Myth or fact: tipping, water and bread in French restaurants
Is tipping compulsory in France? Is tap water free? Can you ask for more bread? Judge seven claims about French restaurant habits, vrai ou faux.
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In short
No, tipping isn't compulsory: French menu prices include service (service compris), so a tip (un pourboire) is a small extra for good service. Tap water (une carafe d'eau) is free with a meal, and bread is normally included and refilled.
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Vrai ou faux ? Decide before you see the verdict.
Tipping 15–20% is expected in French restaurants.
Il faut laisser 20 % de pourboire.
FauxFaux. Prices include service by law (service compris). Leaving a few euros or rounding up for good service is kind, but nobody expects a percentage.
You can ask for free tap water with your meal.
Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît.
VraiVrai. Ask for une carafe d'eau and you get tap water at no charge. If you just say de l'eau, you may be offered bottled water, which you pay for.
Bread usually comes free with a restaurant meal.
On peut avoir encore un peu de pain ?
VraiVrai. A basket of bread is normally included, and you can ask for more. It goes on the table or the tablecloth, not on a side plate.
The waiter will bring the bill as soon as you finish eating.
L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
FauxFaux. Bringing the bill unasked would feel like rushing you. You ask for it: l'addition, s'il vous plaît, often with a small hand gesture.
Calling the waiter « garçon ! » is the normal way to get attention.
Garçon !
FauxFaux. It sounds old-fashioned and rude today. Catch their eye and say s'il vous plaît or Monsieur / Madame.
Lunch menus (formules) are often cheaper than ordering the same dishes in the evening.
La formule du midi : entrée + plat ou plat + dessert.
VraiVrai. Many restaurants offer a formule or menu du jour at lunchtime: two or three courses at a fixed, lower price.
Many restaurants stop serving lunch around 14 h.
La cuisine ferme à 14 h.
VraiVrai. Outside tourist areas, kitchens often serve lunch from about 12 h to 14 h and dinner from 19 h. Between the two, you may only find a café or a brasserie.
What to take away
The takeaway: in France you don't pay for service, water or bread, but you do pay for time. Nobody hurries you out of your table, which is why you must ask for the bill yourself.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît. | A jug of tap water, please. |
| L'addition, s'il vous plaît. | The bill, please. |
| Le service est compris ? | Is service included? |
| Gardez la monnaie. | Keep the change. |
- Je voudrais l'eau du robinet gratuite.Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît.
Carafe d'eau is the polite, normal request.
- Le chèque, s'il vous plaît.L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
Le chèque is a bank cheque.