Discover the fine art of the French Apéro. The time of day in France to unwind and socialize before dinner with a light drink (or two), a salty snack, and your favourite people. Sounds simple, but it’s a time-honoured French tradition that confuses so many people.
French Apero time, known in France as “l’heure de l’apero!” No doubt you’ve heard about it, but do you really know what it is?
- Is it an appetizer?
- Is it the evening meal?
- Is it alcoholic beverages?
- Is it similar to happy hour or maybe a cocktail party?
- Is it an occasion?
- What time is apéro hour?
- What kind of French food and drinks do you eat during apero time?
Let’s demystify this wonderful French tradition by exploring all these questions and more.
THE BASICS: What Is An Apéro And Apéro Time?
Apero
There’s no English equivalent for the French word Apero.
If you look up the word “Apéro” in a French dictionary, it will tell you that apéro, short for apéritif, is two things at once.
1 ) apero is the moment before dinner to enjoy a pre diner drink (usually alcoholic) with others or alone while nibbling on a light salty snack.
2) An apéro is also the pre dinner drink which you enjoy during apéro time: (usually alcohol)
Although accurate, the dictionarys definition doesn’t give the full picture and little nuances.
The purpose of apero time is to unwind or socialize at the end of the day before dinner and to stimulate the appetite.
Traditionally, the type of predinner served during apero time, called apéritif drinks, are meant to do just that, stimulate the appetite but without ruining it so they are usually bitter, sweet and light in alcohol.
I have an extensive guide and list all about French aperitif drinks here.
And the light snack and nibbles are salty to stimulate thirst; such as a bowl of green olives or crisps. The snack shouldn’t ruin the appetite either.
Common Apero time expressions
When it’s apero time in France, people will usually say, “On prend un apéro? (shall we take an apero?)
Another common way to say it’s apero time in French is “C’est l’heure de l’apéro.” This phase usually gets translated to English as “It’s Apero Hour,“ but idiomatically, it means “It’s Apero time.”
Here are some examples of other common French phrases using “C’est l’heure de…”
- It’s Apero time = C’est l’heure de l’apéro.
- It’s diner time = C’est l’heure du dîner.
- It’s bed time= C’est l’heure de dormir
- It’s time to workout= C’est l’heure de s’entraîner.
A BRIEF HISTORY ABOUT THE APERO IN FRANCE
The Apero is not a French invention. It’s a tradition that dates back thousands of years:
Good food has been central to social life throughout human history.
The French apéritif and Italian Aperitivo from Latin “aperire” to open have ancient roots that date back to the Egyptians, followed by the Greeks and Romans.
In Roman times, the wealthy elite liked to whet their appetite before dinner parties and banquets with a Gustatio (“tasting” or “appetizer”).
These tastings were always accompanied by medicinal wine containing herbs,
This meant that appetite-inducing wines were usually bitter (to induce hunger) but honey or sugar was added to cut the bitterness. (Sugar was considered a medicine and a spice).
A popular aperitif drink of the time was probably spiced red wine such as Hypocras.
Hypocras wine is very similar to spiced glühwein (mulled wine), known in France as Vin Chaud and commonly sold at French Christmas markets. Sangria and Vermouth are descendants of Hypocras wine and can be enjoyed as aperitif drinks.
Apero time wasn’t a thing in France until 1850-1890
Despite having ancient roots, the apero time tradition of eating and drinking appetite opening food and drinks for enjoyment vs health reason is a relatively new thing “in France and Italy.”
Italian Vermouth Started the Aperitif drink craze in Italy in 1786.
In 1786, Antonio Benedetto Carpano invented modern Vermouth in Turin, Italy, which he made by infusing with more than 30 herbs and
He sweetened his spirit, which he believed would be a more suitable alcoholic drink for ladies than red wines.
He called his drink vermouth, from the German word “Wermut” (wormwood). Carpano led an aggressive advertising campaign that began the craze for alcoholic aperitifs created purely for enjoyment and not a cure for some ailment.
Meanwhile, in France’s
In 1811, Joseph Noilly created Noilly vermouth, the first French-style Vermouth which was not sweet like the Italian Vermouth. Source: France Culture
1889: Apero Time Culture begins in France:
A Parisian wine merchant and chemist named Joseph Dubonnet is credited with taking the ancient Greek and Roman traditions and popularizing them throughout France.
In 1846, Dubonnet created a fortified wine-liqueur as a way to deliver quinine to French Foreign Legion soldiers in the humid mosquito-infested terrain of North Africa as a cure for Malaria.
Dubonnet aromatized his elixir with a secret formula of herbs,
It worked and people began drinking his elixir because they loved it and not as a cure for Malaria.
The legend is that Dubonnet’s wife also loved the elixir. So much so, she served it to her friends with small finger foods.
Dubonnet eventually marketed his concoction as an appetite opening aperitif drink in France.
We have to wait a few more decades until the aperitif drink becomes French apero time in France.
By 1889, l’heure de l’apero starts to take hold of French culture as a social occasion to be shared over a drink and light salty snack.
THE FINE ART OF THE FRENCH APERO EXPLAINED IN DETAIL!
What Time is Apero?
Take a walk through any French town in France at the end of the day or in the early evening between 7 and 9 pm.
Like magic, you’ll see empty terraces and cafes come to life with people chatting away while sipping on French apéritif drinks and nibbling on a small salty snack.
Around the same time terraces are coming to life, some friends and families are also gathering in homes across France to enjoy each other’s company over a and small plates of nibbly bits.
This is Apéro time (l’heure de l’apéro).
“There’s nothing better than a friend,
except a friend to enjoy an apero with “
“Il n’y a rien de meilleur qu’un ami,
sauf si c’est un ami avec l’apéro!”
7 to 9 pm might seem late, but dinner is served much later in France and much of Europe. Most restaurants don’t open until 7:30 pm or 8:00 pm, with things picking up pace around 9:00 pm, ending well past 10 pm or 11 pm.
So while happy hour usually ends between (5 pm to 7 pm), apéro time is just beginning around 6 or 7 pm and can last until 8 pm or 9 pm but sometimes continues to 10 pm and beyond.
What to expect during an apero
Apero time at a restaurant, café terrace, at the beach and beyond
If you’re meeting someone after work for l’heure de l’apero, the server will usually bring you something salty to nibble on; a bowl of green olives, black olives, pistachios, peanuts, or pretzels etc.
These salty snacks are usually free, but some places have small bites you can order for an additional cost, tapenade, focaccia bread, etc.
Don’t be confused: When you sit down for diner in a restaurant, servers will often ask if you would like an aperitif before the meal. They are simply asking you if you would like a beverage to start. In this case you can order something classic like a Kir or a glass of rosé. Or pick up the menu and flip to the aperitif drink section.
Apero time at someone’s home, maybe yours?
If you’re invited to someone’s house for an apéro, the spread might be a little more elaborate or substantial than the free olives and pistachios served at a cafe terrace.
There might be three or more choices like cheese, saucisson, pâté, a bowl of cherry tomatoes, chips, or something to spread on slices of bread. There will be alcohol too.
“Whether it’s a problem or a question, apero is always the answer.”
“Quel que soit le problème ou la question, l’apéro est toujours la bonne réponse!”
WHAT APÉRO IS AND IS NOT:
Sometimes to better understand what something is, we have to look at WHAT IT IS NOT.
Apéro time is not the same as happy hour or cocktail party
I’ve seen some articles describe an apéro as being similar to happy hour, cocktail parties and even English “high tea.”
Sure, like the French apero time, all three involve food, drink and socializing.
In reality, the French apéro time is much more with a set of traditions and unsaid rules, and that is where people unfamiliar with this tradition get confused.
Here are some of the main differences.
APERO IS A WIDESPREAD TRADITION: Happy hour & cocktail parties are not
Many French alcohol and snack companies have conducted marketing studies to determine the apéro habits of French people.
One of the most glaring differences between an apero, happy hour and cocktail parties is that Apero time is a tradition that most French people experience regularly. It’s estimated that roughly 70% to 80% of French people in France regularly enjoy an apéro. Those numbers only increase during the holidays and weekends!
Whereas, you can go your whole life without ever having experienced a cocktail party or happy hour because they ARE NOT traditions.
Here are some studies conducted on the apero hour in France.
- A survey conducted by Deliveroo France concluded that 6/10 people in France take an apéro at least once a month. 3/10 people enjoy an apéro once a week, and 1/10 people take an apéro every day.
- This 2020 study found that 5/10 people surveyed enjoyed an apéro at least once a week.
- This study asked 1011 French people about their apéro time habits: foods served, locations and frequency. This is what they found:
- 21% of people surveyed enjoyed an apéro one or more times per week.
- 54% enjoyed an apéro 1 to 3 times per month
- 19% enjoyed an apéro 1 to 10 times per year.
- Only 6% of people surveyed enjoyed less than one apéro per year.
- Studies have even shown that taking an apero with your spouse or significant other is good for your relationship.
Apéro is not an appetizer.
Apero is not an appetizer or the starter dish consumed at the beginning of the meal before the first course.
The apéro is separate from the meal courses. You can have an apero at one place, then get up and leave to have your meal someplace else. Or you can have an apero on the terrace of a restaurant and then decide you also want to have diner there.
Apéro is not a full meal, but an Apero dînatoire IS a full meal
Anything goes when it comes to apero food, but the plates are small, salty or savoury, and bite-sized; little to no cutting is required. And you don’t fill up on the small plates because you don’t or shouldn’t ruin your appetite before the actual meal.
There is an exception, the apéro dînatoire.
Apero dînatoire is exactly the same as an apero except for timing, amount and types of food served.
Time: While an apero happens before dinner and is not meant to be a full meal, Apéro dînatoire is a dinner.
Amount of food: The plates served during an apero dinatoire are the equivalent of an entire meal in finger food portions. And the plates are more elaborate.
Apero dinatoire is almost exclusively something enjoyed at someone’s house, and not a restaurant.
LOCATION: APERO TIME CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE: Happy hour and a cocktail party cannot.
Unlike happy hour, which is always at a bar, or a cocktail party that is usually at someone’s home or an event, you can literally enjoy an aperitif anywhere.
On a café terrace, at someone’s house, at the beach, picnic-style along the Seine river, on the steps of an old church, at the office, on a
APERO TIME CAN HAPPEN FOR ANY OCCASION: Happy hour cannot.
Unlike happy hour and cocktail parties, an invitation to an apéro can be for any occasion. Here are just a few.
- Apéro birthday party
- Apero Christmas party
- Weekly apero family get together
- Apero Retirement party
- Apero party to celebrate passing an important exam
- Apero dinnatoire marriage.
- Apero at the end of a business meeting
- An apero end of year school party
- After parent-teacher meetings.
- Just because you want to for no other reason.
There is no limit to what type of occasion an apero is suited for. The most important thing is it happens before diner, but sometimes people take an apero before lunch.
APERO CAN BE CASUAL AND STRESS-FREE: Cocktail parties are the opposite.
Cocktail parties are usually fancy events, where guests stand enjoying hors-d’oeuvre, and the host has spent hours planning something elaborate for guests.
The main goal of an apero is to relax, enjoy yourself and socialize. It means no slaving over the stove preparing a meal while your guests wait and watch you. Not only will you not be able to relax, but it’s not very relaxing for your guests to watch you zipping around the kitchen trying to cook and get things together.
This is why it’s crucial to serve certain types of food items at an apero party. Good food and dishes that you can put out ahead of time that can be eaten at room temperature.
If it’s casual, a
If it’s fancy, choose fancier food and better quality: a giant charcuterie board with saucisson, paté, excellent cheeses and wine.
AN APERO CAN BE IMPROVISED OR IMPROMPTU: Cocktail parties cannot.
Apero time can be as fancy as you want for special occasions and get-togethers. But more often than not, apero time is usually very low-key and not fancy at all. Can you imagine having a fancy apero every week?
It’s too much work to do so often.
This is why an apero can be with whatever you have on hand in the cupboards—a bowl of nuts and a glass of wine and each other’s company.
CHILDREN ARE VERY WELCOME DURING APERO TIME: But usually not at happy hour or cocktail parties.
Another critical difference between an Apéro, happy hour and cocktail parties is children.
Children are not excluded from apéro get-togethers, especially at someone’s house or outdoors, such as at the beach or picnic style.
Apero culture is ingrained in French culture; it’s not uncommon for young people as early as 17 or 18 years to have aperos with their friends.
WHAT PEOPLE USUALLY SERVE DURING APÉRO TIME (AT HOME)
APERO DRINKS: Not all drinks are appropriate apéritif drinks
When it comes to happy hour and cocktail drinks, anything goes.
But apéritif drinks are meant to stimulate the appetite, and therefore should meet specific criteria:
- Have a low alcohol content (not to get drunk or ruin the appetite)
- Bitter and sweet (Bitter to whet the appetite and sweet to cut the bitterness).
A cocktail can count as an apéritif, but the limit is usually one maybe two aperitif drinks before everyone heads their separate ways to have dinner.
There are no sweets desserts during apéro time.
In French culture, sweets are eaten after the savoury parts of the meal are finished. This means that all deserts are taken after all the courses are finished: appetizer, main course and cheese course.
Since an apéro is an appetite opening (not squashing) predinner event, eating sweets is a nono because it would not only ruin your appetite, but you would be eating sweets before you even start the main meal.
The exception is during an apero dinatoire.
It’s ok to serve something sweet at the end of an apero dinatoire because it is the main meal. You can also serve an after-dinner digestif drink and coffee at an apero dinatoire but not for an apero.
Food Should be ready to go and can be served at room temperature
None of your food should need additional cooking or attention. You’re buying components to mix and match everything. If you want to make something in advance like mini quiches, that’s fine, but, again, no one should be stuck cooking in the kitchen.
An apero is the perfect time to try new or fancier food products that you wouldn’t usually eat or serve your family:
The food served for l’apéro can also be regional.
For instance, in Marseille and Nice, the specialty is Panisse and Socca, both made with chickpeas and not really popular or readily available in other parts of France.
In the south of France, anchoïade, a garlic anchovy paste which you spread on small pieces of bread or as a dip for carrots and cucumbers, usually makes an appearance.
The closer you get to Spain, the more likely you’ll come across Tapas.
French grocery stores aisles where people buy their apéro products
In France, the number one aisle people usually shop for their aperitif goods is the apéritif aisle which usually has chips, salty cookies, pretzels and fancy
In the refrigerated section, you’ll find bellinis and spreads such as tzatziki and in the condiment aisles cornichons.
At the top of the list of things people serve at an apero party at home are crudités, carrots, celery, broccoli.
Not far behind are nuts, charcuterie, and cheese.
Then there are quiche and salty cakes, chips, crackers, olives, dips, spread, and small bites that one might prepare but can also be bought in French grocery stores.
Here are other small finger foods that make great apero food choices.
- Petits four: small bite-sized cooked items, Mini quiches, pigs in a blanket, pizza bites,
- canapes
- Toasts
- Verrines:
Cheese: Fromage
- Soft Cheeses: Crème de
gruyère ,camembert ,brie ,goat cheese/chèvre Semi Soft Cheese: Tomme de Savoie , Beaufort, mozzarella, Fourme d’Ambert,- Hard cheeses:Comté, Beaufort, Parmesan, pecorino, maredsous, etc.
Charcuterie: Cold meat
Saucisson sec - Jambon sec
- Prosciutto
- Salami
Foie gras - Pâté
- Rillettes
- Terrine
Spreads, Dips & Sauces: Tartinage
To eat with bread or with the cruidtés.
- Tzatziki
- Hummus
- Anchoiade (anchovy paste)
- Tapenade (an olive spread)
- Onion Confit (sweet onion jam)
- Tomatine: (type of tomato pesto: sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oils)
- Guacamole
- Yogurt or Creme fraiche garlic sauce
Vehicles:
- Baguette
- Crackers
- Breadsticks
- Fougasse (bread)
Veggies: Crudité:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Carrot sticks
- Radishes
- Cucumber
- Celery
- Broccoli
Fruits: Fruits
- Melon
- Grapes
Salty bites:
- Nuts
- Olives
- Pistachios
- Peanuts
- Cashews
- Chips / Crisps
- Tuiles: pringles shaped chips
Pickled items:
- Cornichons (Look like baby pickles but crunchier and not sweet).
- Oignons
- Capres
Small Bites precooked:
- Mussels
- Calamari
- Salty cakes
- Quiche (large or mini quiche)
- Pigs in a blanket (Roulées saucisses en pâte feuilletée)
- Pizza bites
QUANTITIES
Number of bites
When estimating food quantities, plan on serving around six bites per person per hour for a two-hour party.
For a light aperitif, it takes 4 to 5 bites per person. For a full apero dinatoire about 15 plus bites per person per hour.
Serve plenty of Aperitif drink.
Every good apéro has something alcoholic to drink, so count on serving light alcohol drinks that stimulate the appetite.
I’ve read some articles online that say wine is not part of an apero. That’s just not true. Wine is always recommended, even white wine and beer, but they should be light and crisp, not heavy.
In France, other apero drink staples fall under the fortified wine category, including liqueurs, port-like drinks and aromatized drinks. (see my guide on aperitif drinks)
In France: You can order apero kits delivered
For the busy person or someone who enjoys trying something new or different, there are kits you can order online.
There are also monthly apèro delivery services you can sign up for, which sends you an assortment of curated apéro snacks and wine la boîte apèro.
Apéro cheers is another curated apéro box service.
You can order apero platters at large grocery store chains such as Carrefour in France of dînatoire aperitifs for two to up to 30 people.
On U
These types of services probably don’t exist where you live unless you live in France. But as you can see, the apero time is serious business in France.
Bon apéro