12 Mistakes To Avoid When Eating At A French Restaurant - Tasting Table

"French cuisine is celebrated the world over for its delicious sauces, use of locally sourced seasonal ingredients, innovative chefs, and intricate, centuries-old traditions and techniques. While French restaurants evoke images of haute cuisine - fancy kitchens, world-famous chefs, and artfully presented plates of delicately flavored food - French cooking is also a gastronomic feast of rustic cooking, soups, stews, and roasted meats that balance sophistication and simplicity, tradition and taste."

"Some of the best restaurants in the U.S. are French, with over 70 that have been awarded at least one Michelin star. But while French restaurants in America are synonymous with being "posh," there is a trend toward more relaxed French-style bistro restaurants. Whether it's haute cuisine or a simple croque monsieur, a six-course taster menu or a bowl of steaming bouillabaisse, authentic French restaurants take pride in their traditions, and many have strict rules around etiquette."

"In France, not making a reservation is a huge faux pas, and as many U.S.-based French restaurants are French-owned or run by chefs who have trained in France, it's polite to reserve a table. Paul Denamiel told Tasting Table, "Reservations are very important. In French dining culture, a table is yours - not a timed slot to be turned over quickly. Reserving shows respect for the kitchen and staff, and it allows us to prepare for you properly." While French restaurants based in the U.S. aren't as strict when it comes to reservations, the cultural niceties remain important."

French cuisine blends celebrated sauces, locally sourced seasonal ingredients, innovative chefs, and intricate centuries-old techniques. French dining spans haute cuisine with artful presentation and rustic fare like soups, stews, and roasted meats that balance sophistication and simplicity. Many top U.S. restaurants are French, with over 70 Michelin-starred establishments, while a trend toward more relaxed French-style bistros has emerged. Authentic French restaurants prioritize tradition and often enforce strict etiquette. Reservations are important in French dining culture because tables are treated as reserved for guests, demonstrate respect for staff, and allow kitchens to prepare properly.

Read at Tasting Table