakfast is sweet. It is composed of slices of buttered bread and jam spread on it, sometimes croissants or other pastries and cereals. Usually, the drinks are coffee, orange juice or milk.
Many people choose to supplement their wages with a tip on delivery. While opinions and habits vary, always keep in mind that in Australia, tipping is entirely up to you.
To signal that you want to pay in a café or restaurant, you can use: L'addition, s'il vous plaît. The bill, please.
Usually in France, tipping when you take the taxi is as important as in Northern-American countries. Even if the price of the ride has a minimum (usually around €4-6), you should tip at the end of the ride depending on the quality of the service. Tips usually may vary from €5 to €10 if it is a long ride.
For Parisians eye contact is a personal matter, much like your choice of wine, or infidelity in relationships. As a general rule, you have to avoid looking strangers in the eye; it's slightly offensive. Remember, personal space reigns.
In France, it's considered rude not to say hello every time you enter a shop or when you first begin a conversation with a local. Brush up on these ten French words or phrases that'll get you beyond bonjour.
Bonjour/Bonsoir
It is simply considered good manners to say Bonjour (hello) upon entering a restaurant or any place of business, acknowledging both the shop owner and the other customers. Upon leaving, one always says “Au revoir” (good bye).
The French authorities are continuing with measures to "preserve and modernize" their language - and are banning English words as part of this effort. After terms "Facebook", "Twitter", and "e-mail" were outlawed earlier, "hashtag" is next in line to be banished from official French documents.
Refusing food or drink in someone's home. The French are big on hospitality and always welcome guests with refreshments. This is just the 'done thing', and refusing food and drink is considered a direct snub of their welcome and will almost always offend the French.
A few years back, there were numerous reports of clowns terrorising people in the French village of Vendragues. In response, authorities made it illegal to dress up as a clown on Halloween and the entire month of November for anyone 13 and older.