Thanks for all the GREAT posts and help, we are leaving Wednesday for Paris. Here are a few things I haven%26#39;t seen anyone talk about:
1. I know that most restaurants have a la carte and prix fixe. Can one of us order off the menu and the other the prix fixe?
2. At an outdoor cafe (God, I hope it doesn%26#39;t rain the ENTIRE TIME), do we just sit down outside and wait for someone to come and wait on us? If we need a menu, do we say, Bonjour, Monsieur/madame, puis-je avoir la carte, s%26#39;il vous plait?
If we order inside at the counter, we need to eat at the counter, n%26#39;est-ce pas, and not take our food to a table and sit?
3. we will have our blackberry, but in case of emergency telephone I assume I can use my AT%26amp;T calling card in most public phones? when dialing locally, do I use the 1 + 8-digit number?
4. Is it ever appropriate to split a dish between two people? If so, how do you say that?
Merci beaucoup. I%26#39;m sure I will be up all night thinking of more...
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yes. One of you can order a la carte and the other one can order prix fixe (formule).
yes. if you want to sit at a table outside at a cafe you seat yourself. If it is a restaurant, they normally seat you. No, you don%26#39;t order at the bar and then take a table because there are likely to be different prices depending on whether you are standing or sitting.
I don%26#39;t know about the splitting a dish issue. My hunch is that the French frown on that. But I will let someone who knows more than I do respond to that.
Also, I am not sure about your AT%26amp;T calling card. I have MCI. Last year when I was here I brought the card and didn%26#39;t realize there is a %26quot;country code%26quot; you need to have or you can%26#39;t call back to the US. It didn%26#39;t say what that was on my calling card because it is different for every country. You might check with AT%26amp;T and see if there is a country code they use for France and be sure you have that with you when you come.
Just know that when you get to Paris you will still have more questions. Just ask people around you. They are happy to help.
Have a great time. I am in Paris now and just about to finish to second of my four week stay. Ah Paris! It is such a great city!
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Re: dish splitting, we%26#39;ve never had a problem, or been treated strangely for sharing a dish, though we tend to only do it in lower priced Bistros or Bars where we%26#39;ll share a salad and plate of fries. However, if you%26#39;re used to American portions you might find that you each need your own dish anyway, as portions tend to be smaller over here.
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I don%26#39;t normally want dessert, but if my husband orders one for himself, it often arrives with 2 spoons anyway :-) However, I have the impression it%26#39;s more a recognition that I may want to taste it, rather than actually splitting it.
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The order at the counter would only be in a café, for drinks or coffee, not for food really. If you come to eat, you will be seated in the main room anyway, you won%26#39;t be at the counter.
To share a dessert is fine, just say %26quot;avec deux cuillères s%26#39;il vous plaît%26quot; %26quot;with two spoons%26quot;, they will know you want to share. I wouldn%26#39;t try sharing a main dish though, i don%26#39;t think it is appropriate.
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Re seating yourself at an outdoor cafe: If the table is set (placemat, knives/fork etc), only sit there if you intend to eat a meal. If you only want a drink, sit at a table that has no place settings on it.
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Country codes are the same no matter what country you are calling from. Check the front of your local phone book before you leave, and there will be a complete listing (e.g., the country code to call France, from anywhere, is 33 and the country code for the UK is 44).
I believe AT%26amp;T has a local toll free number in Paris to access their system (at least that was the case a few years ago), that would let you use your calling card. Check the back of your calling card and there may be something about international calls. Also, you may need a different card for international calls (again, going by memory way in the past). I would suggest calling AT%26amp;T except you%26#39;re probably going to get someone who doesn%26#39;t really know and will just guess (while sounding very sure of him/herself!)
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we have had no hassles sharing appetizers but I would not do it for the main course
if the cafe tables are directly on the street, you seat yourself -- if they are in a little fenced area than that is the signal that the host seats people -- when in doubt you catch the eye of the host and point with an %26#39;is it okay%26#39; look and they will usually just gesture accent -- or hold up a finger if it is not appropriate to just sit down
you don%26#39;t eat at the counter -- perhaps a roll in the morning with coffee -- and you do not carry drinks to a table since it costs more to sit down
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Just to clarify - it is very rare for us to split dishes, and when we do we always make a point of telling the waiter that I or my husband aren%26#39;t hungry and the non-eater will only pick at the food. We wouldn%26#39;t do it just to try and save a few euros, only to save a few calories.
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%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;At an outdoor cafe, do we just sit down outside and wait for someone to come and wait on us%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;
If you are stopping by just for drinks, you generally seat yourself. If you are dinning, wait to be seated.
%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;If we order inside at the counter, do we need to eat at the counter,%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;
Prices are typically less expensive at the counter than at a table. If you are ordering anything at the counter and want subsequently to be seated, I recommend you explain your intentions when ordering.
%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;I assume I can use my AT%26amp;T calling card in most public phones%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;
You can purchase a télécate (120 unit card for 24 euros, other sizes available) and call anywhere from any public phone or booth. AT%26amp;T calling cards probably work similarly.
%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;when dialing locally, do I use the 1 + 8-digit number%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;
I am not clear on what you mean by %26quot;locally%26quot; but in general:
1. France to France calls are all 10 digits starting with 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, or 06.
2. France to US calls begin with 001 + area code + seven digit exchange number.
3. US to France calls begin with 011 + 33 + last nine digits of exchange number. The leading 0 (as in 01 - 06) is not dialed on calls originating from outside of France.
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Correction to above post:
%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;You can purchase a télécate (120 unit card for 24 euros,%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;
should read: 120 unit card for 14 euros.
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