French Restaurant Vocabulary: Reading the Menu Correctly
L'entrée isn't the main course - it's the starter. Learn to read a French menu correctly: course names, dietary terms, and dining vocabulary.
On a French menu, l’entrée is the starter, not the main course - le plat (principal) is the main dish, followed by le dessert. La carte is the menu itself, while le menu often means a fixed-price set meal. Know sans gluten and végétarien(ne) for dietary needs.
Quick answer
On a French menu, l’entrée is the starter, not the main course - le plat (principal) is the main dish, followed by le dessert. La carte is the menu itself, while le menu often means a fixed-price set meal. Know sans gluten and végétarien(ne) for dietary needs.
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The entrée trap: course structure
L’entrée = starter (NOT “entrance” or main course!), le plat (principal) = main course, le dessert = dessert. This is a classic false friend that confuses English speakers ordering their “entrée” and getting an appetizer instead of a main. See false friends between French and English for more traps like this.
Menu structure vocabulary
La carte (the menu itself), le menu du jour (today’s fixed-price menu - note: “menu” in French often means a fixed-price set meal, not the full card!), la formule (a set lunch deal), l’addition (the bill).
Dietary vocabulary
Végétarien(ne), végan(e), sans gluten, une allergie, je ne mange pas de… (I don’t eat…).
| French | English |
|---|---|
| l’entrée | starter (NOT main course) |
| le plat (principal) | main course |
| la carte | the menu |
| le menu | fixed-price set meal |
| sans gluten | gluten-free |
Ordering and dining phrases
For the full ordering script, see how to order food in French; for drinks specifically, see ordering drinks in French.
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Questions about this note
Does entrée mean main course in French?
No - it means starter/appetizer; le plat (principal) is the main course.
What's the difference between la carte and le menu?
La carte is the general menu; le menu usually refers to a fixed-price set meal.
How do you say vegetarian in French?
Végétarien (masc) / végétarienne (fem).
How do you say gluten-free?
Sans gluten.
How do you say "I don't eat…"?
Je ne mange pas de… + food.