Photo: Andy Li, CC0
Order Like a Parisian: Café, Bakery & Wine Bar
A practical, live hour of French for your trip to Paris (or any French town). You will learn the rituals that make Parisians warm up to you (Bonjour first, always), how to order at the boulangerie, what a crème, a noisette and an allongé really are, how to order a glass of wine and a planche, and how paying and tipping work. Complete beginners welcome; the hour ends with a role-play round the bakery, the café and the wine bar.
After this hour you can
- Walk in, greet and leave a shop or café the polite French way
- Order a baguette, a tradition and pastries at a boulangerie
- Order the right coffee: café, allongé, crème, noisette
- Order a glass of wine, a beer or a planche at a wine bar, and make a toast
- Ask for the bill, pay by card, split it and understand a price
- Know how tipping and terrace prices work in France
- 0′–5′
Welcome
Know how the class works and the one rule that changes everything in Paris.
- 5′–11′
Warm-up: menu sounds
Say the key ordering words with the French R, nasal vowels and silent endings.
bonjour
say bohn-ZHOOR
hello / good day
un / une
say uhn (nasal) / ün
a, one (masculine / feminine)
+ 5 more on your phrase sheet
- 11′–18′
The politeness rituals
Greet, order and leave politely, the way staff expect.
Bonjour, madame. / Bonjour, monsieur.
say bohn-ZHOOR, mah-DAHM / bohn-ZHOOR, muh-SYUH
Hello (to a woman / to a man)
Bonjour, messieurs-dames.
say bohn-ZHOOR, meh-syuh-DAHM
Hello, everyone (to a small group, e.g. staff and customers)
+ 6 more on your phrase sheet
- 18′–26′
At the boulangerie
Order bread and pastries at a French bakery and answer the baker's questions.
une baguette
say ün bah-GET
a baguette
une tradition / une tradi
say ün trah-dee-SYOHN / ün trah-DEE
a "tradition" baguette
+ 7 more on your phrase sheet
- 26′–33′
At the café
Order the coffee you actually want and choose where to sit.
un café
say uhn kah-FAY
an espresso
un allongé
say uhn nah-lohn-ZHAY
a long black (espresso with hot water)
+ 6 more on your phrase sheet
- 33′–40′
At the wine bar
Order a glass of wine or a beer, a sharing board, and make a toast.
Un verre de rouge, s'il vous plaît.
say uhn VEHR duh ROOZH, seel voo PLEH
A glass of red, please.
Qu'est-ce que vous me conseillez ?
say KESS-kuh voo muh kohn-say-YAY
What do you recommend?
+ 6 more on your phrase sheet
- 40′–47′
Paying and tipping
Ask for the bill, understand the price, pay by card or split it, and tip the French way.
L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
say lah-dee-SYOHN, seel voo PLEH
The bill, please.
Je vous dois combien ?
say zhuh voo DWAH kohm-BYAN
How much do I owe you?
+ 6 more on your phrase sheet
- 47′–57′
Practice: a day in Paris
Get through a bakery, a café and a wine bar visit in French, from Bonjour to au revoir.
- 57′–60′
Recap and this week
Remember the rituals and the key orders, and know what to practise.
French shares a lot of words with English, and menus will look familiar, but many final letters are silent, some vowels go through the nose and the R comes from the back of the throat. In Paris, ordering is as much about ritual as words: a "Bonjour" when you walk in and a "Merci, bonne journée" when you leave matter more than perfect grammar. Waiters may answer in English; replying in French, politely, usually keeps the conversation in French.
- Zoom on a computer, tablet or phone
- A microphone; headphones with a mic are best
- Somewhere you are happy to speak out loud
- Pen and paper, if you like. No French needed.
Do I need to know any of the language already?
No. Every class is for complete beginners. We start from hello, and everything is explained in English. If you already know a little, it will be a good warm-up, but it will feel easy.
What happens in the hour?
A short welcome, then the sounds (or, for Japanese and Korean, a first look at the writing), greetings, introducing yourself, numbers to ten, ordering at a café and the phrases that get you out of trouble. Then you practise in small breakout rooms and we finish with a recap. Each class page shows the hour minute by minute.
Will I have to speak?
Yes, that is the point, but gently. Most of the time the whole class repeats together with microphones on, so nobody is singled out. Near the end you practise in breakout rooms of 2 or 3. Your camera is up to you.
How big are the classes?
At most 12 people, so everyone gets to speak and ask questions.
How much is a class?
One class is one payment, and you see the price before you pay. Nothing renews and there is no subscription.
Can I cancel or move my class?
Yes. Write to support@bunevents.com at least 24 hours before the start and we will refund you in full or move you to another time, whichever you prefer.
