If you're looking at a particular popular or fancy restaurant, make sure you book ahead.

If you just turn up, there is a risk you will be turned away - an empty looking restaurant may be fully booked. You won't normally have this problem with casual dining outlets though.

In some cases, a restaurant may not open at all if there are no bookings, so don't be alarmed if it looks closed.

If you're out and about and looking for a spot of lunch, or do wish to try and get dinner on a whim, then don't leave it too late.

Many restaurants have set meal times, so if you turn up too late then you risk being turned away as staff may feel there isn't enough time to enjou a meal - aim for midday for lunch, and around 7pm for dinner.

You're more likely to find all-day service in big cities and touristy areas - look for signs saying "service non-stop" or "service continu".

Lunch is often the main meal of the day, so many establishments don't open at night (or only do so at weekends).

Café bars mainly focus on serving drinks, therefore have a tendency to only serve light meals for lunch before focusing on beers, wine and coffees through the evening.

Many restaurants offer the choice of two menus, which is where the phrase à la carte (off the menu) comes from.

The à la carte menu is the one with all dishes priced individually, so you generally have more freedom over choices. However this can be more expensive than a set menu.

The second choice is the menu, also known as menu du jour or menu fixé. This is a set menu containing the restaruant's most poupular dishes; sometimes it is completely fixed, otherwise you can pick from a small selection of items for each course. In some restaurants, this frequently changes - even as often as every day - so it is worth keeping an eye on their menu board. 

At most contemporary restaurants, complementary bread is served with every meal. So don't be alarmed if a basket suddenly appears on your table.

Bread with a main meal is very much the norm, regardless of your meal chiose!

Not as often as you think. These are seen as "rustic" dishes, so are usually only served deep in rural france.

Most restaurants won't serve these culinary oddities at all.

Eating out is an occasion. This is why lunch breaks are so long, and why evening meals can take as much as three hours.

Restaurants want you to relax and enjoy yourself; they won't immediately bring over the menu. They don't immediately serve the next dish once your ready, as this allows time for conversation. Even after you've paid your bill, they won't kick you out as they want you to finish your chat and your bottle of wine.

The only time you may be given the hurry up is if a restaurant has two sittings, but you should be warned of this when you arrive. And if it is late, it is time to go if the furniture is being put away!

Once you've finished, your waiter will normally bring over the bill in readiness, but not all restaurants do this. If you need to ask, just say "l'addition, s'il vous plaît". Don't call out "Garçon!" and click your fingers, as this is seen as incredibly rude.

Generally you will need to head to the till to pay for your bill, as this allows you to do so when you are ready to go. If you want to split the bill but pay by card, just say "on va partager l'addition". If it is an uneven split (say you had one course but your friend had three), just advise the waiter how much you wish to pay.

If it is late, staff might just bring the bill over regardless, but this is so they can close the till, not kick you out.

Service is included in the bill, so there's no obligation to leave a tip unless you've received great service. They will only expect a few Euros, but it is entirely up to you.

If you want to leave a tip when paying by card, just ask the staff to round the bill up. I once did this in a casual restaurant, then added an extra 10 Euros due to how good they were with catering for allergies - they were shocked at such generocity, which shows it can be quite rare! - Ed.

Casual dining is on the rise, and there are plenty of family friendly options out there.

American-themed diners, Italian and fast-food chicken are popular options, and there are a number of chains to choose from - there's American-style steakhouse Buffalo Grill and burger chain Quick. Another option is Flunch, a cafeteria-style chain with a very varied menu and famed for its all-you-can-eat options.

For lunchtime, popular choices are bakery chains Brioche Dorée, Paul and La Mie Câline, selling a range of sandwiches, and are also useful for picking up other bakery essentials. And don't forget the countless independent bakeries and other outlets.

Of course, you'll find countless branches of those familiar chains Burger King, KFC, McDonalds and Subway, where you'll find firm favourites as well as items unique to France.

If you fancy something to have at home, many offer take-away service and there are also plenty of pizzarias and kebab houses too. Curries and Chinese food are much less common; instead you are more likely to find Vietnamese, Moroccan or Algerian food instead.