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Friday 3 Sept 2021    French Etiquette Guide

Top Tips: French Dining Etiquette at Home

Whether you're the guest or the host of a french dinner at home.. use these tips to properly dine à la française!

We did a little poll to see what you'd like us to talk about and 'at home dining' came up with a resounding yes! Naturally, our French Food loving community would want to talk about it - it's a part of our UNESCO cultural heritage after all!

It's such a subject of interest that we are going to do something much more robust in the future - we are sure you can imagine that there are hundreds of formal intricacies- so until then, we have a pulled out a few little 'astuces' (tips). These will help you know what to expect when you are formally dining in France - and small preface that this is for REALLY formal dining, not an average dinner party :

Bringing wine for a formal dinner is a bit of a no-no. The hosts would have already thought carefully about that they are serving and the appropriate wine to accompany.

- Bringing flowers is a nice gesture, but if you really want to be proper, send them during the afternoon. This is of course to avoid your host having to scramble around to find a vase and such.

The table setting in France is a little different. You have example above. Tines up or down? Most etiquette rules will say 'down', unless of course there is a table cloth. You wouldn't dare want to leave marks in the table cloth from the tines of the fork!

The seating plan in France is everything. Last time we told you to await the seating plan before running to the table (indeed the host will have carefully thought about where to seat people). The seating plan is a military operation with hundreds of rules and guidelines based on age, marriage, seniority, etc, even if slightly old fashioned. This is a book in itself. Just know if you end up at a formal dinner party, you have been carefully chosen!

You can expect : the hosts will likely sit across the table from one another - if the table is rectangle or oblong they will be in the center (versus dining à l'Anglaise, where you'll see the hosts at the extreme ends). The most important guest will be seated immediately to the right of the primary host, the next most important person to the left. If you are a couple married for less than one year you may be sat next to each other, if you are married for more than one year you will be sat apart.

The end. Of course all good things come to end.. If they haven't in a timely fashion and you are in to the wee hours after the digestif, after the coffee and such, there is a special code, Should the host propose or bring out orange juice, it's a delicate way to say 'get your coat'

So enjoy your formal dining experience! And if you really want to look the part while you are there, there is a proper way to sit. According to one guide, you'll want to sit 'like you have a small mouse at your back, and a cat on your lap'... Voilà!

Enjoying a new culture is all about knowing how to navigate not only the city, but the people in it - so we continue on with our quick tips to help you avoid cultural gaffs, and make sure your Paris visit is a success!

Central Paris Location

Last Minute Course Places

5 Dec 2024

  • French Baking Classes / Le Croissant & Breakfast Pastries
  • The 'Roi' of the Parisian breakfast table, Le Croissant ! Enjoy three hours of mastering this decadent, flaky, buttery French icon.

  • La Cuisine Paris, 80 Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville, 75004 Paris     Time: 9:30 - 12:30
  • Price: €119.00     Availability: 1 place left

5 Dec 2024

  • French Technical Classes / Mastering Classic French Sauces
  • Three hours of mastering the French Classic Mother Sauces - the grand canon of Cuisine Française. We’ll tackle emulsions, roux, reductions and more!

  • La Cuisine Paris, 80 Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville, 75004 Paris     Time: 10:00 - 13:00
  • Price: €119.00     Availability: 1 place left

5 Dec 2024

  • French Market Tour and Cooking Class / Marché Maubert
  • Spend the morning like the locals, with a typical Parisian experience. A full immersion in to French culture with a French Market Tour followed by a hands-on French Cooking Class right in the heart of Paris !

  • Meet at 18 Place Maubert in front of the fountain, next to Metro Station Maubert Mutualité     Time: 9:30 - 13:30
  • Price: €189.00     Availability: 1 place left

7 Dec 2024

  • French Market Tour and Cooking Class / Marché Maubert
  • Spend the morning like the locals, with a typical Parisian experience. A full immersion in to French culture with a French Market Tour followed by a hands-on French Cooking Class right in the heart of Paris !

  • Meet at 18 Place Maubert in front of the fountain, next to Metro Station Maubert Mutualité     Time: 9:30 - 13:30
  • Price: €189.00     Availability: 4 places left

7 Dec 2024

  • Holiday French Pastry / Mini Bûches de Noëls
  • Join us for a class of festive pastry baking, and learn how to make a selection of mini 'Yule Log' cakes!

  • La Cuisine Paris, 80 Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville, 75004 Paris     Time: 14:30 - 17:30
  • Price: €119.00     Availability: 1 place left

The Best Hot Chocolate In Paris

Saturday 30 Nov 2024

Where to find the best Hot Chocolate (Chocolat Chaud) in Paris !
It is that time of year again where all you feel like doing is tucking away in a cafe and people watching. Chocolat chaud is a delicious way to spend the afternoon and we have got all of our top places for you to enjoy!

Read more

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If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call on +33 (0)1 40 51 78 18 or email contact@lacuisineparis.com    Click here for further contact details