As a French food writer and passionate French home cook, one of the questions I get asked the most is what does a typical French meal look like? And since the Holidays are upon us, I wanted to share with you today the rituals and courses of a traditional French Christmas menu, known as “Le Repas de Noël,”

Table of contents

1. Facts about the French Christmas Feast
2. First Course: Small bites and Bubbles
3. Second Course: Starters and Soups
4. Third Course: Main Courses
5. Fourth Course: Cheese and Salad
6. Fifth Course: Desserts
7. Sixth Course: Cookies and Treats

Facts about the French Christmas feast

In France, the main celebratory Christmas meal is enjoyed on Christmas Eve (December 24th) – not Christmas Day. It is in fact called “Le Réveillon” – which translates to the idea of staying up all night for the arrival of the “Père Noël” (Santa Claus).

In comparison to other countries, a French Christmas really is about the food – and less about decorations and gifts. Of course, French people do buy and decorate a Christmas tree, add a few festive garlands or wreaths inside their house and exchange gifts at midnight. But we don’t really put as much effort into it as you often see in North America. Instead, the French will go all-out for the food.

A traditional French Christmas menu is a festive and elaborate affair, often featuring a multi-course meal with a focus on quality ingredients and flavors. The emphasis is on sharing a delicious and convivial meal with loved ones during the holiday season.

The French start to think and prepare weeks ahead about which table set up we will use and what we will serve on the menu. And for the latter, the French aren’t afraid to splurge at Christmas to buy good-quality products (ie. foie gras, smoked salmon, cheeses, Champagne, etc.) to feed their guests and create great memories around the table. 

A typical French Christmas is homecooked, but not always or not entirely. French people do love to cook in general and will happily spend a whole day in the kitchen to prepare a Christmas feast for their friends and family. But purchasing pre-made or frozen starters or small bites is completely acceptable. Picard, a frozen food chain, is highly popular in France and many people turn to them for a little help when hosting.

First Course: Small bites and bubbles, aka. ‘l’apéro’

If you are familiar with French food culture, you likely already know the importance of the French “Apéro” (short for apéritif). This pre-dinner tradition of small bites and drinks is a cherished moment of the day, when people first gather – and Christmas dinner is no exception to this tradition.

On Christmas Eve, Champagne is often served to “cheers” (“Santé!” in French) and kick start the festivities. Kir Royale (crème de cassis topped with champagne) or Kir Breton in my home region of Brittany (crème de cassis topped with cider) are also very popular. Kids are often served apple juice or “Champomy” – a popular French brand of non-alcoholic champagne made for kids.

Salmon Rillettes

Typical small bites served during the Apéro include smoked salmon served on blinis with lemon and crème fraiche (fun fact: the French love blinis!), Prunes wrapped in bacon, Gougères (baked cheese puffs), Gruyère Cheese Twists and Rillettes of all kinds (pork, salmon or sardines). Vérrines, which are layered dips served in small thick-wall glasses) are also mainstays. So are canapés, consisting of small slices of bread or puff pastry topped with some savory food (charcuteries, cheeses, etc).

French Apéro bites are very small (one-bite) and meant to whet your appetite.

French Christmas Small Bites:

• French Cheese Puffs (Gougères)
• Gruyère Cheese Twists 
• Classic French Salmon Rillettes 
• Brie en Croûte with nuts, cranberries and thyme
• Roasted Red Pepper Dip

French Cheese Puffs (Gougères)

Second Course: Starters and Soups

After the Apéro, which is often enjoyed in the living room, guests relocate to the dining room and sit around the table to officially start their meal.

Without any doubt, Foie gras is by far the most served starter over Christmas. It often comes to the table in slices and guests enjoy it over toasts of baguette or Pain d’épices (Classic French Spiced Bread).

A good French etiquette to know is that you shouldn’t spread the foie gras, but instead place it gently on the toast. Foie gras is sometimes accompanied by Winter fruit preserves (such as fig or persimmon) but most people like to eat it as is.

creamy chestnut soup

Escargots with Persillade Butter, Pâté en Croûte and Chestnut Soup are also staples. For those living along the coastlines, like in Brittany where I grew up, oysters, langoustines and scallops are very popular.

A Brittany starter I particularly love is “Coquilles Saint-Jacques”: scallops in a creamy sauce, often baked with breadcrumbs and cheese in their shell. 

Against clichés, caviar and lobster aren’t mainstays and are reserved for wealthy families.   

Salade Lyonnaise

French Christmas Starters and Soups:

• Roasted Carrot Soup
• Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup 
• Chestnut Soup 
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Split Pea Bacon Soup (Potage Saint Germain)
• Radicchio Orange Pecan Salad 
• Lyonnaise Salad

Radicchio Orange Pecan Salad

Third Course: Main courses

Just like turkey is to Thanksgiving, a French Christmas main dish is almost always a large roasted “dinde” (turkey). A French Christmas turkey is traditionally made with a chestnut stuffing, and served with roasted potatoes, chestnuts and sometimes cooked apples around it.

You can also find side dishes including Gratin Dauphinois and Green Beans Almondine. The beloved gravy boat is also here, but you won’t find any cranberry sauce in a France. 

Gratin Dauphinois

For smaller tables,  a “chapon” (capon), “caille” (quail) or “poularde” (fattened hen) are the common choices. 

While poultry is by far the most traditional French main, some regions adopt other traditions. In the Alsace region of eastern France, a “oie” (goose) is often served for Christmas. In Périgord (the current Dordogne department) locals enjoy duck, and a roasted ham is served in the French Antilles.  Some families also prefer braised rabbit with prunes. 

French Roasted Chicken

French Christmas Mains:

• French Roasted Chicken
• Braised Rabbit with Prunes
• Classic French Coq Au Vin Rouge
• Stuffed Rabbit saddle with mushrooms
• Classic French Hunter’s Chicken
• Clementine Roast Chicken with Fennel

French Christmas Sides:

• Classic French Gratin Dauphinois
• Green Beans Almondine
• French-style Glazed Carrots
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Coq Au Vin Rouge

Fourth Course: Cheese and Salad

A large cheese platter served before dessert is a must during any French dinner, and Christmas is no exception. The cheese platter served over Christmas isn’t much different than for other occasions, although people do splurge a bit more to offer several cheese varieties.

If you are interested, I have an Instagram reel with suggestions on how to build a classic French cheese board.

Cheese platters in France, even for Christmas, aren’t usually spruced up with dried fruits, nuts or grapes. Cheeses are served as is and enjoyed with slices of baguette, country bread or pain d’épices. 

The cheese course is often served along a very simple lettuce or frisée salad tossed in a classic French vinaigrette.

Pain d’épices

Fifth Course: Desserts

Finally, a French Christmas dinner wouldn’t be complete without a traditional Bûche de Noël. This wooden log look-a-like cake, traditionally made of a rolled-up Génoise cake frosted with Chocolate buttercream, is part of the official conclusion to a Christmas feast. A holiday ritual no one will pass on – even with an overfilled belly. You can read more about the festive origins of this dessert in this previous post.

Here again, not every French has the skills or time to pull off a French Bûche de Noël in their own kitchen. But with all the great bakeries around every street corner in France, most people actually go to their “boulangerie” (bakery) a few days prior to Christmas Eve and order a Bûche that they will pick up the day of.

Chocolate Bûche de Nöel

Aside from the quintessential Bûche de Noël, every region has adopted their own desserts to wrap up the Christmas meal. In Provence, the Christmas meal often ends with the “thirteen desserts”, representing the Twelve Apostles and the Messiah. The dessert selections can vary but often include an assortment of fresh, dried and candied fruits, nuts, nougats and a “Pompe à l’Huile” (sweet olive oil bread: you can find this recipe in my cookbook!).

Winter fruit salad

In Alsace, “bredeles” (Christmas cookies) and Kougelhopf are highly popular. In Northern France, people enjoy “Merveilleux” (Meringue and Chocolate Cream Sandwich Pastries) and in Catalogne, “Bras de Gitan” rolled cake… and so on.

French Christmas Desserts:

• Classic Chocolate Bûche de Noël
• Raspberry Bûche de Noël
• Merveilleux
• Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake
• Chestnut Cream Cake (Gâteau Ardéchois)
• French Walnut Coffee Cake (Gâteau Grenoblois)
• Classic French Chocolate Mousse
• Winter Fruit Salad
• Classic French Chocolate Moelleux Cake

Chocolate Moelleux Cake

Sixth Course: Cookies and Treats

After dessert, you will often find a few cookies, a box of chocolates, chocolate truffles and/or a bowl of clementines or lychees lingering on the table for guests to pick at throughout the rest of the night.

Cocoa and Almond Thumbprint Cookies

French Christmas Cookies and Treats:

• Classic French Chocolate Truffles
• Classic French Spiced Bread
• Cocoa and Almond Thumbprint Cookies from Alsace (Linzele)
• Thin Spiced Almond Cookies (Pains d’Amandes)

Happy Holidays!