Sharing entrees….is it considered rude?

Portions are smaller, more appropriately sized.

The places should be happy to bring an extra plate so you can divvy up your course. They may even save you the trouble and bring the dish already split onto separate plates.

We usually order different things so that we can sample more of the menu offerings, so we’re transferring plates and/or food between us. Dessert, if we order any, is often one serving, two plates. No questions asked about that.

Portion sizes are definitely smaller.

Remember that in France, an “entrée” is a starter (appetizer). The main course is the “plat principal”.

In Europe, my husband and I often order an appetizer or two to share, and then we each choose a main course. He often ends up eating all of his, and half of mine. 😏

Didn’t know that about entree vs appetizer…thanks

Of course, in France, you often order a "menu", which is a set of 3 or 4 courses - starter, main, cheese, dessert. That's one of my fav parts of eating in France. Usually, in most restaurants, there are 3-4 choices for each (3-4 starter choices, etc). Sometimes the menu offers either a cheese or dessert course.

Psea: Have you been to France? I think not. Portions are smaller than in the US.

It will be first time in France. Really looking forward to the visit.

Wife and I recently returned from about 13 days in the Cote d'Azur (...and another 10 on the Italian side of the border) and frequently shared plates in both countries. Liberally use the word "Partager" in France when ordering and intending to share. Waiters will completely understand and be happy to help out.

Often restaurants have fixed price menus of 2 courses (first course aka the entree) and the main or the main and dessert or 3 courses (entree, main and dessert). I think it would be rude to split a fixed menu. Servings are not US sized so you may find that you will not need to split. If you are not big eaters, I suggest ordering (a) 2 starters and then splitting a main or (b) ordering 2 mains and splitting a starter or ordering no starter or (c) one of you ordering the first course and the main and the other ordering the main and the dessert.

It is rude to share an entree. Many restaurants have 2 and 3 course menus. My husband and I often order thusly: he orders entree and plat (entree in French is the appetizer course and plat is the main course -- it is odd that America has chosen to call 'entree' the main dish. Just FYI). I order plat and dessert. We share nibbles from the starter and dessert but each have our own main course. Restaurants have to make enough money to stay in business.

I like that plan!

We often do what Janettravels44 does; Stan gets the main and dessert, while I order the starter and main. Or sometimes he will order the "menu," and I will order one of those wonderful French salads. There's still more food than the two of us can eat, often.

There are also an increasing number of small plate/tapa style restaurants in Paris (you can use Google for some suggestions) that are intended to share. You might find that to suit your needs, too.

You will find some restaurants have a section called "Pour la table" or something similar and there you'll find things like charcuterie boards, fried calamari, etc...but it really depends on the restaurant. In a typical, old-style bistro--you're probably not going to see that.

LIke those before me said, portions are smaller. I have no trouble doing 3 courses--but when you add fromage then I need a new belt.

One of us will routinely get an entree and the other a salad or some smaller plate to share since we don’t eat a lot either. Nobody seems to care.

We almost always share at home in the US. Did not have to do this in Italy or France, except a couple of times for pizza. In that case one of us ordered a salad, and we split it ourselves. We were advised by guides in Italy, that they may not curse you out, but restaurants dont like to seat and serve two adults who only pay for one meal, especially if they're busy. As usual, they cut Americans a lot of slack.

Here is another example. At an aligot restaurant, I got a sausage and aligot and my husband got truffaud and a salad -- each a single plate meal. The sausage was enormous and we slit that and we both had some salad and tried the two potato dishes.

NOte also that French restaurants are now required to allow doggy bags. We have rarely done that, but the portions at Bofinger which specializes in choucroute garne were ridiculous. That is one place where sharing is in order. WE ended up taking one whole serving home and it made us two more meals in the apartment. So if you have an apartment you can , if you guess wrong on amount of food to order take leftovers home. This is a BIG change in customs and I would not be comfortable doing it in a fine dining place (where you are unlikely to have giant American servings anyway). But in places like Bofinger, they are pretty used to it.

As you know, the French meal has been classified as an intangible world heritage by Unesco, so the problem is not to do it or in the way of doing it (sharing the dishes), but is from a point of cultural view. Restaurant staff attached to these traditions may misunderstand this.

If, moreover, they suspect that you want to save money by ordering a dish for 2 (when in their eyes you are rich Americans) imagine what will he think. That you would like to save 5 Euros with a meal that has become a World Heritage Site when you've traveled thousands of miles to get it?
They may not be too friendly with you during the meal. LOL

So, whatever the way, the important thing is to communicate and explain when ordering (with a smile), your problem to the waiter, just like you did by posting this message.
And you may have a new friend, especially if you let him know you enjoyed your meal, even a shared one.

I main motivation is to not waste food! The bill is not my focus.

When i ask to share i expect the restaurant to add a sharing fee. Dishes used, staff used etc!

Thanks everyone!

JHK is right and gave good options. I agree with her, and with janet who echoed JHK. It is rude to share a main course in France. Kudos to you for asking! Do you have Rick’s Paris or France guidebook? Lots of invaluable info in them. Since this is your first trip, just remember to always say Bonjour to someone before speaking to them… : )

Adding to what Susan’s just said, if you step into a shop or any other establishment, say “Bonjour” to the person inside as soon as you see them, even if you aren’t going to say anything else right at the moment. They’ll appreciate that you didn’t just walk in and start looking at stuff, without acknowledging their presence. They may well not greet you, so you’ll have gotten things off to a good start.

Agree with folks that attitude is everything! Smiling, saying bonjour, expressing your happiness with a meal, all go a long way.

I'm a light eater and often leave a fair amount behind, and I worry folks will think I didn't like the food ... I always take pains to say how good it was, but because of jet lag, etc. my eating schedule is off.

Also, leaving a nice extra tip on top of the included tips conveys (I hope) that I enjoyed the place.

Sharing fees are not a thing here.
An option that I have not seen suggested, yet is quite frequent, is ordering a starter as a main.
2 appetizers, or an appetizer plus a dessert, feels like an acceptable amount of food to order for 1 person and it is a small amount of food to eat!

Also, 'small plates' restaurants are all the rage in Paris. They're expensive for regular eaters, but perfect for smaller appetites!

If i owned a restaurant i don’t know how happy i’d be to have 2 adults taking up a table and only ordering 2 appetizers and 1, maybe 2, desserts. At cafés it's fine, not in a restaurant.

"I main motivation is to not waste food! The bill is not my focus.
When i ask to share i expect the restaurant to add a sharing fee. Dishes used, staff used etc!"

I have never seen a sharing fee at a restaurant in France. As balso says, that is not a thing in France. I have seen a sharing fee a few times here in the US but it is not at all typical at the places where I eat. When out with a second person taking up two seats, I think it is important to order an amount of food that is realistic for two average people. The restaurant is a business and a low margin one at that so having two people eat one meal is bad form IMO. I have the opposite problem: my husband and my son are big guys who order a lot of food and I have to say that we usually get great service. I joke that restauranteurs think cha-ching when we walk in and they are right.

Are the portions generally smaller than in the us?

Absolutely

restaurants dont like to seat and serve two adults who only pay for one meal,

Indeed. They have to pay their bills, and they can't do it by selling one meal to a table that two people are taking up.

Sounds like your first trip to Paris.

Portions are smaller than the US. I wouldn’t worry about having too much food or leaving food behind. I would instead embrace the dinning culture in France, ordering something you both would like, then order something local you’ve never had to give it a try.

We asked this question as well, five months ago. The advice we took away was the two plat, two (or perhaps 3) course solution that Janettravels44, Balso and JHK offer.

For more commentary, see https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/dining-well-sentior-appetite-accommodation

Bon Appetit!

Just returned from a one-week trip[to France. We used RS guide for eating in France. With my high school English and a pocket-sized phrase book, I easily navigated the menu. Different rules for eating in a restaurant and in bistros, cafes, and brasseries, where it's not expected to order multiple courses. By restaurant, RS means a restaurant with fixed lunch and dinner hours, tablecloths, and ambiance. The other categories usually serve food throughout the day, but not the whole menu. Pretty decent wine for 5-7 Euros a glass, especially when a bottle of Coke is 4E.