Eating Out (Junior Cert French): Revision Notes
Eating Out
Refer to the note on 'Food' for vocabulary on the different types of food.
Key Vocabulary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Un restaurant | A restaurant |
| Un café | A café |
| Le menu | The menu |
| La carte | The menu (different term, often used for more elaborate menus) |
| Un serveur / Une serveuse | A waiter / A waitress |
| Commander | To order |
| L'addition | The bill |
| L'entrée | The starter (note: "entrée" in French means starter, not main course) |
| Le plat principal | The main course |
| Le dessert | Dessert |
| Une boisson | A drink |
| Un verre d'eau | A glass of water |
| S'il vous plaît | Please |
| Merci | Thank you |
Sample Sentences:
Ce restaurant a une étoile Michelin, donc les plats sont excellents. (This restaurant has a Michelin star, so the dishes are excellent.)
L'ambiance de ce restaurant est très chaleureuse et accueillante. (The atmosphere of this restaurant is very warm and welcoming.)
Useful Phrases
Structures:
| Je voudrais… | I would like… | Je voudrais un steak, s'il vous plaît. | I would like a steak, please. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avez-vous… ? | Do you have…? | Avez-vous du jus d'orange ? | Do you have orange juice? |
| Je suis allergique à… | I am allergic to… | Je suis allergique aux noix. | I am allergic to nuts. |
Sample Sentences:
- Qu'est-ce que vous recommandez? - What do you recommend?
- Est-ce que c'est épicé? - Is it spicy?
- Je suis végétarien / végétarienne- I am vegetarian.
- Est-ce que ce plat est végétarien ? - Is this dish vegetarian?
- C'était délicieux! - That was delicious!
- Je voudrais réserver une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît. - I would like to reserve a table for two, please.
- La présentation de ce plat est magnifique, et le goût est encore meilleur. - The presentation of this dish is beautiful, and the taste is even better.
- L'addition, s'il vous plaît.- The bill, please.
Grammar Point: The Verb 'Vouloir' (to want) Vouloir is an important verb to know when eating out because you will often use it to order food. When making a request, it's more polite to use the conditional form of vouloir rather than the present tense. The conditional form translates to "would like" in English.
Here is the conjugation of vouloir in the conditional:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je voudrais | I would like |
| Tu voudrais | You would like (informal) |
| Il/Elle voudrait | He/She would like |
| Nous voudrions | We would like |
| Vous voudriez | You would like (formal/plural) |
| Ils/Elles voudraient | They would like |
- Je voudrais un verre d'eau, s'il vous plaît. (I would like a glass of water, please.)
- Nous voudrions la spécialité du jour. (We would like the special of the day.)
- Il voudrait un dessert. (He would like a dessert.)
Exercises:
Exercise 1: Ordering a Meal:
Imagine you are at a French restaurant. You want to order a starter, a main course, and a dessert. What would you say? Here is an example:
- Starter: soupe à l'oignon (onion soup)
- Main course: steak-frites (steak with fries)
- Dessert: crème brûlée
Answer:
Je voudrais une soupe à l'oignon pour l'entrée, un steak-frites pour le plat principal, et une crème brûlée pour le dessert, s'il vous plaît.
Exercise 2: Asking for the Bill:
You have finished your meal and want to ask for the bill politely. What phrase would you use?
Answer:
L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
Exercise 3: Making a Complaint:
Your food arrives, and it's not what you ordered. How do you politely tell the waiter? The waiter brings you fish, but you ordered chicken.
Answer:
Excusez-moi, je n'ai pas commandé ça. J'ai commandé du poulet, pas du poisson.
Exercise 4: Asking About the Menu:
You're curious about the special of the day. How would you ask the waiter?
Answer:
Quelle est la spécialité du jour ?
Grammar Point: The Use of Encore
La présentation de ce plat est magnifique, et le goût est encore meilleur.- The presentation of this dish is beautiful, and the taste is even better.
The word encore in French has several meanings, depending on the context. Here, encore is used to mean "even," to compare two things and suggest that one is superior.
In this sentence, encore enhances meilleur (better) to emphasise that while the presentation is beautiful, the taste surpasses it.
Other Uses of Encore:
Encore can mean "still" or "yet":
- Il est encore là.He is still there.
Encore can also mean "more" or "again":
- Je voudrais encore du pain.I would like more bread.
Extended Vocabulary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Le restaurant | Restaurant |
| Le café | Café |
| Le bistrot | Bistro |
| Le serveur / La serveuse | Waiter/Waitress |
| Le menu | Menu |
| Le plat | Dish |
| L' entrée (f) | Starter/Appetiser |
| Le plat principal | Main course |
| Le dessert | Dessert |
| La boisson | Drink |
| L' addition (f) | Bill/Check |
| Le pourboire | Tip |
| La table | Table |
| Les couverts (m/pl) | Cutlery |
| La serviette | Napkin |
| Le verre | Glass |
| La fourchette | Fork |
| Le couteau | Knife |
| La cuillère | Spoon |
| L' assiette (f) | Plate |
| Le bol | Bowl |
| Le saladier | Salad bowl |
| Le plateau | Tray |
| Le chef / La cheffe | Chef |
| La carte des vins | Wine list |
| Le maître d'hôtel | Head waiter/Maitre d' |
| La spécialité | Specialty |
| Le hors-d'œuvre | Appetiser |
| Le plat du jour | Dish of the day |
| Le menu à prix fixe | Fixed-price menu |
| Le menu dégustation | Tasting menu |
| Le service | Service |
| L' ambiance (f) | Atmosphere |
| La cuisine | Cuisine |
| Le restaurant étoilé | Michelin-starred restaurant |
| Le buffet | Buffet |
| Le fast-food | Fast food |
| Le pour emporter | Takeaway |
| Le plat à emporter | Takeout dish |
| La commande | Order |
| La livraison à domicile | Home delivery |
| Le temps d'attente | Waiting time |
| Le service à table | Table service |
| L' eau plate/gazeuse (f) | Still/sparkling water |
| Le digestif | Digestive (post-meal drink) |
| Le repas | Meal |
| Le client / La cliente | Customer |
| Le pourcentage du pourboire | Tip percentage |
| Commander | To order |
| Choisir | To choose |
| La spécialité | Speciality |
| Le menu dégustation | Tasting menu |
| Le/La chef | Chef |
| Recommander | To recommend |
| Le menu végétarien | Vegetarian menu |
| La carte des vins | Wine list |
| L' amuse-bouche (m) | Appetiser |
| L' accompagnement (m) | Side dish |
| Réserver une table | To reserve a table |
| La spécialité de la maison | House special |
| Le temps d'attente | Wait time |