THE WORLD CAPITAL OF FOOD - CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette - page 200

restaurants begin to fill up around 8:30 pm, taking their last
order about 11:00 pm. Brasseries serve food all day, as do
many of the salons de thé . Most restaurants close one day a
week, and until recently it was hard to find a restaurant open
on Sunday, except for kosher and Asian establishments.
Some establishments close around holidays and many,
even those of haute cuisine, close for a fermeture annuelle
(annual holiday) sometime in July or August. If they stay
open, they may keep an irregular schedule, closing on the
weekends or for lunch on Monday. In summer, it is best to
double-check.
Dinner reservations at top restaurants can be made a
month in advance. For the currently trendy restaurants, call
several weeks ahead; for a restaurant in the neighbourhood,
perhaps a day or two before the dinner. Lunch reservations
are somewhat easier to obtain. Maîtres d'hôtel may ask for
the number of couverts (table settings) rather than how many
people. Some ask that confirmation be made on the day, and
if they do not know you, may ask for your telephone number.
You may request to be seated in an espace non-fumeur (no
smoking section)—but it hardly makes a difference in crowded
bistros. And don't forget that in making reservations, one
usually uses the 24-hour clock: thus if you want to dine at
9:00 pm, ask for a reservation at 21 heures .
Cancel a reservation if you cannot make it, and do not
arrive late, thinking mistakenly that you will just have to
wait—seating is generally prompt, the maître d'hôtel having
gauged when the previous party will vacate the table, and
many of the best restaurants have one seating only. In the
best restaurants men should wear jackets. Although dining
out is more casual than heretofore, it is still best to dress
appropriately for the establishment; it even heightens the
sense of occasion. See Restaurants in the Yellow Pages .
Paying the Bill
L'addition (the bill) will not be brought to you automatically,
for it would seem rude to presume you are finished if you are
not. Signal the waiter by saying “ Monsieur ” or “ s'il-vous-plaît ”
never “ garçon ” even though that is what you may have been