In a culture that revolves around food, the French have not only perfected the art of cooking, but the art of dining as well. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

And in a country also deeply in love with rules, naturally these two elements of French culture\u2014dining and rules\u2014make perfect bedfellows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re coming to France for the first time or have lived here for years, knowing a few of these simple rules can help you fit in at any Parisian brasserie or cafe. Knowing all of them, we think, would be impossible, so we\u2019ve broken it down to the basics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These five rules will be sure to clarify and improve your dining experience as you eat like a local in Paris. <\/p>\n\n\n

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1. Eat at the right hours <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before even thinking about dining in Paris, you\u2019ll want to make sure that you\u2019re going at the \u201ccorrect\u201d time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lunch in Paris<\/a> operates on by far the strictest schedule: 12\u20132 p.m. It\u2019s outlandish to think that anybody in France would serve anything but breakfast before noon, so don\u2019t bother asking for a full meal at 11:15 a.m.! Once you\u2019ve surpassed 2 p.m. on the other hand, odds are high that you\u2019ll be told that the kitchen is closed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for dinner, we\u2019re a bit more flexible. We don\u2019t eat as late as our Spanish neighbors by any means, but most people won\u2019t sit down to dinner before 8 p.m., and in most places, looking for a full dinner after 10:30 p.m. can get complicated, as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To keep your belly full during those extraneous hours, we\u2019ve invented some other acceptable ways to \u201cpicoler<\/em>,\u201d or snack, in France. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

• The gouter<\/em> is the French equivalent of a midday snack. <\/li>
• An ap\u00e9ro<\/em> is the early evening version of this, usually accompanied with beer or wine, and shared with friends. The ap\u00e9ro<\/em> is often hosted at someone\u2019s home, but can also take place in public spaces, like along the banks of the Seine or in one of Paris\u2019 many parks. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n