How to call a restaurant in Paris and book a table in French
By the Travel's Calling team · Updated October 30, 2026
Plenty of Paris restaurants take bookings online, but many neighborhood bistros still answer the phone, and some only take reservations that way. The call is short. If you know the five or six things they'll ask, you can book a table in under a minute.
Before you dial
Decide on the day, the time, the number of people, and the name for the booking. Parisians eat dinner later than most Americans: 8:00 PM (vingt heures) is a normal time, and many kitchens don't open for dinner until around 7:00 or 7:30 PM. The French use the 24-hour clock for bookings, so 8:30 PM is vingt heures trente.
How the call goes
Start with "Bonjour" (or "Bonsoir" in the evening). In France, skipping the greeting comes across as rude. Then: "Je voudrais réserver une table pour deux personnes, ce soir à vingt heures." They'll check and either confirm, offer another time, or say they're full ("C'est complet"). Finally they'll ask "À quel nom ?" (under what name?) and sometimes a phone number.
Phrases to understand
Listen for: "Pour combien de personnes ?" (for how many people?), "Pour quelle heure ?" (for what time?), "Nous avons de la place à vingt et une heures" (we have room at 9 PM), and "Vous pouvez épeler ?" (can you spell it?). French spelling out loud is hard for English speakers because the letters sound different. Practice your last name: E sounds like "uh", I sounds like "ee", and J and G are easy to mix up.
Small details that help
- Saying "une table en terrasse" asks for an outside table.
- To mention a food allergy: "J'ai une allergie aux noix" (nuts) or "aux fruits de mer" (seafood).
- Close with "Merci, bonne journée" or "Merci, bonne soirée."
- If you can't make it, call to cancel: "Je voudrais annuler ma réservation." It's appreciated in small places.
Phrase table
| French | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bonjour, je voudrais réserver une table. | bohn-ZHOOR, zhuh voo-DREH ray-zair-VAY oon TAH-bluh | Hello, I'd like to book a table. |
| Pour deux personnes. | poor duh pair-SON | For two people. |
| Ce soir, à vingt heures. | suh SWAHR, ah van-TUHR | Tonight at 8 PM. |
| Demain midi. | duh-MAN mee-DEE | Tomorrow at lunch. |
| Au nom de Smith. | oh nohn duh Smith | Under the name Smith. |
| Une table en terrasse, si possible. | oon TAH-bluh ahn teh-RASS, see poh-SEE-bluh | An outside table, if possible. |
| C'est complet ? | say kohn-PLAY | Is it full? |
| Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ? | voo poo-VAY ray-pay-TAY, seel voo PLAY | Can you repeat, please? |
| Je voudrais annuler ma réservation. | zhuh voo-DREH ah-nuu-LAY mah ray-zair-vah-SYOHN | I'd like to cancel my reservation. |
Practice this call before you go
Travel's Calling turns your own trip into practice phone calls. Pick your destination, upload your itinerary or type a few plans, choose your level, and take a voice call in your browser with an AI character who answers in the local language. After each call you get a short trip report. It works for destinations around the world, so you can rehearse this call in French.
Start practicing on Travel's Calling →Quick answers
- How do you book a restaurant in French?
- Say "Bonjour, je voudrais réserver une table pour [number] personnes, [day] à [time]." Then give your name with "au nom de…".
- What time do people eat dinner in Paris?
- Around 8 PM is normal, and many restaurants start dinner service around 7 to 7:30 PM.