Avoid This Common Salad Faux Pas When Ordering Dinner In Paris, Per Rick Steves

Going out to eat in Paris can be a different experience than what you're used to at home. You'll likely notice slower service because dining is more stretched out and leisurely. People also tend to have dinner later in France than we do in America. While you can ignore the myth that restaurants are more expensive in France, other things you may have heard, like keeping your hands on the table, rather than on your lap, and forks and knives being held differently are absolutely true (keep the knife in the right hand and fork in the left, unless you're left-handed). Travel pro Rick Steves has given us many tips about how to have an authentic restaurant experience while traveling, and he's got one for us that involves ordering a salad if you're visiting Paris. On his website, he says, "If all you'd like for dinner is a salad, find a café instead of a restaurant, where you're expected to order a main course."

Part of the reason is that French dishes are usually much smaller than American ones, and a single course may not be enough, especially if it's only a salad. Ordering more than one course is simply the norm. You can order à la carte or from the prix fixe menu (meaning several courses for a fixed price), but even if you're doing the former, you're still expected to get more than one thing. However, there is another unspoken rule that can help you dine like a local in France that involves salad, and if you don't know it, you may get some stares.

First, there are a few things to know about ordering a salad in France, even if you're getting other items. First, your salad is not going to hit the table before your main dish. It's considered a palate cleanser between the main course and the cheese course (you should also know that the word "entrée" means appetizer in French, while "plat principal" or simply "plat" is the main course).  

The big faux pas with salad, however, is that you are never supposed to cut it with a knife, even if you have a giant piece of lettuce in front of you that you just know is going to splash vinaigrette all over your face. You may not even be given a knife with your salad. Instead, you are supposed to fold the lettuce into a sort of packet with your fork. You can also use a piece of bread to push it onto the fork, or, if you do get a knife, you can use it to maneuver the lettuce rather than cut it. In France, cutting your own leaves is considered rude to the person who made the salad, implying that they prepared it wrong. Additionally, there is a possible historical reason that knives are a no-no with salad. It's said that the vinegar in dressing may have tarnished the silver knives that were once used in France.

These cultural differences can seem like a lot to remember, and you may want to practice eating salad the French way a bit at home before your trip. Of course, with Rick Steves' warning in mind, you can always order something else, too.