Combine the French love affair with food with fresh Caribbean ingredients and varied cultures, and you have a great reason to dine ashore! French Antilles restaurants prepare regional specialties as well as French continental and international cuisine.

Dining out in the French islands, whether for lunch or dinner is an event. The table is yours for the evening and you will not be rushed. To serve you too quickly, or (heaven forbid!) to give you the bill without you asking for it, would be considered rude.

When the meal or dessert or coffee are finished and the night almost over, the waiter may bring you a little digestif on the house – a flavoured rum or liqueur to help you digest your food and enjoy the evening just a little longer.

Here is a one-page Cheat Sheet with some French words and phrases that will help you enjoy your meal ashore. It includes the names for many French Antilles specialties, that you won't find in a French dictionary or menu reader. As in FRENCH FOR CRUISERS, each word in this Cheat Sheet is accompanied by its pronunciation.

Bon appétit!

For more French words and expressions on food and beverages see the Food chapter in FRENCH FOR CRUISERS.