Ordering Drinks at a Bar
These phrases will help you confidently order drinks, open a tab, and navigate a night out at a French bar like a local.
Key Phrases
Bonjour, je vais prendre une pinte de blonde, s'il vous plaît.
neutralHello, I'll have a pint of lager, please.
A standard, polite way to order; 'une pinte' is half a litre, while 'un demi' is 25cl.
Salut, tu me sers un demi ?
casualHi, will you pour me a half-pint?
Use 'tu' only in very relaxed, informal bars or if you already know the bartender.
Est-ce qu'il est possible d'ouvrir une note pour notre table ?
neutralIs it possible to open a tab for our table?
Many French bars require you to pay per round, so it is always a good idea to ask first.
On peut laisser une ardoise pour ce soir ?
casualCan we leave a tab open for tonight?
'Une ardoise' literally means a slate, which is the traditional French word for a bar tab.
Qu'est-ce que vous avez comme boissons sans alcool ?
neutralWhat do you have for non-alcoholic drinks?
A useful chunk to memorize: 'Qu'est-ce que vous avez comme...' means 'What do you have in the way of...'.
Avez-vous des mocktails ou des bières sans alcool à la pression ?
politeDo you have any mocktails or non-alcoholic draft beers?
'À la pression' means on draft or on tap.
C'est ma tournée, qu'est-ce que vous voulez boire ?
casualIt's my round, what do you want to drink?
'C'est ma tournée' is the essential phrase when it is your turn to buy drinks for the group.
Je vous offre la prochaine tournée. Que prenez-vous ?
neutralI'm buying the next round. What are you having?
A slightly more formal way to offer drinks to colleagues or new acquaintances.
Avez-vous une bière locale que vous recommandez ?
neutralDo you have a local beer that you recommend?
Using 'que' (relative pronoun) is perfect for specifying exactly what kind of recommendation you want.
Je crois qu'il faut que je montre ma carte d'identité. La voici.
neutralI believe I need to show my ID card. Here it is.
ID checks are less common in France than the US, but still happen for young adults.
Excusez-moi, ça fait combien pour toutes ces boissons ?
neutralExcuse me, how much is it for all these drinks?
'Ça fait combien' is the most natural spoken way to ask for a total price.
Combien je te dois pour les verres ?
casualHow much do I owe you for the drinks?
Only use this when paying a friend back or in a very familiar bar setting.
Je voudrais régler notre ardoise avant qu'on parte, s'il vous plaît.
neutralI would like to settle our tab before we leave, please.
Notice the use of the subjunctive 'parte' after the phrase 'avant que'.
On y va, tu peux fermer la note ?
casualWe're taking off, can you close the tab?
'On y va' in this context implies 'we are leaving now'.
C'est bon pour moi, vous pouvez garder la monnaie.
neutralThat's good for me, you can keep the change.
Tipping is not mandatory in France since service is included, but rounding up is appreciated for good service.