As a rule, the French eat three meals a day, usualy at the same hour. Even though this practice is disappearing in the professional world, many people see this tradition as an important aspect of the French way of life.
French people start the day with the petit déjeuner (breakfast), which
Relax and enjoy!
consists of bread (le pain): baguette, croissants or brioches, with an expresso, a café crème (expresso with hot, foamy milk), a simple but strong bowl of drip coffee or a chocolat chaud (hot cocoa).
Then comes the déjeuner (lunch), enjoyed between noon and 2:00 pm, which is usualy the main meal of the day (when travelling in France - except in Paris - don't be surprised if most of the businesses are closed during these sacro-saint two hours). In the evening, the dîner (dinner) is served not earlier than 8:00pm.
In many restaurants, the menus are in French only. Usually, a menu has a handwritten fixed-price option called a menu du jour offering the specials of the day. You'll get nice surprises by ordering dishes without knowing exactly what they are. Do not hesitate to print out the table below which lists the most popular French dishes. Bring it along on your next trip!
