It’s polite to comment on food in French

Experiencing the cuisine is a major part of travelling in a French-speaking country.

In France, people will expect you to comment on the food you are eating. A waiter at a restaurant may even ask you: “Est-ce que tout s’est bien passé aujourd’hui” meaning “was everything to your liking today”... He is fishing for compliments!

Commenting on food is even more important if you are guests at a French house. Not doing so would be rude.

So, let’s see what you could say:

If you have to remember one thing out of this lesson, it would be the following: “c’est délicieux”. It means it’s delicious, and it’s the standard positive food comment!

Change the verb tense according to the situation: “c’était délicieux” (after the meal), “ça a l’air délicieux (before the meal). You could also say: “c’est un délice” (what a delight).

Another positive comment would be: “je me régale”, which means... well... how delicious... I’m very much enjoying myself. It’s a bit more sophisticated, but still very much used.

You could also say: “c’est très bon” = It’s very good. Simple but effective.

In an informal context, you may say: “Miam”, which is “yum” in French. Or just “Mmmmmm” which is the sound the French make when they enjoy food. Pay close attention, you’ll hear it a lot when you are in France!

Feel free to combine them all: saying “Mmmmm: c’est délicieux. Miam ! Je me régale. C’est vraiment très très bon !” should delight your French host!