Places to eat/food tips

Meals - The French tend to eat only at meal times so most restaurants/cafes will only be open these times:

• breakfast (petit dejeuner) normally consists of a croissant and/or pastries/pain au chocolate and bagette with butter/jam served with coffee, tea or hot chocolate
• lunch (dejeuner) is served between 12 and 2pm
• dinner (diner) is usually served from 7/7.30pm with restaurants not opening until this time.

Eating establishments

• restaurants: full meals served by wait staff
• bistros/brasseries: in between a restaurant and cafe/bar
• cafes/bars: serve basic food (during meal times only usually) but mostly drinks (either coffees or alcoholic drinks) and are meeting/be seen places (usually with outdoor seat area)
• salons de the: trendy tearooms (with some food) generally not serving alcoholic drinks
• pizzeria or creperie: specialising in either pizza or crepes.

Restaurant meal tips

• in most places meals will be service compris meaning that tips are not required
• there is often a fixed priced menu which works out much cheaper than ordering a la carte
• bread (pain) is normally almost always served compris with your meal
• to ask for the bill 'l'addition svp'. 

Food shopping

• Supermarche: supermarkets with a vide variety of food
• Specialty shops: boulangerie/patisserie (bakery/pastry shop), charcuterie (deli), boucherie (butcher), fromagerie (cheese shop), confiserie (lollie shop), chocolatier (chocolate shop)
• Outdoor food markets: most villages have these 1-2 days a week selling local produce.

Useful to know foods include: 

• meats: agneau (lamb), boeuf (beef), foie (liver), jambon (ham), lapin (rabbit), veau (veal)poisson (fish), canard (duck), saumon fume (smoked salmon), chevre (goat), coq (chicken)
• fruit: ananas (pineapple), banane (banana), pomme (apple), fraise (strawberry),framboise (raspberry), cerise (cherry), citron (lemon),  pamplemousse (grapefruit), orange (orange)
• vegetables: avocat (avocado), aubergine (eggplant), courgette (zucchini), haricots (beans), tomate (tomato), champignon (mushroom), carotte (carrot), ail (garlic), riz (rice) 
• grocery items: beurre (butter), confiture (jam), miel (honey), lait (milk), sucre (sugar), oeufs (eggs), huile (oil), sel (salt), poivre (pepper), fromage (cheese), glace (icecream).

About Us

Rent Our Properties

Property Purchasing Information


Online Shop


Platine Members

Events