假设你刚刚受邀，要与一位重要的法国客户在一家著名的法国餐厅就餐，那么这次会餐会持续多长时间呢？在长长的会餐过程中应该如何表现？对法国人来讲，在餐桌前花费大量的时间，早已是一种根深蒂固的传统习惯。
圣诞节或结婚典礼当天，很多法国人家一顿饭要花费五小时之久。
一起来揭秘为何法国人吃一顿饭要那么久。
This is it. You just received an invitation to have dinner at one of the most famous French restaurants in town with your French client. But how long do these dinners usually last? How should you behave at each stage? Indeed, in France we can spend a lot of time at the table; it’s a deeply rooted tradition. For many families, a five-hour Christmas dinner or a wedding banquet is not unusual. Read on and discover why.和中国人一样，法国人喜欢美食，法国的饮食文化也源远流长。
法国人希望在一餐中享受道不同的美食，但菜肴只能一道道上，为了能享用不同的美食菜色，法国人制定了很长的菜单：可达八道之多（如果再算上咖啡和消食酒，就是十道）。
The French we have something in common with the Chinese: we love food and have a rich culinary heritage. We enjoy tasting many different dishes, but as you know they are only served one by one. So, to satisfy our love of variety, we have long menus with several courses: up to eight (or 10 if we include the café and digestive).这是你可能会在法国餐厅见到的菜单。
现在让我们来分析一下菜单，并探讨一下应该如何举止Here is an example of a menu you might see at a restaurant in France. Now let’s try to understand its components, and how to behave at each stage of the meal:餐前酒The “Apéritif”定义：餐前酒是一餐开始的标志。
此时客人们都还没有入座，大家手里拿着香槟杯站着进行交谈，而服务人员正忙于餐桌的布置。
餐前酒通常会搭配一些精致小食一起食用。
What: The apéritif starts things off, when guests, still standing, will enjoy conversation while drinking a glass of champagne. In the meantime, the dinner table is being set by the service staff. Some canapés and finger-foods may be served at this point.如何举止：需要注意的是，哪怕您已经很饿了，也绝不能冲到食物面前大快朵颐，只需尝试一到两款的小食即可。
餐前小食用手直接拿起食用，稍后再餐巾擦拭手部。
您大可以将好胃口留到正餐开始，并利用这段时间进行社交。
因为一旦正餐开始，您的座位可能会和有些人相距较远，直到吃饭结束后才能再次交谈。
How to behave:Beware, even if you are very hungry it’s inappropriate to rush to the food at this stage. only try two to three of the canapés, with your fingers, and clean your hands with a napkin afterwards if needed. Save your appetite for the dinner, and use the time of the apéritif to socialize with the other guests. Indeed, you may be seated far from some of them once the dinner starts, and won’t be able to talk again until the meal is over.汤类（或浓汤）The soup (or “Potage”)定义：在中国饮食文化中，汤类食物可能在一餐饭的最后才会上来帮助消化。
但在法国，汤类会出现在一餐的最开始来激起你的食欲。
根据季节的不同，汤的种类也不同。
夏天多是清口的蔬菜汤，而到了冬天则会是浓郁的肉汤，面汤或土豆汤。
What:In Chinese culture, the soup comes at the end of the meal to aid digestion. While in France, it is served at the beginning to awaken your appetite. Depending on the season, you may have a light soup made from various vegetables (in summer), or a thicker one with meat, pasta, or potatoes (in winter).如何举止：同样的，尽管十分饥饿，喝汤时也不可过于急切。
即使汤类味道鲜美，也尽量避免再要第二份。
因为真正的大餐还未开始。
How to behave:Here again, even if you are hungry do not rush the soup and avoid asking for a second service, even if you found it delicious. The biggest part of the dinner is yet to come.头盘，第一道菜The “Entrées”, first courses定义：传统来讲，头盘会上两道菜，热头盘与冷头盘。
如今，您可以只选择一道菜，冷头盘或者热头盘。
开胃菜只是正餐前的小菜，并不会影响您享用主菜的食欲。
开胃菜通常配可白葡萄酒。
What:Traditionally, they were split into two different courses; the “hors-d’oeuvre”, a cold dish, followed by a warm “entrée”. Nowadays for the first course you can have either a cold or a warm dish, but it won’t be too heavy in order to preserve your appetite for the main courses. Often the first course will be paired with white wine.如何举止：这里建议您可提前询问一下主菜是什么，如果主菜不合口味，您可以多吃一点开胃菜。
How to behave: I advise you to enquire about the main dishes that will come later. If you feel you may not like them you can eat more of the first course, to compensate.主菜--鱼类The “plat principal” main dish – fish定义：主菜通常是肉类或者鱼，或两者配有酱汁或者其他配餐（蔬菜，土豆泥等），并搭配白葡萄酒。
任何鱼类都可能成为主菜。
What:The “plat principal” is a meat or a fish dish, or both. If it’s both, the fish would be served first, with a sauce and various side dishes (vegetables, mashed potatoes etc.) and paired with white wine. Any type of fish is possible.如何举止：在西方饮食文化中，鱼类通常是整条上来的，鱼骨和鱼刺也不会剔除。
您可以用吃鱼的专用刀叉将鱼骨剔除（怎么正确使用吃鱼专用刀叉将会在下期文章中为大家讲解）。
如果您不小心被被鱼骨卡住了，请保持背部挺直，不能弯腰将鱼骨吐在桌上。
您可以用一只手掩住嘴巴，另一只手拿叉将鱼骨小心取出然后放在盘子边缘。
How to behave:In the Western tradition, the fish is often served whole, with the bones and skin, which should be removed properly using a fish knife (“how to use a fish knife properly” will be the topic of a forthcoming article). If by mistake you have a bone stuck in your mouth, keep your back straight (don’t bend over to spit it onto your plate), discreetly cover your mouth with one hand to hide the fork you will use to collect the bone, and place it on the edge of your plate.主菜-肉类The “plat principal” main dish - meat定义：这是一餐中最大的一道菜--肉类。
肉类可以是红肉也可以是白肉，可以是动物的肉，但这道菜受季节的影响不大。
通旁边会配有淀粉类食物（土豆，米饭或者意面）并配有蔬菜。
白肉需搭配白葡萄酒，红肉搭配红葡萄酒。
What:Now it’s time for the biggest and often the heaviest dish, the meat. All types are possible: red or white meat, from various animals, the season does not matter much. It will almost always be served with starch as a side (potatoes, rice, pasta), and often with vegetables. White wine if the meat is white, red wine if the meat is red.如何举止：这应该是最后一道大菜。
如果吃完一份还觉饥饿，不妨再要一份或者吃些面包。
How to behave:Considering it is the last consistent savoury dish, I advise you to ask for a second helping if you still feel hungry at this stage, or to eat some bread.The salad “verte”绿色沙拉定义：主菜通常口味较重，而且很少有蔬菜。
此时绿色沙拉就可以作为调剂而呈上。
跟普通沙拉相比，绿色沙拉里面没有西红柿，玉米或其他蔬菜，只有大的菜叶子，并配有调味酱。
What: The main dish may have been heavy, and without any vegetables. To compensate for this, a green (verte) salad is served. We insist on a “green” salad as opposed to a mixed salad. There are no tomatoes, corn or other types of vegetable here, only larges leaves and some vinaigrette sauce.如何举止：最需要注意的一点就是，千万不要用刀去切开那些菜叶。
应该用刀叉将菜叶折叠后食用。
如果此时已经不饿了，您可以选择不吃沙拉。
How to behave: It is an absolute “faux-pas” to cut the salad leaves with your knife. You should only fold them with the help of the knife. If you are not hungry it is acceptable not to take any salad.The “fromage” cheese法式乳酪定义： 没有法式乳酪，怎么能称得上是一顿地道的法国大餐呢。
一般在沙拉之后（有时也会跟沙拉一起上），会呈上一大盘软硬不一的各式乳酪。
What:A French dinner wouldn’t be a French dinner without cheese, “fromage”. It is traditionally served after the salad (sometimes together). A plate of various soft and hard cheeses is displayed on the table.如何举止：盛乳酪的盘子是在客人之间传递的。
你会从左边客人哪里接过盘子，（放在左边方便你用右手直接取用），用完后再将盘子递给你右边的客人。
乳酪要搭配面包一起食用。
How to behave:The cheese plate will travel from guest to guest. You receive it from the person on your left, you place it on your left side (that way it is easier to serve if you are right-handed), you help yourself, and then you give it to the person on your right. Cheese is eaten with another French symbol: bread.The desserts甜点定义：甜点的类型没有特别规定，可能是一块蛋糕，或许一份冰淇淋或者一份水果。
甜点会搭配有甜酒一起享用。
如果甜点是巧克力做成的，那么也可能会有红葡萄酒提供。
What:There is no special rule regarding the dessert, it can be a cake, an ice-cream, fruits etc. At this moment, sweet wines may be served. Red wine might be proposed if the dessert is made from chocolate.如何举止：如果桌上有好几种甜点，您可以全部都尝试一点，或者仅尝试一小部分。
为了保持美好的身材，您甚至可以选择不吃甜点。
How to behave:If several desserts are displayed on the table, it is acceptable to try them all, or some of them, or none of them if you’re paying extra attention to your body shape.我们已经分析完菜单上的八道菜了，根据客人数量的多少，一餐的时间可超过两个小时。
甜点后会提供咖啡（通常不是茶），并配有饼干和巧克力小方。
最后可能还会有消食酒：一般是一小杯烈酒来帮助您消化以上所有食物。
At this stage we have been through eight courses, and depending on the number of guests at the table, the length of the dinner may already be more than two hours. Coffee will be proposed (traditionally not tea), which can come with biscuits or chocolate squares. Finally, at the very end, a “digestif” (digestive) may be offered: it is usually a shot of a strong alcohol to help you to digest the food.希望这篇文章可以帮到您，让您做好充分的准备在欧洲享用一顿时间很长的大餐。
当然，如果您有什么好的建议或意见，欢迎留言与我们分享。
I hope this advice has been useful and that you now feel fully prepared to spend hours at a dinner in Europe. Of course, if you want to share your opinion with us, do not hesitate to leave us a message!您可以在微信上查找“法国卓尔礼仪”You could find us on wechat by searching “法国卓尔礼仪”关注我们获取更多的礼仪知识和课程信息Follow us for more etiquette articles and class informationinfo@acdebernadac.frwww.acdebernadac.fr