The guide to European elegance.
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Greetings and introductions, the art of conversation, the table and the dishes that catch people out, wine and toasts, restaurants, the art of being a guest and of giving gifts, dress codes, life’s great occasions, poise, writing and social media, travelling in Europe, work, and faux pas.
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Why good manners are back
The first few seconds
At the table
Being a guest
Dressing for the occasion
Etiquette today
When things go wrong
« I read it in one sitting. Clear, elegant, never stuffy: I finally understood the codes nobody had ever taught me. Essential. »
92 pages · Secure payment
Offert à mon fils de 19 ans avant son premier stage. Il l’a lu en un week-end, et je ne le reconnais plus à table.
I’ve lived in Paris for a year and still panicked every time someone leaned in for la bise. This finally explained it. The bit on vous vs tu too, wish I’d read that before meeting my landlord.
Saved me at a dinner in Burgundy. Oysters, artichokes, an entire cheese board, and I knew exactly what to do with all of it. That has genuinely never happened before.
Le chapitre sur les dress codes est devenu ma bible. Je l’ai relu la veille d’un mariage, et j’étais le seul à avoir compris « tenue de ville ».
Bought it for my daughter before her semester in Florence. She texted me after her first formal dinner just to say thanks. That’s a first.
À 62 ans, je pensais tout savoir. J’ai appris des choses, et surtout compris pourquoi on les fait.
Elegant without being snobby, which is rare for this kind of book. Half my book club has a copy now.
Clair, élégant, jamais ringard. Je l’ai offert à ma sœur pour ses 30 ans, elle me l’a déjà prêté deux fois.
Moving to London from Sydney and honestly a bit intimidated by it all. This made me feel a lot less like a tourist at the table.
Même au Québec, certains codes européens nous échappent. Le chapitre sur le voyage en Europe est parfait avant un séjour.
In France, everything begins with bonjour.
Every chapter slips in a story, a scene from a film or a little-known custom.
In Nice, in 2013, a café put up a chalkboard that became famous. “A coffee” cost 7 euros, “A coffee, please” 4.25 euros, and “Hello, a coffee, please” just 1.40 euros.
The owner never really charged those prices. The effect, however, was very real: his regulars began laying on the politeness, laughing as they did.
Chapter 3, Greetings and introductions
Yes. The guide starts from scratch and explains the logic behind every custom.
Quite the opposite: it is about putting others at ease, never about judging them.
By email, within a minute: a PDF you can read on your phone, tablet and computer.
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The complete guide to looking at a work of art and knowing how to talk about it
The complete guide to watching a film and knowing how to talk about it
