What makes a dinner feel French in summer
A French summer dinner is built around fresh seasonal produce, simple cooking and an unhurried pace, often outdoors. Tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, peppers, stone fruit, herbs and fish tend to feature. The structure is familiar: a drink and nibbles first, then a starter, a main, cheese and dessert. You do not need all courses. Two or three well-chosen dishes can feel entirely French. For the wider context, see our guide to favourite foods in France.
Start with the apero
The “apero” is a relaxed pre-dinner drink with small bites.
- olive tapenade or anchoiade with baguette slices
- radishes with butter and salt
- olives, nuts and saucisson
- gougeres (small cheese puffs)
- a light drink such as chilled rose, a dry white wine, a spritz or a pastis with water
Starters and salads
- Salade nicoise: tomatoes, tuna, boiled eggs, olives, and often green beans, served with a vinaigrette. Cooks differ on the exact ingredients, so adapt it.
- Tomato salad: ripe tomatoes with shallot, olive oil and herbs.
- Melon with ham: a classic summer pairing.
- Chilled soups: such as a cold courgette or tomato soup. Spain’s gazpacho and salmorejo are close relatives; see Andalusian food.
- Goat’s cheese salad: warm goat’s cheese on toast with salad leaves.
Main courses
- Grilled fish or chicken with herbs, lemon and olive oil.
- Ratatouille served warm or at room temperature, alongside grilled meat or fish.
- Bouillabaisse-style fish stew for a special occasion, although it takes effort.
- Quiche or savoury tart with tomatoes, mustard or goat’s cheese.
- Roast chicken with herbs, served with a green salad.
- Provencal stuffed vegetables (farcis), with rice or minced meat filling.
If you prefer cool-weather mains, our Reblochon recipes have richer options for later in the year.
Vegetable sides
Simple sides keep the meal light: green beans with shallots, sauteed courgettes, roasted peppers, new potatoes with parsley, or a mixed salad with mustard vinaigrette.
Cheese and dessert
A small cheese course might include a soft cheese, a hard cheese and a goat’s cheese, with bread and fruit. For dessert, fruit-led choices work well:
- peaches or figs with a little honey or wine
- apricot or plum tart
- strawberries with cream
- clafoutis with cherries
- creme brulee or panna cotta-style puddings made ahead
- sorbet or ice cream with fruit
Classic French sauces to know
French cooking traditionally names five “mother sauces”: bechamel, veloute, espagnole, hollandaise and tomato. For summer, the useful ones are often simpler:
- Vinaigrette: oil, vinegar or lemon and mustard, shaken together.
- Aioli: garlic mayonnaise, served with fish, vegetables and eggs.
- Rouille: a garlicky, red pepper sauce for fish stews.
- Pistou: basil, garlic and oil, stirred into vegetable soup.
- Bearnaise and hollandaise: butter-and-egg sauces for steak, fish and asparagus.
- Tapenade: a spread of olives, capers and anchovies.
Good French foods for a picnic
- baguette or country bread with butter
- jambon-beurre sandwiches
- savoury tarts and quiches, cut into slices
- pan bagnat (a Nice-style tuna salad sandwich) or a similar filled bread
- cold roast chicken
- salad in a jar, such as lentils or potatoes with vinaigrette
- cheese, fruit and a small treat such as madeleines
A sample menu and make-ahead plan
- Apero: tapenade, radishes and chilled rose.
- Starter: tomato salad.
- Main: grilled chicken with ratatouille.
- Cheese: a small selection.
- Dessert: peach or apricot tart.
Make the tapenade, ratatouille and tart the day before. Do the grilling and salad dressing just before serving. If you are hosting guests, see our French themed dinner party page for timing and atmosphere.
Frequently asked questions
What are some typical French dinners? Roast chicken with vegetables, steak and fries, a gratin or tart with salad, fish with potatoes, or soup with bread and cheese.
What should I make for a summer dinner party? A make-ahead menu with a cold starter, a grilled or roasted main with vegetables, and a fruit dessert is easy to manage.
What French foods are good for a picnic? Bread, tarts, cold meats, cheese, salads and fruit travel best.