French Dinner Party Menu with Recipes for Easy Entertaining (2024)

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Our French Dinner menu honors one of the world’s great cuisines. The 3 courses are all simple to prepare in advance. Just perfect for easy entertaining.

French cuisine and cooking methods quite rightly have a great reputation for excellence. So many classic, French dishes are found right throughout the world and why not? French cuisine has long influenced food trends. As for French cooking methods, some people assume that all French dishes are complex. But, I am here to tell you that there are far more simple, French dishes than complex ones.Our French Dinner Party recipes can all be prepared in advance and they are all relatively easy to make.

And when wine, cheese, bread, vegetables and other French produce tastes this good, you can see why French food is so revered. A visit to Bordeaux, the world’s largest wine region, but also famous for its gastronomy, is something you should put on your radar. The food on offer there is just magnificent.

A dining experience in France is a little different, perhaps, to some other countries. Dining out is certainly one of the highlights to any trip to France and we discuss what you can experience.

Dining Out in France

Where do you start here? When you visit a city like Bordeaux, you can’t help but notice, all of the rather inviting delicatessens, bakeries, fromageries and and so on. And the setting?

Bordeaux is simply stunning. A beautiful, old, walled city which is full of magnificent, classical, stone buildings, exhibiting typical, French class. In the old town, the streets are narrow and with very few cars, making it a pedestrian’s paradise. We love that about Europe!

You can easily spend a few days just exploring the old city and enjoying some fabulous, French food. Go here for some great suggestions on where you can dine out in Bordeaux.

Here are some more observations about eating out in Bordeaux, and France in general:

Don’t be in a rush. One of the great pleasures about dining out in France is that you can expect to make a night of it. You won’t be rushed out the door here and you can expect a restaurant meal to take at least 2 hours and possibly longer. Enjoy the experience and if you are looking to be done in 30 minutes, you are going to the wrong country.

Lunch and dinner are both popular times to dine. There are plenty of cafes for a quicker meal and many restaurants for a longer dining experience. Cafes are generally open from morning through to the end of lunch and you can order food and wine throughout the day. Restaurants have defined hours for lunch, close in the afternoon and re-open in the evening (but usually after 7pm).

Most French people consume wine or beer with a meal and as indicated above they like to take their time and enjoy each other’s company.

Tipping has become a controversial subject around the world. The price of the service is included in the cost of the meal. So, it is optional to tip and 5% is considered reasonable (if the service is good – which it was on every occasion we dined out).

French Dinner Menu for Easy Entertaining

Easy entertaining and French. Yes, the two are not mutually exclusive. You can prepare all 3 of our French dinner recipes in advance. So, let’s get to it.

To access the recipes, click on the picture or the title of the recipe.

Mushroom Brie Baguette

A butter and mustard flavored baguette featuring mushrooms, brie and caramelized onions. It features the great taste of tarragon, such an underrated herb, and topped with a few sprouts. An easy recipe to prepare in advance.

Coq au Vin (in the Slow Cooker)

Our version of this classic French dish is made in the Crock Pot or slow cooker. This recipe is perfect for easy entertaining as all of the work is done up front, meaning all you have to do is to serve it when your guests arrive. Get your red wine ready!

Chocolate Mousse

Grab some eggs, some good quality melting chocolate and 15 minutes of your time to make French chocolate mousse in the traditional method. It needs 4 hours in the refrigerator before serving, just perfect for a French Dinner Party. The grand finale is a highlight!

We feature many country-themed dinner parties, including Italian, Thai and Greek.

Wine for your French Dinner Party

Looking for a French wine for complete your French dinner menu. A red from Bordeaux will go well with this dinner party menu. If you would like to learn more about French wines and in particular the wines of Bordeaux, please read our guide to the Wine of Bordeaux.

We hope you have a great party!