What is a Prix Fixe menu?

Prix Fixe Menus

Although prix fixe (pronounced like "prefix") menus are common in Europe, they're still somewhat of a novelty to most Americans. A prix fixe menu is simply a collection of pre-determined items presented as a multi course meal at a set price. For instance, one evening, a restaurant may offer a prix fixe menu of escargot for the first course, beef bourguignon for the second course, a cheese platter for the third course, and crème brûlée for the dessert course. Most Parisian restaurants will actually offer two or three prix fixe options to diners. Unlike in American restaurants, diners are usually only provided with a paper menu if there is more than one choice of prix fixes for the evening or if the restaurant happens to serve a la carte for dinner, which is somewhat rare and unusual for most of the finer Parisian restaurants. Rather, the prix fixe menu for the evening, along with its cost, is typically posted on a board outside the restaurant. When dining, it's usually not necessary to tell the wait staff when to bring the next course and, under certain circumstances, such as appearing to be in a hurry, can even be considered rude. Servers in Parisian restaurants are a lot more observant than they appear and you will notice your waiter is typically bringing the next course as you are wrapping up the current one. Also, particularly at dinner, take your time and make sure your schedule is clear for the evening. It's not only considered rude but an insult to the chef to rush through a meal at a Parisian restaurant.

First answer by Amanda. Last edit by Crimson667. Contributor trust: 0 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 39 [recommend question]