Bonjour ! 🌸 In France, you don’t need to say a single word to your waiter. Your knife and fork say it all. Place them crossed on your plate or lay them side by side means I’m finished. There’s even a position that means it was delicious. 🤌 Every French person learns this from childhood but nobody ever tells tourists!
Once you know these silent codes, dining in France feels like you’ve unlocked a secret language. Save this video before your next trip to France, you’ll thank yourself later! 🫶
💬 Let me know which you didn’t know? 👇✨
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📌 In This Video:
0:00 – The silent codes of French dining
0:54 – What your cutlery is saying
2:07 – “I’m still eating”
2:38 – “I’m ready for the next dish”
3:11 – The position that means you hated it
4:02 – “I’m finished”
5:14 – The tourist mistake
5:30 – Saying delicious without words
5:48 – How other countries differ
6:31 – Other unspoken rules
6:52 – Get my free etiquette letter
table manners · French table manners · cutlery etiquette · how to use knife and fork properly · French culture · dining in France · French restaurant etiquette · French etiquette
#FrenchEtiquette #TableManners #FrenchCulture #DiningInFrance #FranceTravel #FrenchWithElle #CutleryEtiquette #ParisTravel
26 Comments
very interesting cutlery etiquette!
Do you do this too? Or is it just a French thing? I'm genuinely curious, let me know! 🫶
Thank you for this!
Very useful and will use in Sept in Sept
Bonjour, Gabrielle! In the UK, we also have the knife and fork in the same positions for 'I'm still eating' and 'I'm ready for the next dish'. We set our knife and fork for finished, as in your first example, with the knife and fork set at 12 and 6 (clock positions). I always thought 'finished' in French was your third example, which you called finished but 'perfect'. When in France, I always use the 'perfect' position to say that I've finished, even if it's not perfect. 😄 Merci beaucoup!
I was taught the main one, of placing the knife and fork on a diagonal to signify we were finished. Never knew of the other ones.
What other etiquette lessons? How about teaching Americans how to act in public?!
Thank you! i will use this in the future!
Bonjour Elle! I wasn't familiar with a few of those silverware positions I was aware of the one telling the waiter you are finished only I was taught to turn your fork over (tines facing the plate not upwards). Thank you for sharing about French etiquette ❤❤.
It is impossible for me to express how little I care about this sort of thing.
Very well explained, Gabby–and such a pretty dress!
Permit me to add that utensil rules are not just etiquette, but also signals to the server as to when to remove a plate without intervening in a conversation. This is t say that here in USA, typically rude and obtrusive behavior is reinforced by the lack of rules–thereby making barbarism the norm.
At a higher level, then. your expose of French etiquette indicates the advantages of living in a civilized society. Mant thanks!
MERCI BEAUCOUP ELLE!!!!,
ENJOY YOUR SUMMER TRIP!!!!
This is very useful. However, I noticed that at 0:19 minutes into the video, the knife on the right side of the plate is not correctly positioned. The sharp edge should be facing the plate and not the other way around. This is a small detail, but to be correct when setting a table in France or elsewhere, it should be followed.
Merci Elle!. Je croise tout le temps mon couteau et ma fourchette en plastique comme ça chez McDo, mais ils ne semblent jamais comprendre le message ? 🙂
So helpful!! Will use in September. Merci!!
Merci beaucoup, Elle. 🙏🏼
Good refresher about French dining etiquette. Merci!!! 🙏🏻
Entire Europe does the “pause” ie your first signal, and “finished” ie leavinh forks parallel, preferably diagonally…other stuff I haven’t known or seen although it might appear a little rude almost, to signal how much you liked/disliked the dish…I have to say “waiting for next course” I’ve never seen before, I usually just make the knife/fork parallel to let them know I’ve finished with the current course
The tips make sense. When finished silverware together on an angle is what I was taught. The others were definitely new to me.
I certainly learned a couple of the placings. The knife placed between the tines of the girl to show you were dissatisfied with the dish, I’d never heard of. I’d be terrified to leave such a message, especially being American, though I’m never seen as one. I fit into many countries passing. It’s funny that all my life are always asking me, what are you? It’s can feel very intrusive and rude.
I'm French. Never heard of these "rules"…
I do love hidden codes. Thank you.
Bonjour, Gabrielle! I didn't think about silverware placement, but it makes sense! It's good to know the unspoken rules :). This is very helpful 🙂 I appreciate the information you gave :).
Your newsletter is awesome :). Take care. Have a nice week! :]
I always thought this was standard etiquette.
Interesting etiquette. You look tres chic in this video.
In Australia, I always paused my meal as demonstrated, and put my knife and fork at 6 o'clock at the bottom of the plate when I finished. When I am in southern France I noticed my French friend put her knife and fork horizontal across the plate and facing each other,at the end of her meal. At the end of my meals in France I always put the knife and fork together at the 4 o'clock position. Maybe different parts of France have slightly different table customs?
Very interesting. I've never heard of any of these and I've been to France many times. I've never heard of such rules anywhere else either. I would use them in France now