French Menu Translator

  • The following is a translation of most of the words and phrases to be found on a French menu.

Types of French Restaurant

    • Cafe-Brasserie:  informal and inexpensive all-day restaurant and bar.
    • Brasserie Traditionelle:  more formal and expensive restaurant with set dining times often with a ‘bel epoque’ or ‘art deco’ style interior.
    • Bistro:  small, intimate restaurant with fixed dining times.
    • Restaurant Gastronomique:  up-market restaurant, possibly with Michelin stars, offering a mix of a la carte, fixed-price and multicourse menus.
    • Table D’ Hote:  a restaurant attached to a hotel or inn (usually), with a restricted dining option, consisting of one or two fixed-price menus and possibly with all guests sat at one table.
    • Service Rapide:  casual fast food bars which offer pizza, croque monsieur, crepes, sandwiches or burgers.
    • Bar a Vin:  a casual wine bar, often with a limited selection of cheese and charcuterie.

1. Les Boissons: Drinks

Eau:  Water

    • Une Carafe d’ Eau:  a jug of tap water
    • Une Bouteille d’Eau:  a bottle of mineral water
    • Avec de la Glace:  with Ice

Aperitifs:  Aperitives

    • Pastis, Marie Brizard, Ricard, 51, Pernod:  Aniseed flavoured liqueurs
    • Byrrh:  Bitters
    • Suze:  Bitters
    • Noilly Prat:  Vermouth
    • Dubonnet:  fortified red wine
    • Lillet:  fortified wine from Bordeaux
    • Calvados:  Brandy
    • Cognac:  Brandy
    • Champagne: Champagne
    • Pineau des Charentes:  fortified wine from Cognac
    • Kir: white wine with Creme de Cassis (Blackcurrent Liqueur)

Bieres:  Beers

    • Biere Pression:  Draft Beer
    • Biere Blonde:  Lager Beer and Pale Ale
    • Biere Brune:  Brown Ale and Stout
    • Biere Blanche:  Wheat Beer
    • Biere Ambree:  Amber Ale: Pale Ale with added Crystal Malt to make it Darker
    • Biere Rousee:  Red Ale

Vins:  House Wine

    • Un Pichet de Rouge-Blanc-Rose:
      • A small Jug, Pitcher or Carafe of Ordinary Red-White-Rose Wine
      • Sizes: 1/4L (Un Quart) or 1/2L (Un Demi) or 1 Litre (un Grand Pichet which will serve 4 persons)
    • Une Carafe de Rouge-Blanc-Rose:
      • A Jug of Ordinary Red-White-Rose Wine
      • Sizes: 1/2 Carafe (0.375L or 2 Glasses) or Full Carafe (0.75L or 4 Glasses)

Champagne: Bottle sizes

Les Cocktails: Cocktails

2. Hors d’Oeuvres:  Starters

    • Entree du Jour:  Starter of the Day
    • Assiete Charcuterie:  A cold selection of Ham, dry cured Sausages and Pates
    • Les Escargots au Beurre (or Escargots a l’Aile or Escargots de Bourgogne):  Snails in Garlic Butter
    • Moules Mariniere:  Mussels in white wine with onions, Butter and Herbs
    • Pate de Foie Gras:  Liver of Duck or Goose Pate served chilled
    • Tapenade:  Puree of Olives, Capers, Anchovies, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice
    • Terrine de Pintade:  Guinea Fowl Pate
    • Rillettes de Canard:  Duck Pate

Soupe:  Soup

    • Soupe du Jour:  Soup of the Day
    • Bisque de Homard:  Lobster Soup (Bisque can be a soup of any sea crustacians)
    • Bouillon:  Broth
    • Soupe a l’Oignon:  Onion Soup
    • Vichyssoise:  Creamy Leak and Potato Soup

3. Plat Principal: Main Dish

  • Plat du Jour:  Dish of the day

Les Salades:  Salads

    • Salade Caesar:  Romaine Lettuce, Croutons, Parmesan Cheese, Anchovies, Eggs
    • Salade Nicoise:  Salad with Tuna, Black Olives, Anchovies, Eggs
    • Salade Verte:  Green Salad

Omelettes:  Omelettes

    • Omelette au Naturel:  Plain Omelette
    • Omelette aux Fines Herbes:  Herb Omelette
    • Omelette de Jambon/ Fromage:  Ham or Cheese Omelette
    • Omelette de Champignons:  Mushroom Omelette
    • Omelette aux Epinards:  Spinach Omelette
    • Omelette aux Crevettes:  Shrimp Omelette
    • Omelette Lyonnaise:  Onion Omelette
    • Omelette Du Barry:  Cauliflower Omelette
    • Omelette Grandval:  Tomato Omelette
    • Omelette a la Jardiniere:  Vegetable Omelette

Les Viandes:  Meat Dishes

    • Boeuf Bourguignan:  Beef Casserole in Red Wine
    • Boudin Blanc:  Sausage made from Pork. Liver and Heart
    • Boudin Noir:  Sausage made from pig’s blood
    • Brochettes de:  Skewers of 
    • Carbonnade:  Braised Beef Stew with Onions and Beer
    • Carre d’Agneau:  Rack of Lamb
    • Cassoulet:  Casserole made with White Beans, Goose, Duck and Pork Sausage and sometimes Mutton
    • Choucroute:  Sauerkraut
    • Confit de Canard:  Poached Duck Leg
    • Coq au Vin:  Chicken in a Red Wine Sauce
    • Cuisses de Grenouille:  Frog’s Legs
    • Estouffade:  Stew of Beef, Pork and Mushrooms in Red Wine
    • Farci:  Stuffed
    • Gigot d’Agneau:  Lamb Chop
    • Hachis Parmentier:  Cottage Pie
    • Lardons:  cubes of Diced Bacon
    • Merguez:  Spicy Beef and Lamb Sausage
    • Paillard de Veau:  Thick Slice of Veal
    • Piperade:  Baked Dish of Onions, Green and Red Peppers and Tomatoes (a Basque Dish)
    • Pot-au-Feu:  Boiled Beef with vegetables
    • Poulet Grille:  Grilled Chicken
    • Poulet Roti:  Roast Chicken
    • Poussin:  Baby Chicken
    • Ratatouille:  Baked or Sauted Tomatoes, Onions, Courgettes, Aubergines, Garlic, Peppers (Dish from Languedoc)
    • Rognons:  Kidneys
    • Saucisses de Toulouse:  Toulouse Sausages
    • Souris d’Agneau:  Lamb Shank
    • Supremes de Volailles:  Boneless Breast of Chicken
    • Tournedos:  Centre of a grilled Beef Fillet
    • Types of Steak:
      • Bavette:  Thin Steak prepared by being quickly seared
      • Chateaubriand:  Thick Sirloin Steak
      • Cotelette:  Cutlet or Chop
      • Entrecote:  Beef Rib Steak
      • Filet Mignon de Boeuf:  Beef Filet Mignon, the King of Steaks
      • Pave:  Rump Steak
      • Steak Tartare:  raw chopped Beef served with onions and topped with an egg
    • How to Order your Steak:
      • Bleu:  Very Rare, cooked for 1 minute on both sides
      • Saignant:  Rare, cooked for only slightly longer
      • A Point:  Still Rare, steak is cooked but it’s red inside
      • Bien Cuit:  brown on the outside, still some pink on the inside
      • Tres bien cuit:  cooked all the way through

Le Poisson:  Fish Dishes

    • Bouillabaisse:  Fish Stew with 3 types of Fish and Mussels (Dish from Marseilles)
    • Brandade de Morue:  Puree of Cod with Potatoes
    • Cabillaud Poele:  Pan Fried Cod
    • Coquilles St Jacques (or Noix St. Jacques):  Scallops (Named after the Apostle St. James who once rescued a knight covered in Scallops)
    • Crevettes:  King Prawns
    • La Dorade Royale:  Braised Sea Bream with Orange
    • Fruits de Mer:  Seafood Platter of Shellfish
    • Goujons:  small pieces of fried breaded Fish
    • Homard:  Lobster
    • Huitres:  Oysters
    • Langouste:  spiny Lobster
    • Langoustine:  Scampi
    • Lotte:  Monkfish
    • Maquereau en Escabeche:  Poached Mackerel
    • Truite:  Trout

Les Legumes:  Vegetables

    • Asperges vertes:  Asparagus
    • Coeurs d’Artichaud:  Artichoke Hearts
    • Endives:  Chickory
    • Flageolets:  Kidney Beans
    • Poivron:  sweet Pepper
    • Pommes de Terre:  Potatoes
      • Pommes Frites Allumettes:  very thin French Fries
      • Gratin Parmentier:
        • Potatoes with breadcrumbs and cheese (Antoine-Augustin Parmentier was an Army Pharmacist who changed France into a potato eating country in the 1800’s)
      • Gratin Dauphinoise:  Baked Dish of thinly sliced Potatoes and Cream
      • Pommes Duchesse:  Mashed Potatoes with Butter, Egg and Nutmeg
      • Pommes Lyonnaise:  Sliced pan-fried Potatoes and Onions
      • Gratin Savoyard:  Baked Dish of Sliced Potatoes with Bouillon, Cheese and Butter

The Five Mother Sauces of Classic French Cuisine

    1. Sauce Bearnaise:  Made from Butter and egg yolks, Shallots, Chervil, Peppercorn and Tarragon.
    2. Sauce Hollandaise:  Same, but with Lemon Juice added (Also Mayonnaise).
    3. Sauce Bechamel:  White Sauce made from Flour, Butter and Milk.
    4. Sauce Espagnol:  Brown Sauce made from Flour, Butter, Veal Stock and Seasonings.
    5. Veloute:  A Stock based White Sauce.
      • Vinaigrette:  Oil and Vinegar

4. Les Desserts:  Desserts

    • Coulis:  a thick Sauce made from Fruits
    • Creme Anglaise:  vanilla flavoured light Custard
    • Creme Brulee:  caramelised vanilla custard
    • Creme Chantilly:  Sweetened Whipped Cream
    • Crepes Suzette:  Pancakes with Orange, Sugar and Grand Marnier
    • Fondant:  a sweet filling or coating for cakes and pastries
    • Galettes:  Pancakes made with Buckwheat Flour
    • Gaufres:  Waffles made with batter or dough and shaped by an iron with a distinctive pattern
    • Glace:  Ice Cream
    • Iles Flottantes:  Meringues floating on Custard
    • Marrons Glaces:  Chestnuts candied in Syrup
    • Parfait:  Frozen Mousse of Syrup, eggs and cream
    • Profiterolles:  Choux Pastry filled with cream
    • Petits Fours:  Tiny Cakes and Pastries
    • Poires Belle Helene:  Poached Pears on Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce
    • Tarte Tatin:  Upside Down Apple Tart

Les Fromages:  Cheese Board

    • Fromage de Chevre:  Goat’s Cheese
    • Fromage de Brebis:  Sheep’s Cheese

Les Digestifs:  After Dinner Drinks

    • Eaux de Vie:  clear fruit Brandies such as ‘Eau de vie de Poire William’
    • Liqueurs:  such as Chartreuse, Grand Marnier and Triple Sec (Orange Curacao)
    • Cognac and Armagnac:  Brandy
    • Calvados:  Apple Brandy

5. Light Snacks in Cafes

    • Casse-Croute:  Snack
    • Brioche:  Buttery Yeast Bread made with Egg
    • Croque Monsieur:  Welsh Rarebit, toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwich
    • Baguette:  French Stick
    • Tartine:  Slice of Buttered Bread
    • Oeuf sur le Plat:  Fried Egg
    • Oeufs Benedictine:  Eggs Benedict, a Toasted Brioche with Poached Eggs over ham or bacon, covered with a Hollandaise Sauce.

 

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