What Is A Full Course Meal? - Full Course Meals Explained (2024)

Determining whether you’re having a full course meal helps you plan how long your dinner will take and can help you plan for costs. It might even influence how hungry you let yourself get before arriving at the restaurant.

What Are the Courses in a Meal?

Meals are divided into courses, which refers to items served together at once. For example, soup and crackers are a course, as are a salad, dressing, and bread served together. There is usually a pause in between courses, and the parts of a meal are brought out in a specific order. For example, if you order dessert and a main dish — two examples of courses — your entrée will arrive before the dessert unless you specify you want a different order.

Full Course Meals

Full course meals are made up of three courses: an appetizer, main dish, and dessert. Also known as a three-course meal or a standard course meal, you will sometimes see restaurants offering a full menu with these three items.

You can add more courses to a full course meal. This will add to the course length, so a four-course dinner will include an appetizer, main dish, and dessert but also a fourth course — hors-d'oeuvres — served before the appetizer. If you choose a five-course dinner, you’ll get a four-course meal with a salad after the appetizer, before the main dish.

You can adapt the number of courses to suit your occasion. For example, if you’re planning a wedding reception, you will probably want a three-course or four-course meal, since that is standard. The same applies to wedding rehearsal dinners. Very formal dinners may include more courses.

In total, you can have up to 12 courses, which will arrive in the following order:

  • Hors-d'oeuvres
  • Amuse-bouche
  • Soup
  • Appetizer
  • Salad
  • Fish
  • First main dish
  • Palate cleanser course
  • Second main dish
  • Cheese plate
  • Dessert
  • Post-meal drinks and pastries

By removing the cheese plate and Amuse-bouche and keeping the courses in this order, you will get a 10-course meal.

Vegetarian and Vegan Planning

If you want to create a full course meal but you are dining with someone who is vegan, vegetarian or has other dietary considerations, you will want to make sure every course you plan for has options for your guests. This is especially important at an event like a wedding, where there may be a fixed menu.

One option is to make a reservation at a restaurant like Forklift & Palate, which has menus which can accommodate gluten-friendly and dairy-free diners. We also have options for vegans and vegetarians, as well as diners with nut allergies, shellfish allergies, and other dietary needs.

Our location in the Spooky Nook Sports complex allows us to serve large groups and host a variety of special events, private parties, and big groups. Our dining area serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and our sustainable place can serve parties of up to 600 in our atrium. Check out our menu or make a reservation today.

Learn More About Food Etiquette

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Published
04/30/2021

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What Is A Full Course Meal? - Full Course Meals Explained (2024)

FAQs

What is the meaning of full course meal? ›

A full-course dinner is a dinner consisting of multiple dishes, or courses. In its simplest form, it can consist of three or four courses; for example: first course, a main course, and dessert. Full course dinner.

How many plates is a full course meal? ›

The basic full course meal consists of three or four courses. They normally begin with precursors to a main dish, such as an amuse-bouche, followed by the main course(s), and they are finished off with sweets, coffee, and tea. Full course meals frequently take place at someone's home, at a venue, or at a restaurant.

What are the 7 courses of a meal? ›

7 Course Meal.
  • hors d'oeuvre).
  • soup).
  • fish course).
  • palate cleanser).
  • main course).
  • cold salad).
  • dessert).

What are the 3 meal courses? ›

The three-course meal includes an appetizer, entrée, and dessert.

What are the 5 main course meal? ›

A typical five-course meal consists of one-bite hors d'oeuvres, a plated appetizer, a palate-cleansing salad, the main entrée, and dessert. In some cases, you can omit the hors d'oeuvres and insert a soup between the appetizer and salad courses.

What are the 4 meal courses? ›

The four-course meal consists of a soup, an appetizer, an entrée, and dessert.

Why is it called a 4 course meal? ›

A four-course meal is a meal that consists of four parts served one after the other. The restaurant is offering two-course, three-course and four-course meals with table service. The four-course meal consists of a soup, an appetizer, an entrée, and dessert.

Is it 3 or 4 course meal? ›

Three-course meals have an appetizer, an entrée, and dessert. A four-course dinner includes a soup, salad, entrée, and dessert. Five-course meals serve an appetizer, soup, entrée, dessert, and cheese. A six-course meal offers hors-d'oeuvres, soup, fish, and an entrée, followed by salad, coffee, and dessert.

Does a 3 course meal include dessert? ›

A three-course meal is a meal that consists of three parts served one after the other. A three-course meal in a local restaurant will not cost more than $10. The three-course meal includes an appetizer, entrée, and dessert.

What does a 12 course meal consist of? ›

Typically, the 12+ course chef's tasting menu consists of hors-d'oeuvres, amuse-bouche, soup, appetizer, salad, fish, main course, palate cleaner, second main course, cheese course, dessert, and end of the meal dessert. You'll be able to choose your meal ahead of time when you make your reservations.

What is the main course of a meal called? ›

In the United States and Canada (except Quebec), the main course is traditionally called an "entrée". English-speaking Québécois follow the modern French use of the term entrée to refer to a dish served before the main course.

Do you serve soup or salad first? ›

When soup is served for a luncheon or dinner, Emily Post's “Etiquette” offers the following advice: --Soup should be the first of six courses. It should be followed by fish, the entree, salad, dessert and coffee.

What are the meal categories? ›

7 Meals of the Day
  • breakfast. The first meal of the day. ...
  • brunch. A meal eaten in the late morning, instead of BReakfast and lUNCH. ( ...
  • elevenses. A snack (for example, biscuits and coffee). ...
  • lunch. A meal in the middle of the day. ...
  • tea. A light afternoon meal of sandwiches, cakes etc, with a drink of tea. ...
  • supper. ...
  • dinner.

Why do we have 3 course meals? ›

This is because the menu is based on a standard three course meal. A three course meal is the standard way most people eat their dinners. A three course meal consists of three dishes that are served one after the other. Appetizer first, then the main course and finally a dessert.

How long does a 3 course meal take? ›

Give it at least 2 hours maybe more if you have dessert or an after dinner drink.

What can be served as a main course? ›

Top 10 List: Favorite Main Dishes
  • Beef Enchiladas.
  • Beer and Brown Sugar Kielbasa & Sauerkraut.
  • Coconut Shrimp with Mango Dipping Sauce.
  • Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce.
  • Favorite Meatloaf.
  • Frito Pie.
  • General Tso's Chicken.
  • Greek Lamb Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce.
27 Apr 2015

How many courses are in a French meal? ›

French family meals typically have four courses, although a fifth course is sometimes included. The traditional course structure begins with a drink and appetizer (nuts or crackers), called aperitif.

What is 4pm meal called? ›

Afternoon tea – mid-afternoon meal, typically taken at 4 pm, consisting of light fare such as small sandwiches, individual cakes and scones with tea.

How many courses can you have in a meal? ›

Make sure you have enough of each to serve your courses. A three-course meal usually has an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert. A four course meal might include a soup, an appetizer, a main course, and dessert. A five course meal can include a soup, an appetizer, a salad, a main course, and a dessert.

Is pasta a main course? ›

The primo: In Italy, pasta is a first course, or primo, served as an appetizer, not as the main event. Soup, rice, and polenta are the other options for the primo. The secondo: The main course is called il secondo, or the second course. Chicken, meat, or fish are the usual choices, and portions are generally small.

What does a 2 course meal consist of? ›

The most basic full course meal is made up of 2 or 3 of the following courses: an appetizer, a main dish, and a dessert. So, the conclusion, two course menu only consist of two courses of meal, such as appetizer and main dish, main dish and dessert, soup and main dish, etc.

What are the 17 meal courses in a classic menu? ›

17 French course menu
  • 1 – Hors-d oeuvre / Appetiser. ...
  • 2 – Potage / Soup. ...
  • 3 – Oeuf / Egg. ...
  • 4 – Farinaceous / Farineaux / Pasta or Rice. ...
  • 5 – Poisson / Fish. ...
  • 6 – Entrée / Entree. ...
  • 7 – Sorbet / Sorbet. ...
  • 8 – Releves / Joints.

What is the last course of a meal called? ›

Synonyms for DESSERT

Thanks for visiting The Crossword Solver "Final course of a meal".

What is the difference between main course and main dish? ›

The main course is food that is served as the main dish in a multi-course meal. It is often served after the entrée. In the United States, the main course may be called the "entrée".

What is the meal after dinner called? ›

The modern usage of "supper" varies considerably; sometimes supper is still used to describe a light snack or meal in the evening, either after or instead of dinner, but often it replaces dinner as the term for the main evening meal.

What is the difference between main course and entrée? ›

Modern French cuisine

In France, the modern meaning of "entrée" on a restaurant menu is the small course that precedes the main course in a three-course meal, i.e., the course which in British usage is often called the "starter" and in American usage the "appetizer".

Why do they eat salad last in Italy? ›

One of the main reasons that traditional Italian meals have salads served after a large meal instead of before is to cleanse the palate, or the roof of the mouth. You probably know that after you eat, sometimes the taste of your meal can linger in your mouth for some time afterwards.

What salad should be served first? ›

Appetizer salads — light, smaller-portion salads served as the first course of the meal. Side salads — to accompany the main course as a side dish; examples include potato salad and coleslaw. Main course salads — usually containing a portion of one or more high-protein foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, legumes, or ...

Why eat salad at end of meal? ›

It aids in digestion.

These cultures believe that when you're consuming a large meal over a period of several hours, it's best to eat salad near the end of the dining experience to give your digestive system an added kick of fiber at the ideal time.

What are the 6 types of menus? ›

What Are The Five Types of Menus? The five types of menus most commonly used are a la carte menus, static menus, du jour menus, cycle menus, and fixed menus.

What is 2 course and 3 course meal? ›

A two-course meal serves either a soup/salad followed by an entrée or a main course and finishes with a dessert item. Three-course meals have an appetizer, an entrée, and dessert. A four-course dinner includes a soup, salad, entrée, and dessert. Five-course meals serve an appetizer, soup, entrée, dessert, and cheese.

Why do we have 3 course meal? ›

The origins of eating in three parts can be traced back to 9th-century Spain when Persian musician, poet, and teacher Ziryab insisted meals be served in intervals: a soup, followed by a main dish, concluded with a sweet dessert.

What's a six course meal? ›

A meal expanded to six courses means adding an appetizer, soup and palate cleanser prior to the main course, and serving the salad after. The order is usually appetizers, soup, palate cleanser, entree, salad and dessert.

What are the 12 courses of a meal? ›

Typically, the 12+ course chef's tasting menu consists of hors-d'oeuvres, amuse-bouche, soup, appetizer, salad, fish, main course, palate cleaner, second main course, cheese course, dessert, and end of the meal dessert. You'll be able to choose your meal ahead of time when you make your reservations.

How long is a 3 course meal? ›

For example, a 3-course meal can take an hour to serve and eat, while a 5-course meal can take 2 or more hours. If you don't want to be serving all night, then perhaps you should start with a more modest number, like 3.

Who decided 3 meals a day? ›

The three meals per day concept originated with Englanders who achieved financial prosperity. European settlers brought their eating habits with them to America. Unfortunately, practicing antiquated, meal etiquette often causes you to consume calories when you're not hungry.

Why do Americans have dinner at 4? ›

Growing up in America, we usually ate even earlier - 5-6:00 pm. This was around the time people got home from work. Kids did not come home for lunch, but ate at school from 12-12:30, followed by a whole afternoon of more classes and after-school activities, and waiting until 7:00 would have been difficult.

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