Here's How French McDonald's Are Different From American Ones
First of all, French people call it "McDo."
Hi! I'm Marie, I'm French, and I'm here to talk to you about McDonald's. This may come as a surprise, but McDonald's is very popular in France.
And as I was reminded after I moved back to France after seven years in New York City, French McDonald's are pretty different from American ones.
The differences are true of any global McDonald's. But no matter what country you're in, locations are designed so you'll always recognize one.
In each country, McDonald's adapts itself and its menu, catering to local tastes and offering specific foods and experiences that you won't find elsewhere.
Here's a peek into the menu at McDonald's in France:
1. First things first: French people don't call it McDonald's. We call it McDo.
Les nuggets du McDo quelle bénédiction vraiment.
As this Twitter user says, "McDo's nuggets really are a blessing."
2. French McDo restaurants can actually get pretty fancy.
My fellow Americans, we’ve been duped. This is #McDonalds in France. And it looks good. 😃 #fastfood 🤔
They're not all as nice as this one, but French locations are usually very sleek and clean — much more inviting than the ones I visited when I lived in NYC. At McDo, you can order from screens, and many of them also feature a McCafé.
3. This is what the display at a French McCafé looks like.
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You can find several different flavors of macarons (tbh, not the best out there, but not terrible, either), Parisian flan, and canelés, along with more traditional American baked goods like muffins, cheesecake, and donuts.
4. In the morning, you can also get a croissant or a pain au chocolat with your coffee.
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Again, this won't be the world's FINEST croissant, and if you're visiting France, I'd suggest going to a bakery instead. But when you're stuck at the airport and the only thing open is a McDo, it's nice to have the option.
5. French breakfast isn't complete without bread and jam, which you'll also find at McCafés.
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You can pick among apricot, raspberry, and bitter orange jam.
6. And yes, in Paris you CAN buy a beer in a McDonald's.
Royal with cheese and a beer. France McDonalds is fantastic
Vincent Vega didn't lie. You can also buy beer at McDonald's in the rest of France, by the way.
7. While we're talking about Pulp Fiction, the Quarter Pounder with cheese was indeed called "le Royal Cheese" in France.
That's because, as Vincent pointed out, we use the metric system. But "le Royal Cheese" is actually not on the menu anymore — it was taken off in early 2019.
8. What you will find on the menu, though, is McDo's take on a croque-monsieur.
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It's called a "Croque McDo," and like a traditional croque-monsieur, it's a toasted sandwich with cheese and ham. I highly recommend it as a hangover cure.
9. You will also find a TRIPLE cheeseburger.
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Because double isn't enough for the real cheese lovers that we are.
10. Speaking of cheese, you can also get a burger with raclette and Emmentaler, two of the most beloved cheeses in France.
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This burger is called "le P'tit Fondu."
11. There's also "le Blue Cheese and Bacon" burger.
12. When it comes to sides, you can go traditional with some french fries or try the "potatoes," which are thick-cut potato wedges.
For authenticity, "potatoes" should be pronounced "poe-tah-toes" when you order them. They come with a "creamy deluxe" ("creemee duhlewxe") sauce, which is sort of a creamier mayo with chives in it. It's very good. If you want to go the lighter route, you can also order cherry tomatoes as a side, although I've never actually seen anyone do that.
13. Let's talk desserts! There is "le Very Parfait," an ice cream parfait with caramel, chocolate, or strawberry sauce, topped with a ton of whipped cream.
14. And, last but not least, the McFlurry. Just like the US, we have M&M's and Oreo toppings, but there are other options, too.
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You can get Kit Kat and Daim, a chocolate-and-caramel Swedish candy bar. And they've recently added a Biscoff speculoos option — that's the same flavor of the amazing cookie butter from Trader Joe's, and it's really very good.