Overview
Eating out in France
Eating out in France is structured: the lunchtime formule with entrée-plat or plat-dessert, the brasserie open all day, the bistro with its ardoise of daily dishes, and the café terrace from breakfast to the evening apéritif. Lunch is still a real meal for many workers.
France is also the most visited country in the world. Restaurants in Paris, on the Riviera and in wine regions serve guests who need English, Spanish, German or Italian, and chalkboard specials rarely come in translation.
Dining culture
Dining habits in France that shape the menu
Formule and menu
Fixed-price combinations sit next to the à la carte list. A clear category for the formule, with what it includes, saves explaining it at every table.
Lunch from 12:00 to 14:00
Kitchens often close between services, and the lunch offer differs from dinner. Two catalogs keep each service accurate.
Service is included
Prices in France are net, with service included by law. Tips are optional, so the menu price is what guests pay.
Menu rules
What a menu in France has to show
Décret 2015-447 requires allergen information for non-prepacked food to be given in writing, on the menu or another document guests can consult freely. Restaurants must also show the origin of beef, and since 2022 of pork, poultry and lamb as well. The fait maison mention is optional, but a restaurant that uses it must follow the official definition: dishes made on site from raw ingredients.
Prices must be displayed outside the restaurant during service, at least for the menus and a selection of dishes and wines, and they are net prices with service included. A QR code next to that display can open the full menu.
Check the current rules
This is a practical summary, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm the details with your local food safety authority before you publish.
Languages
Which menu languages to publish in France
French is the default, and English is the language most international visitors can read. Spanish, German and Italian cover the biggest groups of European tourists, and all four are available as extra menu languages in ListoQ.
Suggested order of menu languages
- 1
Français - 2
English - 3
Español - 4
Deutsch - 5
Italiano
How languages work in ListoQ
Each menu has a default language plus any extra languages you add. You translate item names and descriptions per language; allergen labels and dietary tags come from built-in lists and appear translated automatically. Guests switch language on the menu page itself.
Cities
City guides in France
Paris
Bistros, brasseries and more international visitors than almost any city in the world.
Open the city guideMarseille
Bouillabaisse, port seafood and cruise passengers through the summer.
Open the city guideLyon
Bouchons, the lunchtime formule and a reputation as France's food capital.
Open the city guide
With ListoQ
How ListoQ runs your QR menu in France
One QR code that never needs reprinting
ListoQ gives each venue a permanent QR code and link. Change a price or a dish of the day and guests in France see it the moment you publish.
The 14 EU allergens on every dish
Tag allergens and vegetarian or vegan options per item in ListoQ, so the information guests ask about is on the menu instead of in a folder behind the bar.
Import the menu you already have
AI import in ListoQ reads a PDF, Excel, Word file or photo into a draft. You review it, add your languages and publish when it is ready.
FAQ
Questions from venues in France
- Does a QR menu meet the written allergen rule in France?
- Yes, if every dish shows its allergens and the menu is easy to consult. ListoQ shows the 14 allergens per dish. Keep a printed version for guests without a phone.
- Can I show meat origin and fait maison?
- Yes. Write the origin and the fait maison mention in the dish description; they appear in every menu language you translate.
- Do I still need a menu outside the door?
- Yes. Prices must be displayed outside during service. A QR code on that display lets passers-by open the full menu.
- Can I publish my formule du midi?
- Yes. Put it in its own category with a description of what it includes, or keep lunch as a separate catalog.
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