answersLogoWhite

0

À la carte is a French language loan phrase meaning "according to the menu", and used in restaurant terminology as:

  • A reference to a menu of items priced and ordered separately, rather than selected from a list of preset multi-course meals at fixed prices, in contrast to a table d'hôte, at which a menu with limited or no choice is served at a fixed price.
  • To designate an option to choose, at no extra charge, a side dish to accompany a main course item.

The phrase was adopted into English in 1826, predating by a decade the common use of the French language loanword "menu"

(from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago

What else can I help you with?