Hooray! You are booked and ready to visit France and enjoy fabulous French food.  The rhythm of the French revolves around food, so understanding this rhythm and adjusting to it will make your French experience even more amazing.  Here are Bumblebee Manor's top 10 tips to help you. 

while in france eat like the FRENCh

1.     When you eat, don't do anything else.  We have been asked “American TV shows people walking down the street while drinking their coffee.  Is that real?”  When we respond ‘yes’ it is greeted with a gasp, not surprising in a nation where it is illegal to eat lunch at your desk.  So sit, eat, chat, watch the world go by, and most of all savor the moment.  Bon Appetit!

2.    Eating takes time.  The French spend on average 2¼ hours eating every day, more than any other nation on earth. You will never be rushed through your meal in a restaurant or someone’s home. Now's your chance to slow down, enjoy long lazy lunches and the French rhythm of life.  To life!

BREAKFAST

3.     Breakfast is coffee and croissants, or … actually that’s it, no English or American breakfasts here! Just step out of your hotel and into the nearest café where there will likely be croissants already on the table, or dropped there as soon as you sit down.  The prices are consistent and affordable (5€ to 7€), so don’t worry at the lack of a menu.


LUNCH

4.         Lunch is served between 12 and 2pm and everything stops.  If you are on the road at that time stop and eat.  There is no such thing as a late lunch so you won’t get another chance to eat until dinner. Don’t be tempted to push on to get to your next destination as it will be closed for lunch! If you do get caught out there are some bistros in larger cities that offer “service continu”.

5.         Boulangeries (bakeries) are great for a quick lunch.  Most bakeries sell a lunch package of a sandwich or quiche, pastry and drink for 5€ to 7€.  Great for a lunch in the park when you don’t have much time, but not a lunch on the run (see point 1).

6.         Restaurants are very affordable at lunch time.  By law restaurants are required to provide an affordable 2 or 3 course worker’s menu or formule.  Each course has multiple options to choose from.  You will enjoy fabulous food, wine and coffee for only 10€ to 20€.  Now THAT is why you chose France for your vacation right!?




DINNER

7.         Dinner service starts at 8pm and takes 2–3 hours.  The server isn’t ignoring you or being slow, they are giving you time to enjoy your meal. 

8.         Ask for the ‘carte’ (aka the word ‘menu’ is not your friend).  If you ask for the menu the waiter will walk away and just start bringing food as ‘menu’ and ‘formule’ means the set menu.  The carte will include the set menu options.

9.         Would you like an Aperitif?  Be like the French and say ‘yes’! When you first sit down at your table the waiter will ask if you want an aperitif. This is usually some kind of wine-based cocktail or a beer often accompanied by something small to snack on.  It gives you time to look at the carte and builds the ambience for dinner (which won't start arriving for at least 45 minutes).

10.      No tipping please, we are socialist. The French insist that all workers are paid a living wage and have banned habitual tipping. When a tourist gives a 10-15% tip it is insulting to their core values in general and to the owner of the restaurant in particular.  If you really want to show appreciation you can offer a ‘pourboire’ for the server, in other words ‘buy yourself a drink’.  This is 20-50c on the full tab at a bar and 2€-3€ for a restaurant meal.

If you want to experience France like a local, come and enjoy an         all-inclusive vacation at Bumblebee Manor.