LE COIN FRANCOPHONE: CHEZ DENISE
If you love classic Parisian restaurants, speaking French while dining makes the experience even more special — helping you connect with both the culture and the people around you.
Hunter was inspired by a visit to a hidden gem near the Bourse in the 1st arrondissement.
For his French homework, he wrote a one-act play imagining the conversation he wished he could have had with the couple sitting next to him.
Join him as he brings this lively restaurant scene to life in French, capturing the warmth, charm, and joy of an authentic Parisian dining experience.
The inspiration for this one-act ‘play’ was a visit to this restaurant in December.
This restaurant, located near the Bourse in the 1st arrondissement is a hidden gem.
A truly ‘old school’, classic restaurant, with red-checkered tablecloths, the menu written on the chalkboard, huge portions, they ‘mark’ the bottle of ‘vin de la maison’ to determine how much to charge.
The crowd is mostly local Parisian and the atmosphere is both lively and convivial.
This is the conversation I wish I could have had with the couple seated next to us.
In all honestly, with my limited French the conversation was more ‘Marcel Marceau’ than Marcel Proust but somehow we managed.
Next time…
Hunter H.
(March 2025)
Chez Denise
Act 1, Scene 1:
L’addresse: La Tour Montlhéry – Chez Denise
Moi
Barbara: (ma femme)
Homme: Jean-Luc
Femme: Camille (la femme de Jean-Luc)
Ma femme et moi sommes assis à une table, quand un couple s’assoit à côté de nous. Nous sourions, disons bonsoir.
Bonsoir. Vous avez déjà été ici ?
MOI:
Non, c’est ma première fois. Et vous ? J’ai entendu de bonnes choses à propos d’ici, et nous sommes toujours à la recherche des restaurants où les Parisiens mangent. Que pensez-vous de cet endroit ?
HOMME:
Je l’aime beaucoup ! Venez-vous à Paris souvent ?
MOI:
Pas assez souvent! Nous adorons visiter Paris, et nous trouvons toujours quelque chose de nouveau, spécialement de grands restaurants !
HOMME:
Nous visitons Paris quand nous pouvons, nous habitons à Nîmes, trois heures par train. Nous venons voir la famille. Alors, d’où venez-vous ?
MOI:
Nous habitons aux États-Unis, New Jersey. Nous sommes arrivés hier et nous partirons vendredi pour Bordeaux. Je suis Hunter et voici ma femme, Barbara.
HOMME:
Je suis Jean-Luc, et voici ma femme, Camille. Enchanté.
MOI:
Je vois que votre dîner est arrivé. Jean-Luc, Camille, ça a été un plaisir de vous rencontrer ! Amusez-vous à Paris !
JEAN-LUC:
Vous aussi !
NOW IT IS YOUR TURN!
Tell us in the comments below – what conversation do YOU replay in your head and wish had gone better?
Let me guess.
Do you constantly have the feeling that you can’t hear what the French say and you don’t know how to read all the French words because they are written so much differently than they sound?
Learn 3 secrets that will help you be self sufficient in the way you pronounce French words – even if you don’t know what they mean – so that you can read that sophisticated menu in your favorite French restaurant.
Immerse yourself as you FINALLY reach your dream of becoming bilingual, learn to speak Parisian French on Skype and BREAK your language barrier!
…and now, please SHARE this article with your friends. They’ll love you for it! : )
Always in your corner,
Llyane
Photo credit: tripadvisor.com
