Cafés are part of everyday life across much of the Francophone world, but what you order and how café culture looks can vary from place to place. Whether you stop for a quick coffee or sit down for something to eat, a small set of words and phrases can help you handle the interaction.
You can use them to order a drink or something to eat, ask for what you need, and pay when you are ready to leave.
Coffee drinks
Coffee vocabulary varies and café menus reflect local habits. In France, you will commonly see several names that distinguish the size and preparation of the coffee:
| French | What you get |
|---|---|
| un café | a small espresso |
| un expresso | an espresso |
| un café allongé | an espresso with more water |
| un café serré | a short, strong espresso |
| un café crème | coffee with steamed milk |
| un café au lait | coffee with hot milk |
| un déca | decaffeinated coffee |
You may also see familiar international names such as cappuccino on a café menu.
Tea, hot chocolate, and other drinks
You will find plenty of choices beyond coffee. The words used in drink names can also give you clues about flavor and ingredients:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un thé | tea |
| un thé au citron | tea with lemon |
| un thé à la menthe | mint tea |
| un chocolat chaud | hot chocolate |
| un jus d'orange | orange juice |
| une eau minérale | mineral water |
| une eau gazeuse | sparkling water |
With tea, au or à la can tell you about a flavor or ingredient. Un thé au citron is tea with lemon, while un thé à la menthe is mint tea.
For beer and wine, see Alcoholic drinks.
Ordering a drink
One useful way to order politely is je voudrais..., "I'd like...":
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. | I'd like a coffee, please. |
| Je voudrais un café crème, s'il vous plaît. | I'd like a café crème, please. |
| Je voudrais un thé à la menthe, s'il vous plaît. | I'd like a mint tea, please. |
| Je voudrais un chocolat chaud, s'il vous plaît. | I'd like a hot chocolate, please. |
You will also hear je vais prendre..., which you can use like "I'll have...":
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je vais prendre un café. | I'll have a coffee. |
| Je vais prendre un thé. | I'll have a tea. |
| Je vais prendre un jus d'orange. | I'll have an orange juice. |
Both patterns work for ordering. Je voudrais... presents what you would like, while je vais prendre... presents your choice.
Ordering something to eat
Cafés may also serve pastries, sandwiches, tartines, and light meals. You can use the same ordering patterns for food:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je voudrais un croissant, s'il vous plaît. | I'd like a croissant, please. |
| Je vais prendre un sandwich. | I'll have a sandwich. |
| Je voudrais une tartine, s'il vous plaît. | I'd like a tartine, please. |
| Je vais prendre le croque-monsieur. | I'll have the croque-monsieur. |
At breakfast, une tartine may simply be bread with butter or jam. On a café menu, it can also be an open-faced sandwich with ingredients such as ham, cheese, or vegetables.
When you have chosen a particular item from the menu, je vais prendre... is a natural way to give your choice.
For here or to go?
When you order at the counter, you may be asked whether you want to eat or drink there or take your order with you:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| sur place | for here |
| à emporter | to go / takeaway |
| Sur place ou à emporter ? | For here or to go? |
You do not need a complete sentence to answer. Sur place or à emporter is enough.
Asking for something
If you need something, je peux avoir... ? gives you a useful pattern for asking for it:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Vous avez du sucre ? | Do you have any sugar? |
| Je peux avoir une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît ? | Can I have a carafe of water, please? |
| Je peux avoir une cuillère ? | Can I have a spoon? |
To get someone's attention politely, you can say Excusez-moi. A simple merci works when someone brings you what you asked for.
Asking for the bill
When you are ready to leave, ask for l'addition, the bill:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| L'addition, s'il vous plaît. | The bill, please. |
| Je peux avoir l'addition, s'il vous plaît ? | Can I have the bill, please? |
| Je peux payer par carte ? | Can I pay by card? |
| Je peux payer en espèces ? | Can I pay in cash? |
| Je voudrais régler, s'il vous plaît. | I'd like to pay, please. |
L'addition, s'il vous plaît is a short and polite way to ask for the bill. You can reuse je peux... ? when you need to ask about how you can pay.
From learning to practice
At a café, you do not need to understand every word on the menu or prepare every sentence in advance. Recognize what you can, make your choice, and use a simple phrase to order. These short interactions are a chance to use French for an everyday purpose from the moment you sit down until it is time to pay.