How to Order at a French Café (Like You've Done It Before)

The French café isn't a coffee shop. It's a social institution with three centuries of history, a place where you're allowed — expected, even — to sit for hours with a single espresso and a book. Understanding how to order is just the entry ticket.

What "Un Café" Actually Means

Un café = espresso. A small, intense shot in a tiny cup. If you want something else, you specify.

French	What you get	Know this
Un café	Single espresso	The default
Un café crème	Espresso + steamed milk	Morning only. Ordering it after lunch marks you as a foreigner.
Un noisette	Espresso + dash of milk	Named for the hazelnut color
Un allongé	Diluted espresso	Closest to an Americano
Un déca	Decaf	No judgment

Where You Sit Matters

Le comptoir (counter): Cheapest. Drink standing, go.
La salle (inside): Mid-range.
La terrasse (outdoor): Most expensive. You're paying for the view and the right to stay forever.

French café menu essentials with pronunciations and descriptions — Essential menu items with pronunciation — remember, 'un café' always means espresso

Essential Phrases

French	English
Bonjour, une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît	Hello, a table for two, please
Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît	I'd like a coffee, please
Un verre d'eau, s'il vous plaît	A glass of water, please (tap water is free)
C'est quoi, le plat du jour?	What's today's special?
Je vais prendre la formule	I'll take the set menu
L'addition, s'il vous plaît	The check, please

The #1 rule: Always say bonjour when arriving and au revoir when leaving. Skipping the greeting is the single rudest thing you can do in French service culture. More important than any tip.

A Quick Dialogue

You: Bonjour. Une table pour une personne, s'il vous plaît.

Server: En salle ou en terrasse?

You: En terrasse.

Server: Très bien. Installez-vous, je vous apporte la carte.

(Later)

You: Je vais prendre un café crème et un croque-monsieur.

Server: Avec une salade?

You: Oui, merci.

(Much later)

You: L'addition, s'il vous plaît.

Classic Café Food

French	What it is
Croque-monsieur	Grilled ham & cheese with béchamel. The king of café food.
Croque-madame	Same, plus a fried egg on top
Quiche lorraine	Savory bacon-and-cream tart
Salade niçoise	A full meal disguised as a salad
Le plat du jour	Daily special. Always worth asking about.

Tu vs. Vous

With your server: always vous. Even in a casual bistro. This isn't formality for its own sake — it's respect for their professional role. Using tu with a server you don't know reads as rude, not friendly.

Cultural tip card about unwritten rules of French café etiquette — The unwritten rules every visitor should know before entering a French café

Tipping

Service is included in the price (service compris). Tipping is never expected. Leaving a euro or two on the saucer is a quiet "thank you," nothing more.

From Café to Fluency

The French café is a perfect classroom — predictable interactions, practical vocabulary, and instant cultural immersion. Belugaro extends that same principle to your everyday browsing, weaving French words into the content you already read so the language sticks naturally.