- a la carte: according to the menu
- a la mode: with ice cream
- aperitif: alcoholic drink taken before a meal as an appetizer
- avant-garde: experimentalists in any art
- bas-relief: sculpture in which the figures project only slightly from the background
- baton: rod a conductor uses to direct a band
- bonbon: piece of candy
- chef doeuvre: masterpiece in art
- consomme: broth
- coup detat or coup: sudden violent overthrow of a government
- croissant: rich, flaky crescent-shaped roll
- cuisine: style of cooking food
- demarche: course of action
- demitasse: small cup for, or of, strong black coffee
- denouement: outcome
- detente: relaxing, as of strained relations between nations
- encore: audience's demand for an additional performance
- entente: agreement between governments
- entree: main dish at dinner
- filet or fillet: slice of meat or fish without bones
- genre: category
- hors doeuvres: light foods served as appetizers before the regular courses of a meal
- laissez-faire: noninterference
- lettre de cachet: letter bearing a seal ordering the imprisonment without trial of a person the letter names
- musicale: social gathering with music as the featured entertainment
- palette: thin board on which an artist lays and mixed colors
- piece de resistance: main dish
- premier: prime minister
- rapprochement: coming together
- regime: system of government
- repertoire: collection
- soup du jour: soup of the day
- table dhote: complete meal of several courses offered in a hotel or restaurant at a fixed price
- vignette: short verbal description