Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
He might pull in his 'regulars' lined up at
le zinc
, the bar,
where drinks are cheaper. You will soon begin to feel at home,
too. (
See Chapter 4: Fitting into the French Way of Life on 45
to i nd out how to get started turning the French into friends.
)
If you are alone, you will sometimes get better, if not faster,
service and you will be more quickly incorporated into the
conversation at the bar. It is a great idea to pick a café or
little restaurant in your neighbourhood that you like and visit
regularly. You will soon feel like part of the family.
A Café Lunch
Lunch time in Paris is fun, if a bit challenging. Just don't expect
'fast food' service, even in a café. In the heat of things, waiters
will speak quickly, often too busy to i nd you a menu (the day's
specials will be written on a chalkboard). You might have to wait
for
l'addition
(the bill).
To get that bill, just catch your waiter's eye and discreetly
pretend you are writing on your palm. If you really want his
attention, never call out “
Garçon!
” Say politely, “
S'il vous plaît
”
and raise your hand slightly as you catch his eye.
French cafés serve simple hot lunches during the business
week and every table will be taken. This noontime respite used to
take two hours, though most Parisians are in more of a hurry now.
The food menu will not be lengthy:
un plat varié
of vegetables
in season with a piece of ham, an
entrecôte
steak with
pommes
frites
, a couple of
salades
and one or two tarts for dessert. Get
a glass of wine (
read more about wine on page 139
) and a
carafe
d'eau,
a pitcher of water, which is free. Outside of lunch time,
mainly sandwiches or hot
croque-monsieurs
will be available,
along with salad, ice cream and any tarts left over from
lunch time.
You will i nd exceptions to the generally friendly scene in
eating establishments today in France, especially where they
cater to mobs of tourists racing through a meal for their next
required destination. But the French try hard to maintain
their standard of quality service, making the customer feel
welcomed and at home,
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