Quezi

Café in the south of France - (photo by ktylerconk - CC-BY)

France is full of attractive cafés where you can sit and watch the world go by. They may be in a small town square, or on a busy avenue in Paris. They may look out on trees, or a crowded shopping area. But before you can really enjoy their relaxed charm, you need to know something about pricing and etiquette.

Whatever you do, don’t go up to the counter, order a drink, and then take it to a table. In French cafés you are either a counter customer or a table customer. You can’t be both. If you carry your coffee from the bar to a seat, you risk being scolded, though you may get away with a raised eyebrow.

Look at the price list on the wall. All the drinks, and a few snacks perhaps, are priced differently for the comptoir – counter, and for the salle – room (with tables). There may be a third price for the terrasse – terrace. Either go up to the bar, say “bonjour“, order and stay there, or pick your seat and wait for service.

You should be able to get an idea of costs from outside the café, before you go in or sit down. This is actually regulated by law. Prices of a few standard items must be listed in letters at least 1.5cm (1 inch) high somewhere where you can read them without going indoors. The Minister for the Economy currently feels these are the 9 basics that should always be clearly and visibly priced:

cup of black coffee
half-litre of draft beer
bottle of beer
soda
fruit juice
mineral water
aniseed aperitif
sandwich
dish of the day

Take note of the first one on the list – the black coffee, café express, or espresso, often just called simply un café - a coffee. It’s always the cheapest thing you can order. It may be half the price of anything else. If you want to sit down without busting your budget, this is the one to choose.  And if you’re happy with a quick coffee at the counter you may like to know there is political pressure to price it at only 1 euro – possible in rural areas, but unlikely in Paris.

There are a few cafeteria-style self-service places, especially at tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower, but they’re not  like “real” French cafés.