How to Add a Splash of France to Your Holiday Festivities
What I've Learned about French-style Gatherings, as Both a Guest and a Host
Let’s face it. When it comes to parties, we all want to be French, don’t we?
As outsiders, we have this impression of effortless French entertaining style—beautiful things put together without a lot of fuss, une bonne coupe de Champagne served with a pinch of unselfconscious laughter, great red lipstick, and just the right amount of sparkle and heel.
As an American designer and writer living in France, I admire (and aspire to) these perfect pairings, these well-edited yet very satisfying shared moments. I get a lot of questions about how celebrating is different here in France, so here’s what I’ve discovered and what I love, Q&A style.
Take whatever works for you and focus on the French entertaining ideas that make you feel bubbly this year, whether you’re the in-the-know invité(e) (guest) or the stylish host of a holiday fête.
What’s one big difference between France and the U.S. when it comes to having people over for drinks or dinner?
In general, at a party at home in France there is less offered, both in choice and in quantity. And it’s amazing. It’s sophisticated and refreshing, I think for both guests and hosts. There’s an emphasis on quality or something a bit special.
At an apéro gathering in France, for example, things are almost always pretty simple. In the States this would be considered a cocktail party, but for the French, l’apéro is really just a nibble and a sip before going on to dinner, unless it’s specifically called out by the host in advance as un apéro dinatoire, which is like saying “heavy hors d’oeuvres/more substantial.”
For apéro drinks, you’ll be offered some kind of bubbly or still wine or even a Port or a kir (keep reading for that explanation if you’re not familiar), but generally not a cocktail.
Apéro food offerings will be fewer, too, but lovely. If you’d like a more in-depth take on hosting a French-style apéro, I put a post together about it, because I just adore this little celebration.
Foodwise, there may be just one or two composed bites, possibly along with some olives or saucisson (dried sausage). If there’s cheese before dinner, it will likely be small morceaux de fromage (little bites of cheese) or even dès de fromage (cubed cheese) instead of un plateau de fromage (a cheese platter) which is mostly served after the main course and before dessert.
And speaking of the main course, here’s a fun fact: in French, “entrée” means appetizer, and the way to say a main course is un plat principal (pronounced uh plah pranh-see-pal). It took me a while to get that one!
For a holiday party, should I bring Champagne?
Champagne is always a lovely gift, but this year why not switch it up a little with a lesser-known but wonderful bubbly alternative? Meet the wonderful world of Crémant, and introduce your friends and family to its pleasures! These are vins effervescents from varying regions of France.
You can find crémant wines from Burgundy, Alsace, Bordeaux and other regions. They're sometimes more elegant than an Italian prosecco, generally less fruity than a sparkling Spanish cava, and almost always priced lower than Champagne. Serve crémant at a party you're hosting, or bring a bottle and start a conversation!
What’s a simple French finger food to serve for a holiday party?
Whether you’re just inviting for drinks or you want to set out something chic and tasty before you sit down to dinner, I offer you two words: des tartinables (pronounced day tahr-tee-nahble with the accent on the last syllable). Tartinables are just spreads that you can make or buy—think black olive tapenade or an eggplant purée. In France, there are endless options for des tartinables, and this year, I’m loving smoked trout with the tiniest diced vegetables, a bit of mayo and citron (lemon). Scroll down for a snippet of my latest tartinable…
The French absolutely love blinis, too, and they make perfect little beds for your favorite spreads, simply toasted in the oven for a few minutes, then topped with whatever you like. They meet my criteria for good stand-up party food. The key with a tartinable is that it should really be a spread—you know, something you’d make in a food processor or blender—not a salad or layers, which may fall off as you’re eating. Cut your bread or use blinis so that you’ve got a solid one-bite wonder, and you’ll be #winning.
I want to level-up with a chic welcome drink for guests at my party, but I can’t be bothered with mixology! What’s a cool French drink idea?
Do you have a countertop or sideboard, or even a coffee table? Très bien ! It’s so easy. Set up a “Bar aux kirs” — a Kir Bar. Chouette ! (Cute!) Basically a kir is a classic French apéritif with only two ingredients. It’s made with a dry white wine (in France it’s Bourgogne Aligote, but you can use any simple dry white—just avoid wines with a lot of personality like big sauv blancs or oaky chardonnays).
Into a wine glass, pour your favorite fruit sirop (pronounced see-ROH, no “p”). Crème de Cassis is the traditional pairing, but my favorite is Crème de Mure (blackberry). Pêche (peach) is also a very popular flavor in France. Then add wine and watch the pretty colors of the syrup swirl with the wine until, Voila ! You have a festive little drink.
If you prefer a bubbly version, you can swap out the still white wine with a crémant or Champagne. That’s called a kir royale.
One important note—un kir is normally served in a smallish glass, smaller than a big wine glass. It’s just meant to be a start, an elegant beginning to a delightful evening.
How can I put together a nice French cheese plate? I’m intimidated by the names and the choices of French cheese in my local shop, and I don’t know how to choose cheeses from France, let alone how to pronounce them.
OK, pas de soucis (no worries). I lucked into marrying a man who knows literally everything about French cheese (including when the Brie is ripe enough and which rinds you can eat). So I’m sharing what he recommends as a way to try different types of French cheese. You can simply take a photo of the names and show them to your cheese people.
Tip: when you make your plateau de fromage, it’s a great idea to arrange the different cheeses from left to right in order of intensity, which I’ve done in the photo below.
Another Tip: you don’t have to serve fifteen different types of bread and crackers. Choose only one or two—a classic baguette if you can find one (note the way the baguette is sliced in the photo below as it makes nibbling so much easier). A darker, seedy or nutty bread cut into small pieces works well, too.
What about an even more decadent cheese dish to share for the festive season?
Say no more. Just click this link for my post on Camembert Two Ways. It’s so so easy and literally a show-stopper on the table and in your mouth. There’s a little video here too, but be warned—it is addictive…
What can I do for a light, pretty French-style dessert with a certain élegance ?
I’ll say it. It’s not cheating to find, buy and serve the very prettiest little store-bought patisseries. Since I personally like to have just a tiny bite of a number of desserts rather than one big thing, my secret is to buy beautiful individually portioned desserts and cut them up into mouthwatering, easy-to-eat morsels.
Wishing you the most wonderful holiday celebrations, wherever you are.
Bonnes fêtes, les amis !
I’m so in love with your Substack Karen! You always make me laugh and fall in love again with France. You have what my mother called a personality. In spades! and am so happy to know you’re a fan of crémant 🥂
Merci Judy et Bonne Année 2025 !