1. APPETIZER/STARTER (HORS D’OEUVRE): Hors d’oeuvres are known as appetizers/starters which stimulate the appetite and therefore used a first course in French classical menu. These appetizers are arranged neatly on a platter for example:

• artichauts a la grecque, champignons a la grecque, choux fleur a la portugaise,
• Egg dishes: egg mayonnaise, stuffed eggs,
• salads: beef salad, chicken salads, rice salads, Russian salad, woldrof salad, cole slaw salad, etc,
• Fish appetizer: smoked fish, oysters, caviar, shell fish cocktail, fish mayonnaise etc.
• Meat & poultry appetizer: ham, sausages, galantine, ballotine, terrine, pate, pate de foie gras etc.
• Vegetable appetizers: asparagus, corn on the cob, artichoke, broccoli, vegetable salad, tomato juice etc.
• Fruit appetizer: melon, papaya, grapefruit, etc.
• Miscellaneous appetizers: it includes the following: croutes (a bread slice in fancy shape, fried and topped with desired toppings), canapés (refer to bread slice cut in to various fancy shapes either plain, grilled or fried and topped with desired toppings), bouchees are one mouthful small puff paste case filled with desired savoury fillings, barquette ( small boat shape short crust paste, filled with desired savoury filling, often made with fish and shell fish, tarts are small round-shaped short crust paste with desired savoury fillings.

Cover: half plate, small knife and fork (for all types of appetizers except fish based appetizers), half plate, fish knife and fork (for all types of fish appetizers, except oysters, shell fish cocktail and caviar), coupe or bowl on an underplate with tea spoon or dessert spoon and dessert fork depending on the size of the cut.

Accompaniments: they vary according to the dish served. The appetizers can be grouped.

2. SOUP (POTAGE): it is a French term mean soup. Soup is served hot or cold and assumes the role of an appetizer in the menu, if the appetizer is not served. The quantity of soup served per portion is 200 ml. there are numerous variety of soups : thin, thick, cold and international.

• Thin soup: there are two category in thin soup: Passed and Unpassed. A) Passed soup: consommé soup is a clear or passed soup, there are many styles of consommé which are named after the founder or garnish used. (consommé julienne- match stick size of carrots, turnip and leeks, consomme royal – savoury custard cubes, consommé Carmen – tomato flavoured consommé garnished with small dices of tomato, julienne of green pimento and boiled rice. Etc.). B) Unpassed soup: for example ( chicken broth – made from white chicken stock lightly thickened with rice, garnished with brunoise of carrots, turnips, celery, leeks and dices of chicken, mutton broth – made from white mutton stock lightly thickened with barley, garnished with brunoise of carrots, turnips, celery and leeks, sliced of mutton, scotch broth – made from white beef stock, lightly thickened with barley, garnished with brunoise of carrots, turnip, celery and leeks, minestrone – tomato flavoured Italian soup, garnished with paysanne of carrots, turnips, leeks, celery, cabbage and onions, thickened with spaghettis croutes de flute and grated parmesan cheese are served as accompaniments.
• Thick soup: A) puree soup for e.g. potage bressane – puree of pumpkin, potage egyptienne – puree of yellow split peas, potage st. germain – puree of green split peas. B) veloute for e.g. veloute agnes sorel – chicken veloute garnished with strips of chicken and mushrooms. Veloute doria – chicken veloute garnished with cubes of cucumber and boiled rice. Veloute fedora – tomato flavoured chicken veloute garnished with diced blanched tomatoes. C) cream for e.g. crème d’asperges – cream of asparagus, crème de celery – cream of celery, crème de champignons – cream of mushrooms, crème dubary – cream of cauliflower, crème favorite – cream of French beans.
• Cold soup: cold soup is prepared hot but served cold for e.g. gazpacho soup (Tomato based) from Spain and vichyssoise (potato based) from France.
• International soup: this kind of soups is a famous soup of a particular region from country for e.g. mulligatawny soup (Indian), gazpacho soup (Tomato based) from Spain and vichyssoise soup (potato based) from France, French onion soup (France), Minestrone soup (Italy) etc.

3. EGG/PASTAS (OEUFS/FARINEUX): all types of egg preparations – except boiled and fried eggs. Pasta course includes items such as spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, ravioli, lasagna and so on.  Examples for pasta dishes – spaghetti bolognaise, ravioli milanaise, cannelloni napolitaine etc.
4. FISH (POISSON): there are various types of fish preparations such as fish a l’anglaise, fish Colbert, fish cutlet, etc. cover: – it consists of fish knife and fork, and half plate. If it is offered as main course, full plate is used instead of half plate. (In many establishment, AP knife, AP fork are used).

• Accompaniments for fish: if fish is coated with breadcrumbs, grilled or fried, sauce tartar sauce, remoulade and parsley butter are used.
• If coated with butter and deep fried, tomato sauce is used.
• If coated with flour and shallow fried in butter, nutty brown butter and chopped parsley is used.
• If grilled: parsley butter, sauce tartar and Remoulade sauce is used.

5. ENTRÉE: it consists all types of stews, casseroles, grills, steaks, fried and sauté preparation come under this course. in a small menu, if releve or roti course is included along with entrée, entrée will not be the main course, as the releve and roti will be heavier than the entrée. For examples: blanquette d’agneau – it refers to white stew, lamb pieces are simmered in veloute sauce and finished with cream or liaison of cream and egg yolk, garnished with chopped parsley. Cotelette d’agneau milanaise – lamb pieces are crumbed in cutlet shape and fried, coated with nut brown butter. Garnished with spaghetti milanaise. Irish stew: a meat stew with potatoes more than half the quantity of meat, garnished with chopped parsley. Steaks are served as entrée.
6. RELEVE: it is served as a main course. This course is heavy among other courses. cover: joint plate, large knife and fork. (ap knife & fork). For examples: carre d’agneau clamart – best end of lamb clamart, gigot de mouton bouilli – boiled leg of mutton, boeuf bouilli a la francaise – boiled beef in French style, garnishes – boulangere – onions and potatoes – for roast lamb joints, jardinière – carrots, turnips, French beans, flageolets, peas and cauliflower coated with hollandaise sauce used for joints,   
7. SORBET: these are water ice flavoured with essences, Italian meringue, wines or liqueurs, served in chilled Paris goblet or a tall glass for examples: sorbet a l’ananas (pineapple sorbet), sorbet aux framboises (Raspberry sorbet), sorbet au champagne (Champagne sorbet).
8. ROTI (ROAST): In this course, roast poultry and game are offered. If the releve is absence in the menu then the roti course will be considered as main course. cover: AP knife & fork, joint plate. For examples: poulet roit (roast chicken) – roast gravy, bread sauce, parsley and thyme stuffing, dinde rotie ( Roast Turkey) – roast gravy, cranberry sauce, chestnut stuffing, and chipolatas. Caille roti ( roast quail), Faison roti (roast pheasant), grouse rotie ( roast grouse), perdreau roti (roast partridge) – roast gravy, bread sauce, fried breadcrumbs, heart – shaped croutes spread with liver paste and game chips (potato slices).
9. LEGUMES (VEGETABLES): Vegetables can be served either as a main course, one of the course of the menu or as an accompaniment with the main course. the cover will vary accordingly. For examples: artichaut nature (artichoke): plain boiled artichoke served with hollandaise sauce or melted butter. Asperges (asparagus): boiled asparagus served with hollandaise sauce or melted butter, crocoli polonaise (broccoli polonaise): boiled broccoli sprinkled with sieved hardboiled egg white and yolk, fried bread crumbs and chopped parsley.
10. ENTREMETS (SWEETS): This course includes all kinds of hot and cold sweets such as soufflés, bavarois, fool, charlotte, pies and flans, ice creams, pastries, crepes and so on. Cover: half plate, dessert spoon and fork. For ice creams – either coupe/ice cream cup on underliner, ice cream spoon/teaspoon or half plate, dessert spoon and fork are used. For examples: pinapple pastry, black forest pasty, fruit trifles, baked Alaska, orange soufflés, bread pudding, sweet omelettes etc.
11. FROMAGE/ SAVOUREUX (CHEESE/SAVOURIES): cheese is a byproduct of cow, goat and ewe’s milk. It is served at table either as an alternative to the sweet course, after the sweet course or before the dessert course. there are four types of cheese:

• soft – brie, camembert, feta, munster, etc,
• semi hard: Lancashire, fort salut, Cheshire, caerphilly,
• hard: cheddar, gruyere, gouda, etc
• blue veined: Roquefort, dorset blue, gorgonzola, Danish blue, stilton etc.

savouries: it may be served as an alternative to the sweet for as a separate course served after sweets and before dessert. For examples: canapés, mushroom on toast, sardines on toast, tartlettes and barquettes, etc.

12. DESSERTS (FRESH FRUITS): all types of fruits and nuts are offered in this course. it is served as an alternative to the sweet course.
13. BEVERAGES: tea or coffee is served as last, during breakfast, the quantity of tea or coffee served is more and breakfast cup is bigger in size. In coffee shop, beverages are served throughout the day with all three meals.