Etiquette: 10 Essential French Table Manners
French Culture: the Rules for Getting by at the Dinner Table
In order to integrate, it’s important to understand these essential French table manners in order to be respectful.
Although this is not a list of every unwritten rule in French society, here are some of the most important; if you know these, you should be fine!
French Table Manners
General Rules of Thumb
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First of all, how we sit at the table. We sit up straight and well positioned in our chair; don’t lean back on your chair. It may seem simple, but it’s important nonetheless.
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We bring our fork to our mouth, not our mouth to our fork. It’s best to avoid leaning forward towards your plate or curving your back in order to be closer to your plate. If something is difficult to eat, it’s best to take small, manageable mouthfuls.
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We don’t put our elbows on the table (as the man in the blue shirt is doing). In France, doing this conveys laziness and makes you seem limp, it also allows you to lower your head towards your plate (rule 2).
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Make sure to use your cutlery correctly at the table. Your fork should be held in your left hand, and your knife in the right. When you have finished eating, you should put your cutlery together pointing towards the upper left-hand side of your plate. In a restaurant setting, this indicates to the staff that you have finished your meal and are ready for the next course.

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Try not to make any noise. With your mouth when eating, that is. Close your mouth when you’re eating so that other diners can’t hear the sound of you chewing, don’t slurp on your soup and definitely don’t burp at the table! This is essential.
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Don’t spit your food out. If there is anything you don’t like, move it to the side at the top of your plate, so that it is further away from you.
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Don’t speak with your mouth full. It’s important to wait until you have finished your mouthful before eating or replying to someone.
Etiquette: French Table Manners
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Don’t put your hands underneath the table or on your lap. In France, it is common practice to rest your hands on the table when they are not holding cutlery. Not your elbows, just your hands – think graceful, not medieval banquet.
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Don’t reach across anyone; to get the salt, the bread etc. You need to ask people further along the table to pass you what you’d like. A simple “Vous pouvez me passer le sel, s’il vous plaît ?” goes a long way.

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Normally we clear our plate. Try to finish as much food as you can and leave what you can’t finish in the corner of your plate with a little piece of bread. This will help whoever clears your plate to wipe it clean, it’s seen as respectful.
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Bread has its own rules. Don’t slice it, tear it gently with your hands. And no buttering your baguette like it’s toast – unless it’s breakfast! Bread is often used to help push food onto your fork, not as a pre-meal snack or to make a sandwich mid-dinner.
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Wine etiquette matters. Never fill your own glass first – serve others before yourself, and always wait for a toast before sipping. If someone raises their glass and says “Santé!”, make eye contact. Yes, it’s serious – legend says it’s bad luck not to!
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Cheese is not an appetizer. It comes after the main course, and before dessert. And don’t eat the cheese with buttered bread, or ask for cheddar – you’ll break a little piece of your host’s soul.
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Don’t ask for ketchup. Ever. Especially not with steak. If you need sauce, hope it’s already on your plate. French cuisine is proud of its flavors – trust the chef.
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Compliment the meal – just don’t go overboard. A “C’était délicieux, merci beaucoup” is perfect. Avoid dramatic phrases like “This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten” – unless you want to be invited every week!
Top tip:
Never tell a host that you don’t like the food they have made. You can thank them for cooking for you and smile without commenting on the food if it wasn’t what you’d prefer!Bonus tip about French table manners: in France, meals are long – and that’s on purpose. It’s not just about eating, it’s about sharing, discussing, connecting. So take your time, put your phone away, and enjoy the conversation. If you can debate politics, literature or cheese with elegance and humour, you’re on the right path!
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