A la

Carte, a type of menu in a restaurant.

A la Carte

An a la carte menu is a system in restaurants and hotels where customers select individual dishes from a menu in a restaurant, as opposed to table d'hôte, where a set menu is offered. It is an early 19th century loan from French meaning "according to the menu".

The individual dishes to be ordered may include side dishes, or the side dishes may be offered separately, in which case, they are also considered a la carte.

History

The phrase a la carte is a French phrase which means "from the card" and is used in restaurant terminology in one of two ways. The term originally denoted the practice of offering customers a choice from the bill of fare of the day. The earliest examples of a complete a la carte menu are from the fourteenth century, and it is believed that the practice originated in France.

Usage

In the early 19th century, a la carte was introduced in England by John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, and has been used in the English language since the 1830s. The term is used to denote a menu system where the customer orders a dish from a list of options and pays for them separately, rather than a table d'hôte (table of the host) where a menu set is served at a fixed total price.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantages of a la carte menus include the option for the customer to choose their own meal combination, which can lead to higher customer satisfaction. However, it can also lead to longer wait times as each dish is prepared individually. Additionally, a la carte menus can often be more expensive than set menus.

See Also

• Table d'hôte
• Menu
• Restaurant