French Classical Menu: 17 Courses with Examples (BHA103)

Quick answer: The French classical menu is the traditional sequence of courses used in classical French dining, usually taught as 17 courses: 1 Hors d'oeuvre, 2 Potage, 3 Oeufs, 4 Farineux, 5 Poisson, 6 Entrée, 7 Sorbet, 8 Relevé, 9 Rôti, 10 Légumes, 11 Salade, 12 Buffet froid, 13 Entremets, 14 Savoureux, 15 Fromage, 16 Dessert and 17 Café. Modern menus use only four or five of these courses, but the order stays the same.

These revision notes cover BHA103 (Foundation Course in Food and Beverage Service, NCHMCT B.Sc. HHA, Semester 1), Unit 3, which includes the courses of the French classical menu, their sequence and French names of dishes. They follow the NCHMCT syllabus topic and are written for IHM and hotel management students. They are not official NCHMCT material, so read them with your institute's handouts. The National Council's programme pages are at nchm.gov.in.

Table of contents

1. What is the French classical menu?
2. The 17 courses of the French classical menu with examples
3. French classical menu table: course, meaning, example
4. From 17 courses to a modern menu
5. French classical menu and the service team
6. Exam tips for BHA103 Unit 3
7. F&B service jobs that use classical menu knowledge
8. FAQ: French classical menu

What is the French classical menu?

The French classical menu is a fixed order of courses that grew in French aristocratic and grand hotel dining during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Earlier banquets placed many dishes on the table at once. Later, dishes were served one after another, in a planned sequence. This is the order that classical menus follow and that hotel schools still teach.

Why learn it if no restaurant serves 17 courses today? Because every modern menu, from a three-course table d'hôte lunch to a wedding banquet, is a shortened version of this list. Knowing it helps you plan menus, lay the correct cover and serve in the right order. If you are new to menus, first read origin of menu and objectives of menu planning and types of menu.

The 17 courses of the French classical menu with examples

1. Hors d'oeuvre (appetiser)

Small, light, tasty items that stimulate the appetite. They may be single (oysters, smoked salmon, melon, caviar) or varied (a selection of salads and cold bites). Example: Cocktail de crevettes (prawn cocktail).

2. Potage (soup)

Usually two soups are offered, one clear and one thick. Example: Consommé Célestine (clear) and Crème Dubarry (cream of cauliflower). The kitchen side of soups is covered on our food production blog in classification of soups.

3. Oeufs (egg dishes)

Egg dishes other than breakfast styles. Example: Omelette aux champignons, Oeuf en cocotte, Oeuf poché Florentine. This course is rarely used on a dinner menu today.

4. Farineux (pasta and rice)

Farinaceous dishes made from pasta, rice or gnocchi. Example: Spaghetti bolognaise, Risotto aux champignons, Gnocchi romaine.

5. Poisson (fish)

Poached, grilled, fried or baked fish and shellfish. Example: Sole meunière, Sole Colbert, Saumon poché, sauce hollandaise.

6. Entrée (first meat course)

The first meat course, a small, well-garnished dish served with a sauce. It is not a "main course" in the classical sense. Example: Vol-au-vent de volaille, Tournedos chasseur, Côtelettes d'agneau.

7. Sorbet

A lightly frozen water ice, sometimes flavoured with a liqueur or champagne, served to refresh the palate before the heavier courses.

8. Relevé (main meat joint)

Larger joints of meat that are roasted, braised or cooked whole and carved, served with a sauce, potatoes and vegetables. Example: Selle d'agneau (saddle of lamb), Gigot d'agneau, Boeuf braisé.

9. Rôti (roast)

Traditionally roast poultry or game. Example: Poulet rôti, Canard rôti, served with its gravy (jus rôti) and a classic accompaniment.

10. Légumes (vegetables)

Vegetables served as a separate course, often in classic styles. Example: Petits pois à la française, Haricots verts au beurre, Asperges, sauce hollandaise.

11. Salade (salad)

A simple green or composed salad, often served with the roast or just after it. Example: Salade verte, Salade Waldorf.

12. Buffet froid (cold buffet)

Cold meats, poultry and game with salads. Example: Jambon de Parme, Poulet froid, Rosbif.

13. Entremets (sweets)

Hot or cold sweets and puddings. Example: Crêpes Suzette, Soufflé au chocolat, Pêche Melba.

14. Savoureux (savoury)

A small, hot, savoury item served on toast or in pastry, in the English tradition of ending the meal with a savoury. Example: Welsh rarebit, angels on horseback (oysters wrapped in bacon), devils on horseback (prunes wrapped in bacon).

15. Fromage (cheese)

A selection of cheeses with biscuits, bread, celery and butter. Example: Brie, Camembert, Roquefort. In France cheese is often served before the sweet; in the British tradition it usually follows it. Follow your hotel's style.

16. Dessert (fresh fruit and nuts)

In the classical sense, dessert means fresh fruit and nuts presented in a basket or on a platter, not a pudding. Example: Corbeille de fruits.

17. Café (coffee)

Coffee served at the end, often with petits fours or chocolates. Tea and digestifs may also be offered here.

French classical menu table: course, meaning, example

No.	French name	English	Example dish
1	Hors d'oeuvre	Appetiser	Cocktail de crevettes
2	Potage	Soup	Consommé Célestine
3	Oeufs	Egg	Oeuf en cocotte
4	Farineux	Pasta and rice	Spaghetti bolognaise
5	Poisson	Fish	Sole meunière
6	Entrée	First meat course	Vol-au-vent de volaille
7	Sorbet	Water ice	Sorbet au champagne
8	Relevé	Main meat joint	Selle d'agneau
9	Rôti	Roast	Poulet rôti
10	Légumes	Vegetables	Petits pois à la française
11	Salade	Salad	Salade verte
12	Buffet froid	Cold buffet	Jambon de Parme
13	Entremets	Sweet	Crêpes Suzette
14	Savoureux	Savoury	Welsh rarebit
15	Fromage	Cheese	Camembert
16	Dessert	Fresh fruit and nuts	Corbeille de fruits
17	Café	Coffee	Café with petits fours

Some textbooks list 11, 13 or 14 courses because they join or drop courses such as Oeufs, Buffet froid or Savoureux. Write the 17-course list in exams unless your teacher uses a different one, and mention that the number varies by author.

From 17 courses to a modern menu

Today a classical menu is compressed by grouping courses. A typical five-course dinner looks like this:

1. Starter: from hors d'oeuvre, oeufs or farineux.
2. Soup: potage.
3. Fish or entrée: poisson or a light meat course.
4. Main course: relevé or rôti with légumes and potatoes, often with salade.
5. Sweet or cheese, then coffee: entremets or fromage, then café.

The rule from the French classical menu still applies: move from light to heavy and back to light, avoid repeating the same main ingredient, colour or cooking method, and keep the sequence. The same thinking is used in banquet menus and in the kitchen's mother sauces and derivatives that dress many of these dishes.

French classical menu and the service team

For the waiter, each course needs the right cover and the right timing:

• Cutlery: laid from the outside in, in the order of the courses; fish knife and fork for poisson, soup spoon for potage, joint knife and fork for relevé. See flatware and hollowware.
• Clearing: each course is cleared before the next is served, and crumbing is done before the sweet.
• Beverages: wines are matched to courses, and the glassware set accordingly.
• French names: spell dish names correctly on the menu card and pronounce them confidently at the table.

Exam tips for BHA103 Unit 3

• Write the 17 courses in the correct order with French and English names; the sequence carries marks.
• Add one example dish per course in French.
• Explain the difference between entrée and relevé, and between entremets and dessert.
• Note that sorbet is a palate cleanser and that dessert classically means fresh fruit and nuts.
• Use correct accents where you can: entrée, relevé, rôti, légumes, café.

Likely questions

1. List the 17 courses of the French classical menu with one example each. (10 marks)
2. Differentiate between entrée and relevé. (3 marks)
3. What is a sorbet? Why is it served in the middle of the meal? (3 marks)
4. Compile a five-course menu from the French classical sequence. (5 marks)

F&B service jobs that use classical menu knowledge

Fine dining waiters, captains, banquet staff and sommeliers use this sequence in every formal dinner. It is a common interview question for freshers; prepare with the F&B service interview questions.

• Entry roles: steward, commis de rang, banquet waiter, room service associate, bartender trainee.
• Typical pay ranges (indicative only): entry-level F&B service roles in India often fall roughly between ₹12,000 and ₹25,000 a month; Gulf and cruise employers may add accommodation and meals. Pay varies, so check each job post.

Browse live F&B service jobs and register free on Hospitality Vacancy so hotels in India, the Gulf and Europe can find you.

FAQ: French classical menu

How many courses are there in the French classical menu?

It is usually taught as 17 courses, from hors d'oeuvre to café, though some books list fewer by combining courses.

What is the first course of the French classical menu?

The first course is hors d'oeuvre, small tasty appetisers that stimulate the appetite.

What is the difference between entrée and relevé?

Entrée is the first meat course, a small garnished dish with a sauce. Relevé is the main meat course, usually a larger joint that is carved and served with vegetables.

Why is sorbet served in the French classical menu?

Sorbet is a light water ice served between the entrée and relevé to refresh the palate before the heavier courses.

What does dessert mean in the French classical menu?

In the classical menu dessert means fresh fruit and nuts. Sweet dishes such as soufflés and crêpes belong to the entremets course.

Read next

• Types of Menu: 8 Menu Types Explained (BHA103 Notes)
• Origin of Menu and Objectives of Menu Planning: BHA103 Notes
• Cutlery in F&B Service: Types and Uses

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About the author: Sumit Manwal

Sumit Manwal is the founder of Hospitality Vacancy, the job site built for the hotel industry, which he has run since 2017. With more than 20 years of experience in hospitality, he received the Excellence in Hospitality Sector of Uttarakhand award (January 2023) and the Dainik Jagran inext Uttarakhand Ratan award. He is passionate about helping hotel management students and hospitality professionals build successful careers, and connects talented people with hotel jobs across India, the Gulf and Europe. Through these notes he shares practical, easy-to-follow hospitality knowledge so every reader can learn, grow and get hired.