Eating out in Paris can be a great experience if you know what to expect. A few local habits and unspoken rules can make or break your meal.
This guide also includes current common red flags and scams. Here's what to watch for so you're not surprised when the bill comes.
Check that prices are displayed
You can ask for the menu to take a look at it when you enter a food establishment. The prices need to be displayed clearly, they shouldn't be concealed.
Pay attention to this, specifically in smaller food places, such as takeout places, ice cream shops, bubble tea places, crêperies, etc.
Specials cost extra
If a waiter comes to your table, offering you a new “special” or a recommendation of the house, be aware that this comes with an extra cost.
I think it's sneaky of them not to disclose that. Guests come to your food establishment to have a good time. Restaurants with such ethics are a red flag.
Don't fall for the latest Tipping Games
Lately, there has been an uptick of so-called “tipping recommendations” by service members.
They will present you with a 10%, 15%, or 20% tipping recommendation when the bill is presented, and you will feel pressured into giving in.
These waiters have been specifically targeting people from Northern, Central, and Southern America.
Tipping is always an option in France, and Europe in general, and you only tip if you loved the service and food. Europeans usually tip by rounding up.
Get and verify the bill
Insist on getting a detailed bill. We came across some establishments that tell you the total price to pay without ever showing you a bill, or the bill discloses only a total.
This smells like a scam!
Also, go through your bill. Look out for food and drink that are counted double or for more expensive portion sizes and weird extra charges.
Bottled VS Tap Water
By default in all food establishments, whenever you order water, they will come up with bottled water. Normally they will even ask you if you want plain water or sparkling water.
That said, you can get free tap water in France if you ask for a “carafe d'eau.” That means a jar of tap water. But, you have to be more specific when you ask for water, or else they will open a bottle of water and serve you that instead.
Nonetheless, in some rare cases, you may come across some places that may refuse the carafe d'eau, or they might even charge you for that in some extremely rare cases (they learned from the Austrians).
Glass Wine Orders
In restaurants you can choose between a glass of wine, which is usually 125 milliliters (4.2oz), or a bottle of wine.
When ordering a glass of a specific wine, pay attention that they pour the wine right in front of you, because otherwise you have no way of telling if it's what you ordered.
Some phony places may even pour you a cheaper wine when you ordered a more expensive wine.
A house wine is typically already the cheapest wine on the menu, and these are not necessarily bad, just not what you ordered.
You can avoid all that by going with a bottle instead, which makes more sense if you are at least 2 people drinking wine. You can take the bottle home too.
Avoid Tourist Area Restaurants
Most tourist area food joints cater to tourists. The problem with that is that you have no way of telling if you are getting subpar quality served.
Also, tourist area restaurants come up with all the previously mentioned scams and tricks. This can be rather exhausting.
Some can get really pushy, which isn't a pleasant experience.
Therefore, I recommend going to places that are a bit away from the main tourist sites. Follow the locals; they will take you to the good stuff during lunch and dinner hours.
Long English Menus
A restaurant with only English-language menu cards might be a trap for tourists. But if they have both French and English menu cards, they might be helpful to their foreign tourists, which is of course great!
You have to be selective when you pick one of the bistro, brasserie or restaurant food places in Paris. The choice is immense, and they all compete with each other.
The result is a rich and nuanced food culture. Parisian food is considered top in this world. Study French and Parisian food, and you will be able to spot bad restaurant tourist traps instantly. Do not rely on 5-star reviews!
Another thing to know: menu cards with countless food items are dodgy. The food might not be fresh, and it's not realistic for a quality food service to offer that many dish options.
Be specific about drink order sizes
Drinks usually come in two size options, in 300 ml or 500 ml glasses. Occasionally they are specified as small or large, or medium and large in a menu.
This includes cold drinks such as Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Iced Tea, and Orangina, for example.
A number of dining spots will default to the 500 ml option if you don't specify which one, instead of the 300 ml sized drink.
Therefore, you need to be specific when the waiter takes your order. If they bring the wrong one “accidentally” point it out. It can be an innocent error, but dubious waiters are known to pull these tricks.
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