French Menu Vocabulary: The Cheat Sheet
- Restaurant Roger la Grenouille
- il y a 5 jours
- 1 min de lecture
A French menu is 30% poetry, 70% technical vocabulary. Master these terms and any carte in Paris becomes readable — including ours.
The structure words
Entrée = starter (NOT the main — America's greatest translation accident). Plat = main course. Formule/Menu = fixed-price combo. À l'ardoise = today's specials on the chalkboard. Saignant / à point / bien cuit = rare / medium / well-done.
The cooking words
Persillade = garlic-parsley butter (our religion). Confit = slow-cooked in fat. Gratinée = cheese-crusted (the onion soup). Maturée = dry-aged. Maison = homemade — the word that separates real kitchens from reheaters. Full immersion course: our bistro classics guide.
Final exam
Order « les fritôts de grenouilles puis la persillade, et une carafe d'eau » without pointing at the menu: book your exam table
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