FRENCH SERVICE IN RESTAURANTS: CHARACTERISTICS, ADVANTAGES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The French service in restaurants, also known as a service "French" is a style of serving several dishes at the same time at the table at the start dinner. Its peculiarity is that the waiter moves to her left, serving each of the guests so that they themselves choose the dish they want.

Previously, the waiter shows the diners the type of ingredients for each dish and lets them choose the portions and their proportions. The history of this type of service in restaurants dates back to the time of the French Revolution, because in private services it is even older.

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Currently there are some luxurious restaurants in the world that provide this service. However, it is more common at formal dinners offered by governments. It is generally a very slow service because each diner must use the food dispenser.

Also, not everyone has the skills to do it quickly. However, it is a very exclusive and individual service, where each person serves what they want and in the amount they consider appropriate.

History

According to the historiographic records, the restoration service dates back to ancient times. In Rome with the bacchanalia and other ceremonial dinners offered in the palaces by the aristocracy. In China there is a history of the Sung dynasty.

Later in the Middle Ages, these services were provided by itinerant individuals and public cooks. The feudal lords owned their own kitchens with personal cooks at their service. On the other hand, medieval travelers ate in taverns, inns, inns and monasteries that provided cooking services.

The modern restaurant, as it is known today, is a more recent creation. He was born right with the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century.

First French restaurant

Chefs working for the wealthy class and the French aristocracy were suddenly unemployed in their downfall. This led to the opening of restaurants, whose name comes from the French term restore which means to restore. In them restaurant meals were sold (meat consommés to restore the strength of the people).

Previously, when someone wanted to eat away from home, they would visit a traiteur, a cook who prepared food for the customer in his own home. The word traiteur comes from treating, more or less the same concept as restoring, that is, treating someone's hunger with a meal. This concept of service evolved into the restaurant.

A year after the French Revolution broke out, Paris already had around 50 very elegant restaurants, which welcomed the new French ruling class. Deputies, businessmen and the military became regular visitors to these gastronomic temples run by the chefs of the aristocracy.

These commercial establishments soon became real tourist attractions. The first proper French restaurant is believed to have been founded by a famous Parisian chef named Beauvilliers in 1782. He called it the Great London Tavern and it was located on Rue de Richelieu.

The novelty of this restaurant was to present the dishes it served on a menu and serve them on individual tables so that customers could see them.

This type of service became popular, customers chose the dish they wanted to eat and gave instructions about the order. The clientele increased as rural workers and provincial deputies arrived in Paris, who became regular diners in these establishments.

characteristics

Fancy restaurants

French service is provided primarily in upscale gourmet restaurants with few diners. The prices of the meals they serve are very high.

One of its main characteristics are the rules of etiquette, tradition and civility that the protocol follows at the table.

It requires large rooms so that the teams and the service can move easily and serve food.

Final meal preparation

The food is finished being prepared next to the diners' table on a güeridon (small table with wheels) by the waiters or waiters duly dressed. That is, flambé, bone a bird, carve the meat or remove bones from the fish, etc.

High number of employees

The service is provided by a large number of employees which increases your operating costs. There is a waiter for each diner.

Slow service

It is the slowest of the styles or methods of service in restaurants, compared to English or Russian service. Between one dish and another, a sorbet, dessert or drink is usually offered to eliminate traces of strong flavors on the palate.

The waiters wear white gloves and the food remains covered by bells in the güeridon.

Dish service

Dishes are brought in sequentially and are served individually.

The plate is served by the waiter with the right hand (right side of the diner) and removes it from the left side. Butter and bread are served from the left side.

Allows diners to choose the amounts of food they want. To serve the soup is the waiter who does it with a ladle.

The service begins with the person or lady with the highest hierarchy at the table, following the order of importance of the other diners.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantage

-It offers personalized attention to the client making them feel important and well served. The deal for a movie star or millionaire.

-Gourmet food is served with the highest quality standards, with great finesse and protocol.

-It is a very elegant, friendly and entertaining service due to the ritual imposed on the table by protocol.

-The diner determines the amount and type of dish they want to choose, different from the English service where it is predetermined and the same for everyone.

Disadvantages

-The biggest disadvantage is the high price that is usually paid for this type of special service in relation to other styles.

-It is a slow service despite being personalized. This is because not all diners always have the same ability to serve themselves from the plate or tray offered by the waiter. This high operating cost of the service is derived from the large number of professional personnel required to provide it and from the equipment, table utensils, etc. employees.

-Demand ample spaces for the dining room and the corridors where the service personnel travel. The wide spaces allow staff to move more easily and prepare dishes more comfortably.

References

1. The History of Fine Dining. Retrieved on July 5, 2018 from alchemymarket.com
2. Table services. French, English or Russian. Consulted of protocol.org
3. French style service in restaurants. Consulted of ehowenespanol.com
4. Service à la française. Consulted of en.wikipedia.org
5. French service. Consulted from en.wikipedia.org.
6. Advantages and disadvantages of the French service. Consulted of knowledgeweb.net
7. What are the American, Russian, French and English services in the restaurant? Consulted of gastronomia.laverdad.es
8. Food Timeline. Restaurants & catering. Consulted of foodtimeline.org
9. How the French Revolution Gave Birth to the Restaurant Business. Consulted of mentalfloss.com