What Food Can I Expect?.

[Brakers]

Hi there all you international travellers,
Some of you know I’m leaving these shores for that place we are trying to leave, with that apart,
I was wondering if you could give me a ball park list of what I can expect to encounter on a French and Spanish menu.
I’m looking for the standard things, like if you go into a bog standard cheap uk restaurant you can expect to see on the menu things like lasagna, fish and chips, steak and ale pie, all day breakfast, cottage pie or a version of etc.
What can I expect to find on a French and Spanish menu, please leave out spicy meals which I cannot eat. Also sweets can be listed so I get a broad idea of what I can expect.
Many Thanks Tony

 

[hilldweller]

Typical Benidorm restaurant:
lasagna, fish and chips, steak and ale pie, all day breakfast, cottage pie

 

[Kirsten]

France only: massive regional variations in food, very little veggie food ( we are veggie) but plenty meat dishes/ fish dishes but often no veg/ small portions of veg with meat/ fish - especially in posher restaurants. Not seen any pies ! Nor all day breakfasts- if you are in French restaurant/ m way cafe ( m way cafes are good, never had a bad meal anywhere in France) they will have croissants coffee only for breakfast. Lots of pizzas and cheese dishes in Alpe- crepes filled with savoury stuff in Brittany- moules come with chips .
Sweet courses - pastries and crime caramels to die for- cheese boards great too. Cite d Europe has a food hall which is good- Ikea has stores all over France - cheap good food in there and they serve Wine! In barrels you pour it out self
Have fun hope that you enjoy the food.

 

[Northernraider]

Hate to say it but it will vary from place to place as a lot of areas have their own traditional recipes.

I found the lunchtime " menu del dia " a really good way if trying lots of different dishes
Average price of a 3 course lunch with drink €8 - €15

 

[Glandwr]

Animals, parts of animals and sea creatures that you have never been aware of. I have generally enjoyed them but to this day draw the line at andouillette.

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[WonkyBass]

Regarding andouillette, I keep a copy of Anthony Peregrine’s 2014 article “The offal truth about French cuisine” on my iPad and refer to it when in France. Happy to try most things but also happy to avoid that particular sausage delicacy.

 

[BobtheBass]

95% of French restaurants serve pizzas nowadays. Not even snails legs pizza or cock oh van pizza, just the same as we have here. Oh, and McDonalds as well.

 

[BobtheBass]

Regarding andouillette, I keep a copy of Anthony Peregrine’s 2014 article “The offal truth about French cuisine” on my iPad and refer to it when in France. Happy to try most things but also happy to avoid that particular sausage delicacy.

I have had an andouillete pizza once and it tasted like Ghandis flip flops marinaded in the contents of a Thetford cassette.

 

[Stretto Boy]

it tasted like Ghandis flip flops marinaded in the contents of a Thetford cassette.

And when may I ask did you sample that?

 

[tonka]

When in Spain there will be a Chinese almost everywhere ....

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[Riverbankannie]

I’m pescatarian and as veggie dishes are impossible, I will always look for a simple fish dish. I’ve not yet found a French restaurant that does not offer one but thankfully it won’t be in batter (unless you are on Brittany Ferries and you have their awful thing that masquerades as battered fish).

 

[StephandJohn]

The best food we found in Germany this year was Lebanese and Turkish - otherwise its heavy meat and no veg.
Same in France - no veg in cafes and restaurants. I don't know why because they have wonderful fruit and veg in the markets. Very good for seafood though.
Spain -the Chinese buffets are good.
We generally cook/bbq ourselves wherever we are.
It was strange getting back to the UK and looking forward to pub grub after 4 months touring around Germany, Holland, Slovenia, Croatia and Italy.

 

[Allanm]

Most French people eat their main meal at midday and most restaurants serve a Plat de Jour at a reasonable price. We have had many superb 4 course meals in posh hotel restaurants for around €10 -€15 each.
Avoid places that are almost empty at lunchtime, they will be expensive and don’t expect English food in good French restaurants although many do British style fish and chips now.
Spain seems to cater a lot more for expats with British pub style food available in many coastal resorts, which is why we avoid coastal resorts in Spain!

 

[Mikey RV]

Try different foods and local foods, eat where the locals eat, always a good sign. Never say you don’t like it, until you have tried it.

 

[Khizzie]

Animals, parts of animals and sea creatures that you have never been aware of. I have generally enjoyed them but to this day draw the line at andouillette.

I don't always agree with your posts but on this occasion I do 100%"agree.

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[Khizzie]

Regarding andouillette, I keep a copy of Anthony Peregrine’s 2014 article “The offal truth about French cuisine” on my iPad and refer to it when in France. Happy to try most things but also happy to avoid that particular sausage delicacy.

The most disgusting smelling and tasting 'sausage' ever.

 

[Jim]

Warning fellow campers about ordering andouillette! Where is the Fun in that?
I always tell people to look out for this delightful sausage and if they are lucky enough to see it, order two portions.

 

[Khizzie]

Warning fellow campers about ordering andouillette! Where is the Fun in that?
I always tell people to look out for this delightful sausage and if they are lucky enough to see it, order two portions.

You have a warped sense of humour Jim. Go and lie down with a bottle of decent gin.

 

[Nicepix]

95% of French restaurants serve pizzas nowadays. Not even snails legs pizza or cock oh van pizza, just the same as we have here. Oh, and McDonalds as well.

Not sure where your sample base is taken from, but here where I live and on my travels throughout France I would say that 95% of restaurants I have been in, or looked at the menu of, do not serve pizzas.

 

[old-mo]

What can I expect to find on a French and Spanish menu, please leave out spicy meals which I cannot eat. Also sweets can be listed so I get a broad idea of what I can expect.
Many Thanks Tony

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[BobtheBass]

Not sure where your sample base is taken from, but here where I live and on my travels throughout France I would say that 95% of restaurants I have been in, or looked at the menu of, do not serve pizzas.

We have been amazed on our travels through France over many years how the "traditional" small restaurant serving local food seems to have been overtaken by pizza restaurants. Sometimes several of them on the same road, all competing for business. Of course 95% was an exaggeration but it's a huge number that seems to be growing all the time. We stayed in a small seaside town a couple of years ago and the only places open in the evening were four pizza restaurants! All the bars seem to serve them as well.

 

[MillieMoocher]

I was warned about the andoulette too by my mother but of course, I knew best.

That was the day I learned that I might have been (at the time) in my 40s but mum still knew best. Barf.

 

[138go]

Half the fun of going is trying out new things. You will soon find out what the food is like once you get there. Eating out is not always what you would expect. Some of the restaurants actually have the menu's in their native language and the restaurant staff will not speak any English. Google translate works wonders in that situation. French and Spanish seem to eat midday so the selection of restaurants can be limited in the evening apart from during holiday season.

France seems to be overrun with Pizza Restaurants so if you like Pizza you should be Ok.

It can get a bit expensive eating out all the time so perhaps you need a post on what to cook in the motorhome and a few recipes.

As for steak and ale pie, all day breakfast, cottage pie etc. If you want that sort of food then you might as well stay at home.

 

[gus-lopez]

In France if you post a roadside 'fritterrie' , look like a burger van,you can get all sorts in it. Sausage & chips , steak hachi & chips (that's a beef burger) etc; always good value .
they are usually at road sides in small villages & you often find them in aire de repos in places.

 

[chaser]

look out for les routiers and similer truck stops where you see loads of lorrys and builders vans and have the plat de jour, for simple basic full meal for very reasonable cost.
never had a bad one, there is an app called truckfly that lists a lot of them.

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[obanvanman]

Most importantly, DO NOT forget to pack a sufficient quantity of Marmite.
I ran out in Northern Spain and had to wait 3 weeks, yes, 3 weeks before I met up with a pal who had a spare jar on board.

 

[TCG]

One dish to really avoid.. trust me on this is
Salade de gesiers du Margret........ duck gizzard salad.
Both the good lady and I will try anything, and when this was served as a course on a plat du jour. we thought why not.
Well it arrived, we like rare beef and lamb and even pink duck.... however I do drawn the line on RAW duck gizzards, they looked and tasted absolutely disgusting. When the waiter collected our uneaten plates, he commented “not to sirs taste” to which I replied unfortunately not, he then replied.. totally agree they are disgusting

 

[ChrisL]

Some basic translations might help so you at least know what your ordering.

In France.

Poulet = Chicken
Agneau = Lamb
Boeuf = Beef Steak de Boeuf = Beef steak
Porc = Pork Cotelette de porc = Pork chop
Poisson = Fish
Oeuf = Egg
Bacon = Bacon
Jambon = Ham
Fromage = Cheese
Escargot = Snails
Grenouilles = Frogs Cuisses de Grenouilles = Frogs legs

In Spain

Pollo = Chicken
Cordero = Lamb
Carne de vaca = Beef Filete de ternera = Beef Steak
Cerdo = Pork Chuleta de Cerdo = Pork Chop
Pescado = Fish
Huevo = Egg
Tocino = Bacon
Jamon = Ham
Queso = Cheese
Caracoles = Snails
Ranas = Frogs Piernas de sapo = Frogs Legs

Hope that helps a bit, if all else fails you can try pointing at somebody else's meal and saying,

La meme chose qu'eux
or
Igual que ellos

The same as them

One other bit of advice is accent is quite important especially away from tourist areas I once spent 5 minutes trying to make a French lady in a cafe understand i was after Bacon even though they are spelt the same

 

[Lenny HB]

I don't really understand why when travelling abroad you want to eat English food. Part of the fun of travelling is trying the local dishes, we always try to eat local food.
As said Menu of the Day / Formula are the best value in France, only served lunch time and you need to be in the Resturants soon after 12 pm if you want much choice. Very expensive in the evening in France, also unless you have deep pockets best to stick to the house wine in France. Also in France avoid steak unless going for an expensive one off the Al a Carte, unless you like tough old boots.
Spain and Portugal tend to serve the menu of the day any time, outside the main tourist areas in Spain if you like to eat in the evening remember restaurants don't open until at least 9pm often later. Wine in restaurants in Portugal is often no dearer than buying a bottle in the supermarket.
Often get veg in France but other countries rather than veg the first course is often salad.

 

[Nicepix]

We have been amazed on our travels through France over many years how the "traditional" small restaurant serving local food seems to have been overtaken by pizza restaurants. Sometimes several of them on the same road, all competing for business. Of course 95% was an exaggeration but it's a huge number that seems to be growing all the time. We stayed in a small seaside town a couple of years ago and the only places open in the evening were four pizza restaurants! All the bars seem to serve them as well.

I have lived in France for 7 years and can honestly say that there are almost no local restaurants have pizza on the menu other than the few specialist pizza restaurants which are a a rarity in many areas. What bars offer as 'pizzas' are often nothing like the real thing.

We've also travelled extensively and whilst you have more chance of finding an Italian restaurant than a curry house, kebab shop or any other 'exotic' food, the authentic French restaurants outnumber those offering foreign food by many times to one. In a lot of cases at lunchtime you are lucky to be offered anything other than the Plat de Jour which will be a typically French dish in most restaurants.

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