Travelling & Living in EuropeThis forum allows you to post relevant questions about tourism, accommodation, transportation, work, night-life, language schools, and other practical matters. Europe Photo Gallery.
One might think that terms desigmating coffee are pretty international : espresso, capuccino, café au lait... It is true that you will find these names on a French cafe's menu, but this is not how French people order them, and using the menu's words will make you look like a tourist, and increase your chances of being ripped off (especially in Paris). Here is a concise glossary of the terms used to order :
Un Café : a big-size coffee.
Un Café au lait : a big-size coffee with a jar of milk.
Un Express : an espresso
Une Noisette : a small espresso coffee with a dash of milk/cream in it (a macchiato).
Un Crème : an espresso with half of warmed milk (small café au lait).
Un Allongé : an espresso coffee with double the amount of water (weak black coffee).
Un Serré : an espresso coffee with half the usual amount of water (strong black coffee).
Un Déca : a decaf coffee.
Un Américain : filter coffee.
This will prevent you, for instance, to order a huge and more expensive Café au lait when you just need need a small Crème.
__________________
gAll right then, Ifll go to hellh\and tore it up. It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
I think by 'ripped off' Maciamo meant you pay too much because of ordering something that's bigger/more expensive than what you really wanted, due to inaccuracy in the actual name, even if you paid what was on the menu. :)
Yes, that's how I understood it. If you just order a "café" and expect a regular-size coffee, you will feel ripped off because it will be much bigger and more expensive than a coffee in most countries.
Your list of how to order once coffee in France is really great.
If my daughter can arrange some free time, then we will go to Paris this year. I usually order un Café au Lait, but I will try un Crème next time.
LOL I'm impressionate, when did you find time for remember that?
I dislike coffee so I can't give you some advice for tell where is the best. Sorry! But in great restaurant the coffee are expensive so be carefull.
The price must be about 3 or 5, not more.
Got you Maciamo, I misread what you meant by being 'ripped off'. I would think that would be more a case of not getting what you expected. When they charge fo silverware and using pepper and salt in Pisa, Italy, that's a rip off!
As to getting a bigger cup of coffee, I always look forward to it, as too many of the 'big cups' of coffee in Japan are anything but!
In Spain and Italy restaurants normally have a "table charge", i.e. something you pay for using the space even if you don't order anything. What I could not tolerate in a place in Spain is that they wanted to charge me for the bread and water which I had not ordered and not touched in addition to the table charge. That's a far cry from France where bread and water are free (and often without limit). In the South of France it is even common to get a free pitcher of wine with your meal.
This seemed to be worse, sorry I didn't keep the receipt. There was more than just a table charge. Unfortunately, this is quite common in Pisa and I have heard in Rome as well. At least at some of the restaurants, the charges are posted; tableware, cheese, pepper and salt, etc.., but I still think it's ridculous. It's similar to the 'otoshi' charges in Japan, though you do get food, but it is not usually worth what you pay for it. One pub/restaurant tried to pass it off as a 'music charge' even though they only had recorded music!
Ordering coffee in France
I like crème the best 
but recently I haven't been drinking so much coffee... trying to drink green tea. XD
Linear Mode
