The French know how to throw a dinner party. After living in the South of France for eight years, I can tell you that some of my favorite evenings involved a long table, good friends, delicious food, and perhaps one too many glasses of rosé.
One thing I learned from my time on the French Riviera, and the two decades I have spent living with a French Chef, is that hosting a beautiful dinner party doesn't mean spending the entire day in the kitchen. The French have mastered the art of making entertaining look effortless (even when it isn't!), and I've picked up a few tricks along the way.
TL;DR How to host a French Dinner Party
- What is it? Hosting a French dinner party is easier than you think! A traditional French dinner begins with l'apéritif (drinks and small bites), followed by l'entrée (starter), le plat principal (main course), le fromage (cheese), and le dessert. The key is choosing simple, delicious French recipes that can be prepared ahead of time so you can enjoy the evening with your guests..
- The Menu: Start with a Kir Royale and a few appetizers, serve a seasonal soup followed by Coq au Vin Blanc, finish with a French cheese board and chocolate mousse.
- Why you will love it? French entertaining is wonderfully unfussy. Rather than striving for perfection, it celebrates connection, conversation, and the joy of sharing good food. This approach makes hosting feel effortless and enjoyable, both for you and your guests.
- Number of Guests: 6-8 people is ideal for an intimate dinner party.
- Prep Time: Plan your menu 2-3 days in advance and prepare most dishes the day before.
- My Best Hosting Tip: Don't spend your entire dinner party in the kitchen! The French art of entertaining is all about slowing down, enjoying good food, and making time for conversation.
A traditional French dinner party usually begins with l'apéritif (drinks and little bites), followed by l'entrée (the starter), le plat principal (the main course), perhaps a cheese course, and finally dessert. Five courses might sound ambitious, but before you start polishing the silverware, let me assure you that a French dinner party can be surprisingly simple.
The trick is choosing the right menu, preparing as much as possible in advance, and remembering that your guests are coming to spend time with you, not to judge your knife skills.
In this guide, I'm sharing my favorite French dinner party menu, easy make-ahead recipes, and the entertaining tips I learned while living in France (with a little professional advice from my husband). Whether you're hosting six friends or inviting the entire neighborhood, I'll show you how to bring a little French art de vivre to your own table.
And yes, there will be cheese.
Welcoming someone into your home is seen as an important step in a relationship and the host always puts effort to make guests feel welcome and appreciated. French dinner parties are a rite of passage when you live in France and are a beautiful way to add elegance to your life wherever you are. A dinner party was one of our favorite ways to socialize when we lived in the South of France and that continues though we live in the United States now.
I will never forget the first dinner party I ever hosted in my home. I invited 4 of my friends from bookclub over and I wanted to make them a special meal. While they have never said this to me, it was a disaster! I made a menu that was way too complicated and spent more time in the kitchen, working around a growing pile of dirty dishes, than spending time with my guests. I can't remember exactly what I served but I definitely tried to do too much.
Sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to do something elaborate (you don't need to be Martha Stewart!) that we end up feeling stressed and missing the entire point of a dinner party - which is supposed to be a fun and intimate event where the guests get to spend time with you in your home.
So, if you are interested in French Cuisine, or would like to try your hand at a simpler way of hosting a dinner party, this blog post is for you!
I was inspired to write this article after Rent Blog asked me for tips on how to host a dinner party. I also wrote a post on Make Ahead French Meals that will make your dinner party prep a breeze.
Typical French Dinner Party
It follows a familiar format. Welcome cocktail, starter, main dish, cheese course (optional but oh so fun!) and dessert.
In French they are named l'apéritif, l'entrée, le plat principal, le fromage et Le Dessert.
What to Serve at a French Dinner Party
When planning a French dinner party, I always start with the menu. My rule of thumb is to choose one dish that will impress your guests and keep everything else simple. Nobody needs five complicated courses, especially when you're the one doing the cooking!
The beauty of a traditional French dinner is that each course has its moment. You begin with l'apéritif, move to the table for the starter and main course, and finish with cheese and dessert. There's plenty of time to enjoy each dish, and nobody is rushing to clear the plates.
My Favorite French Dinner Party Menu for 6-8 Guests
L'Apéritif - Drinks & Little Bites
Start with a Kir Royale, a bowl of olives, homemade Provençal olive tapenade, and fresh French baguette. I love serving the apéritif in the living room or outside on the terrace before inviting everyone to the table. It's a lovely way to ease into the evening.
L'Entrée - The Starter
A seasonal soup is one of my favorite starters because it can be made the day before. In the fall and winter, I love serving creamy butternut squash soup with crispy sage. In warmer months, a simple salad with a French vinaigrette is all you need.
Le Plat Principal - The Main Course
Coq au Vin Blanc is one of my favorite dishes for entertaining. Tender chicken simmered in white wine with mushrooms and herbs, served with buttery French mashed potatoes. It's comforting, elegant, and tastes even better the next day. What's not to love?
Le Fromage - The Cheese Course
A selection of three French cheeses, fresh baguette, and perhaps a few grapes is all you need. I like to choose a soft cheese such as Brie, a firm cheese like Comté, and a blue cheese such as Roquefort. Take the cheeses out of the refrigerator before serving so they have time to come to room temperature.
For more inspiration, read my guide to making a French Cheese board.
Le Dessert - Something Sweet
Chocolate mousse is my go-to French dinner party dessert. It's rich, delicious, and can be prepared the day before. Serve it in individual glasses or ramekins, and dessert is ready before your guests even arrive.
My French Dinner Party Rule
Don't try five new recipes on the same night. Choose dishes you feel comfortable making, prepare as much as possible in advance, and give yourself permission to enjoy your own party.
After all, the French would never dream of letting a perfectly good bottle of wine go to waste while the host is stuck washing dishes!
Welcome Cocktail - L'Apéritif
I like to prepare a simple cocktail that I can greet guests with when they arrive at my home. Something that is quick and easy to make and that immediately puts them in the mood for a delightful evening. Often I serve this in living room, or in the kitchen if I have some final details to attend to and don't mind having people milling about in the kitchen. For an alcoholic drink, a Kir Royale (Crème de Cassis and Sparkling wine) is my go to but I sometimes like to serve something a little stronger, such as an Olivette Martini to get the evening going and break the ice. You can find my favorite French cocktail recipes here. I recommend also having a non-alcoholic drink such as sparkling water (I love the flavored Perrier waters) available.
Do it the French way and make sure to have a fresh baked baguette or sliced sourdough bread on the table for dinner as well.
Welcome Snacks:
Do yourself a favor and lay out a French Charcuterie Board and crispy French Baguettes before the guests arrive so that they have something to nibble on right away before you move to the dinner table. Finger foods that help take the edge off their hunger and also buy you time to finish up any last minute details. A bowl of olives, or olive tapenade, and some crackers also works beautifully.
Starter:
There is nothing better in Fall than a delicious vélouté to start a dinner party. Soup can be made the day before and simply reheated when it is time to serve. So simple and stress-free! I highly recommend my Creamy Butternut Squash with Crispy Sage Soup to start a Fall dinner party. The crispy sage on top makes the dish feel absolutely restaurant-worthy and is shockingly easy to make... using a microwave! Of course, one can't go wrong with French Onion Soup Gratinée either.
Main Course:
Poulet Rôti (French Roasted chicken) is one of the easiest dishes to serve for a dinner party. My Lemon Thyme Roast Chicken is a family favorite. Plan to put it in the oven at least 2 hours before you need to serve it and the house will smell amazing when your guests arrive.
I also really love to serve my Coq au Vin Blanc recipe. Lesser known than the traditional Coq au Vin with red wine made famous by Julia Child, Coq au Vin Blanc uses white wine and, in my opinion, highlights the flavors of the chicken and the fragrant vegetables beautifully. This is a dish to finish the day before so you have nothing but to reheat it before it is time to serve your guests. Serve with my buttery mashed potatoes and your guests will be raving for months!
For seafood lovers, Leek Fondue and Seared Scallops, golden brown seared scallops nestled on a bed of creamy leeks is a classic French bistro dish that your guests will love.
You can get inspiration from my round up of 25 Classic French Bistro Recipes you can make at home
Cheese Course:
If you didn't serve cheese with the apéritif, I recommend serving a French cheese board before the dessert course for a more elevated affair. A wonderful option is to serve the Fresh fig and goat cheese salad with honey dressing. It is a delicious palate cleanser to be served before dessert that can also be made with apples or pears if you can't find figs.
Stop by your local cheese shop for the best selections of French cheeses or the gourmet counter in your grocery store. (Trader Joes also has a great selection!) In most places you can find a Camembert or Brie cheese, a goat cheese or blue cheese and Comté or Gruyère.
- Pro tip: Make sure to lay out your cheese board at least an hour before you are going to serve it so that the cheese has time to warm to room temperature. I like to serve 3 cheeses; one hard, one soft cheese, one stinky (such as a Comté, a Camembert and a blue cheese)! French tradition is to serve cheese right before the dessert, but it is common to have cheese with an apéro at the beginning of the meal as well.
Desserts :
Full disclosure: Most French people do not make their own desserts! They go to the patisserie or local bakery and pick up some petit fours (little pastries) or a cake. Of course, in the US we don't French bakeries at every street corner like they do so making my own dessert has become my go-to. This dark chocolate mousse (Mousse au chocolat) is exceptional and can also be made the day before. If you have a kitchen torch, crème brûlée is a showstopper dessert. I also like to simply serve fresh fruit and homemade chantilly, especially after a big meal.
Lastly, offer tea or coffee to conclude the meal. I like to serve this with some chocolate covered almonds or little candies. Everyone likes a last little bite of something sweet to conclude the meal. In fancy French restaurants they call this mignardises and it is a little way to leave your guests with a sweet memory.
Wine Pairing
My suggestion at a French Dinner Party is to serve French Wine...bien sûr. Each bottle serves 5 glasses so plan accordingly on how much you and your guests are customary to drink. I generally like to start with a white wine or Rosé for the starter and then serve a red wine for the main course and cheese course, but it all depends on what you are serving.
Visit your local wine store or grocery store with good wine selection (sometimes they have a sommelier on hand!) and tell them what is on the menu and they will be able to give you great recommendations that fit within your budget. Always tell the sommelier how much you are willing to spend on a bottle of wine - they enjoy the challenge!
French Dinner Party Preparation Timeline: What to Make Ahead
The best French dinner parties are the ones where the host is actually having fun, too! I have hosted enough dinner parties to know that the last thing you want is to be standing over the stove while everyone else is enjoying a glass of Champagne.
The trick is to choose a menu that allows you to do most of the cooking the day before. Here's how I prepare for a French dinner party for 6-8 guests.
Two Days Before Your Dinner Party
- Finalize your menu and make your grocery list. Check your pantry first so you don't end up buying a third jar of Dijon mustard (speaking from experience!).
- Shop for wine, cheese, and ingredients that will keep for a few days.
- Choose your serving dishes, wine glasses, and table linens. I like to put a little note in each serving dish so I remember what goes where.
The Day Before
- Make the Coq au Vin Blanc. This is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day.
- Prepare your butternut squash soup and refrigerate it.
- Make the chocolate mousse and portion it into individual glasses or ramekins.
- If you can, set the table. There's something so satisfying about waking up on the day of a dinner party with the table already looking beautiful.
Refrigerate prepared dishes promptly and keep them chilled until it's time to reheat or serve.
The Morning of Your Dinner Party
- Pick up fresh baguettes from your favorite bakery (or bake your own using my easy French baguette recipe).
- Prepare the olive tapenade and arrange your apéritif accompaniments.
- Buy fresh flowers, if you're using them, and finish any last-minute table decorations.
- Chill the Champagne and white wine.
- Put on a French playlist. I firmly believe that a little Charles Aznavour makes everything feel more French.
One Hour Before Your Guests Arrive
- Put the Coq au Vin Blanc in the oven at 350 with the lid on and reheat until it is hot throughout (165°F for reheated leftovers).
- Prepare the French mashed potatoes and keep them warm.
- Set out your apéritif snacks, keeping anything perishable refrigerated until shortly before serving.
- Empty the dishwasher. This is key. You will also want to run the dishwasher before you have served the main course so that, when the guests leave, you only have to empty it once, refill it with the cheese and dessert dishes as well as the wine glasses and you can wake up to a tidy kitchen.
- Finish tidying the kitchen and light the candles.
And most importantly, get yourself ready! I always try to leave at least 20 minutes before guests arrive to change, put on some lipstick, and pour myself a glass of wine.
When Your Guests Arrive
Start with l'apéritif. Offer everyone a drink and something delicious to nibble on while they settle in.
When you're ready, invite everyone to the table for the starter, followed by the main course. Bring out the cheese, then finish with chocolate mousse.
There is no need to rush between courses. In France, dinner is as much about the conversation as it is about the food.
My favorite hosting advice: Don't apologize for what you didn't have time to do. Nobody knows you planned to make homemade gougères or iron the napkins. They're just happy to be invited!
Hosting Tips for a successful Dinner Party
1) Prepare as much as possible in advance. Plan out your menu so that you are serving dishes that can be made earlier in the day or even days in advance so that you are spending quality time with your guests instead of disappearing into the kitchen.
2) Set the dining table in the morning - long before your guests arrive so that you can have a little fun with the decor. Don't hesitate to bring trinkets and unique objects onto the table that will spark conversation!
3) Always, always, always, run the dishwasher before you serve the main course! That way, at the end of the evening, you can put away the clean cooking pots and appetizer plates and only have one stack of dishes to run through the machine instead of an entire kitchen full of dirty dishes.
4) Leave a pitcher of water on the table within easy access of your guests. It helps to minimize the time that you spend away from the table.
5) Plan your playlist in advance. Bossa Nova is my go-to, it is soft and melodious and immediately makes people feel relaxed.
6) Most of all, remember that your guests are coming to your home to spend time with you. Keep your menu simple with familiar favorites so that you can truly enjoy their company. If they wanted Michelin star cuisine they would be at a restaurant instead!
The Art of Setting the Table:
I collaborated with my friend to write a blog post about French table settings which you can find here. Sometimes it is the little things such as slightly wrinkled fabric or little trinkets at the place settings that make everything feel more comfortable and inviting.
You will also enjoy articles I wrote on French themed dinner parties such as How to Host a Beaujolais Nouveau celebration or How to celebrate Bastille Day.
I hope you have enjoyed these tips for hosting a French inspired dinner party. Let me know if you try any of them. I love to hear from you!
Frequently Asked Questions About French Dinner Parties
A traditional French dinner party often follows five stages: l'apéritif (drinks and small bites), l'entrée (starter), le plat principal (main course), le fromage (cheese), and le dessert. Not every French dinner party includes all five, of course! When I lived in France, I attended plenty of casual dinners where we skipped a course or two. The important part is enjoying the meal together.
In the South of France, where I lived for eight years, dinner with friends often started with an apéritif and a few simple bites like olives, tapenade, and baguette. The main meal might feature roast chicken, a slow-cooked dish, or fresh seasonal fish, followed by cheese and dessert. The menu changes with the seasons, but the emphasis is always on good food and good company.
I love serving Coq au Vin Blanc because it can be made the day before and reheated when guests arrive. A classic French roast chicken is another excellent choice, especially when served with roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Both are delicious without requiring you to spend the evening in the kitchen.
A French dinner party typically lasts three to four hours, sometimes longer. Guests usually begin with an apéritif before sitting down for dinner, and there's plenty of time for conversation between courses. Some of my favorite dinners in France stretched late into the evening, with everyone still chatting long after dessert was finished.
Traditionally, the French serve cheese after the main course and before dessert. A cheese course might include a few different cheeses served with fresh baguette. For a more casual gathering, I sometimes serve a French charcuterie board during the apéritif instead.
I like to start with Champagne or a Kir Royale for the apéritif, followed by a white or red wine that complements the main course. For Coq au Vin Blanc, a Chardonnay or a white Burgundy is a lovely choice. If I'm serving roast chicken, I might open a bottle of Pinot Noir. And, of course, a chilled rosé from Provence is always welcome at my table!
Absolutely! In fact, I recommend it. Dishes like Coq au Vin Blanc, seasonal soups, and chocolate mousse are ideal for preparing in advance. You can also set the table, organize your serving dishes, and prepare your apéritif accompaniments the day before. That way, when your guests arrive, you're ready to enjoy the evening instead of rushing around the kitchen
À Table! You're Ready to Host Your French Dinner Party
If there's one thing my years in France taught me, it's that a great dinner party has very little to do with how fancy the food is. Some of my favorite evenings were spent around a crowded table, passing dishes, pouring another glass of wine, and laughing with friends until far too late.
You don't need a five-course masterpiece or a perfectly styled tablescape to entertain like the French. A delicious meal, a little preparation, and good company will take you a long way. And if dessert comes from the bakery? I certainly won't tell!
I hope this guide inspires you to invite a few friends over, open a bottle of something delicious, and enjoy a proper French dinner party. Try a recipe or two, make the menu your own, and most importantly, have fun.
Bon appétit et bonne soirée!
I'd love to hear what you're planning! Leave me a comment below and tell me which French recipes you'll be serving at your next dinner party.
ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (8 and 6) and I work full time in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
Look inside our Kitchen with this recent Washington Post Article. We were featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment here:
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Gail says
I just returned from a wonderful week in France and want to bring all the great food and dining experiences back home to my friends. Thank you for your ideas and suggestions.
Anina Belle Giannini says
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Gail!
I am so glad you enjoy my recipes!
Anina Belle
Nancy Winton says
What a true delight to find you!!! France is my favorite country to visit and I love all things French. You are beautiful and I am so excited to follow you!! Thank you