Published August 15, 2016 • Updated March 25, 2026 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
French dish names can be difficult to pronounce and understand, especially for learners. This page introduces 10 classic French dishes with native-speaker audio, clear meanings, and links to full lessons to help you recognize them on menus and in conversation.
Whether you’re traveling in France, reading a restaurant menu, or building your French food vocabulary, these dishes are a great place to start.
🔊 On this page, you’ll learn how to pronounce:
Ratatouille, bœuf bourguignon, coq au vin, confit de canard, cassoulet, moules-frites, steak-frites, raclette, pot-au-feu, and salade niçoise.
Ratatouille
La ratatouille is a vegetable stew from Nice in the south of France. It is made with tomatoes and a mix of vegetables such as zucchini, onions, bell peppers, eggplant, and squash, which are sautéed and then cooked together slowly.
👉 Ratatouille (complete lesson) »
Bœuf Bourguignon
Le bœuf bourguignon originates from the Burgundy region of eastern France. This classic dish consists of beef slowly braised in red wine with garlic, onions, and mushrooms, often with bacon added for extra flavor.
👉 Bœuf Bourguignon (complete lesson) »
Coq au Vin
Le coq au vin is a traditional French dish made by slowly cooking chicken in wine with garlic, mushrooms, onions, and lardons. The name literally means “rooster in wine,” although chicken is commonly used today.
👉 Coq au vin (complete lesson) »
Confit de canard
Le confit de canard is a duck dish prepared by salting the meat and cooking it slowly in its own fat at a low temperature. This process makes the meat extremely tender and allows it to be preserved for long periods.
👉 Confit de canard (complete lesson) »
Cassoulet
Le cassoulet is a slow-cooked dish from southwestern France made with white beans and meats such as pork sausage, duck confit, or mutton. Traditionally cooked in a clay dish called a cassole, it was originally a rustic peasant dish.
👉 Cassoulet (complete lesson) »
Moules frites
Les moules-frites consists of mussels served with French fries. Although the dish is closely associated with Belgium, it is widely enjoyed in northern France. The mussels are typically cooked with white wine, garlic, and herbs.
Steak-frites
Le steak-frites is a classic dish consisting of steak served with French fries. The steak is often cooked in butter and served saignant (rare), sometimes with béarnaise or hollandaise sauce.
👉 How to order steak in French »
Raclette
La raclette refers both to a type of cheese and the meal made from it. The cheese is melted and served with potatoes, cured meats, pickles, and onions. Traditionally, the cheese is scraped from a wheel, but today it is often melted using a tabletop grill.
👉 Raclette (complete lesson) »
Pot au feu
Le pot-au-feu is a traditional French stew made by simmering beef with vegetables such as carrots, leeks, turnips, and cabbage. The name means “pot on the fire,” reflecting its long, slow cooking method.
Salade Niçoise
La salade niçoise is a salad from Nice made with tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, olives, anchovies, and hard-boiled eggs, typically served with vinaigrette.
👉 Salade niçoise (complete lesson) »
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👉 French food vocabulary
👉 Ordering food in French
👉 La cuisine (kitchen, cooking, food)
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