Follow These Rules When You're in Someone's Home in Paris

When you move to Paris, you'll find that we love inviting people to our homes. I've hosted my fair share of soirées myself, which are always fun. That is when my guests followed the socially set rules on what to do when you're invited to someone else's home. Having been a frequent guest myself, these already come naturally to me. But for you who may not be familiar with our social customs in Paris, allow me to help you out. I'll share some important tips with you here, such as what to bring, what to say, when to say it, and more.

Never Drop By Uninvited

If you came from America, for example, where dropping by your neighbor's house is fairly common, then I ought to tell you that this is something you should never do in France. I guarantee that if you go to someone else's place here in Paris, even if they're your close friend, you'll only be met with confusion, anger, and awkwardness. The French don't play! They can easily cut you off when you do something as egregious as that more than once. I've seen it happen myself, and it's never pretty. So, even if you're itching to visit your friend, just wait for their invitation!

Always Dress Well

You always have to dress to impress the French! Even more so the Parisians! Now, I'm not saying you have to wear designer clothes or look like you just attended a show at Paris Fashion Week. Parisians are not as snooty as stereotypes will have you believe. Nevertheless, when they invite you over to their place, they expect you to clean yourself up. Wash your face, put on a nice but simple outfit, and do your hair. The extra effort will go the extra mile, especially if the person inviting you is a work colleague or even a client!

Ask if You Should Bring Something

When someone invites you to their home in Paris, a good response (after saying thank you, of course!) is to ask if you should bring something. It's not necessarily a requirement, but like dressing up for your host/ess, doing so will go a long way. There's a chance you don't really need to because they're either gonna prepare the food & drinks themselves, or they might get it catered. But if you still ask, even out of politeness, they'll appreciate the gesture. It might even convince them to invite you again and again!

Greet Everyone in The Room

Now, on the day of the soirée or whatever it is the host invited you to their place for, don't forget to greet everyone in the room. If you know everyone, don't leave anyone out! I can't tell you how many times a person forgot to greet someone in the room, and it really made everything awkward. But what if you don't know the other people, you might ask? Well, just wait until the host/ess introduces you to them. Don't worry! They usually do. If they don't, you can simply tell them to introduce you to the people in the room.

Compliment Their Home

A few small compliments never hurt anybody! When someone in Paris invites you to their home, there's a good chance they prepared it extra hard. They probably cleaned it to the smallest corner, and they might have even added a few decorations or changed up the layout. Give them a small compliment about their space, and you'll see them light up as if you gave them the best news ever! And to some, knowing that people like how they did their home is the best news ever. Just don't go overboard, though, because that can go south in a heartbeat!

Socialize!

Don't ever forget to socialize! If the host/ess didn't just invite you and had other people over, you have the social responsibility to socialize. Even if you think you might not get along with the crowd, don't just stick to the host/ess or stay glued to a corner of the space, ignoring everybody. Not only will that make things awkward, but it can easily ruin the entire mood, thereby ruining the event. Do you want to ruin your friend or colleague's soirée at home? Do you think you could do that if said host/ess is your boss at work or your business client?

Wait Until Everyone is Served Before Eating

Perhaps the biggest faux pax you could commit when you're invited to someone else's home in Paris is to start eating before everyone else has been served. You have to wait until other guests have food on their plates before you start! Not only is it rude, but you're sure to never get invited back, no matter how close you are to the host/ess. Maybe doing it once by mistake can get you a pass, especially if you're a foreigner on their first time in Paris. But if you do it twice on the same night or in the same place and to the same host/ess, never expect an invitation ever again!

Bring Along Some Gifts

Firstly, this is different to the earlier point of asking your host/ess if you should bring something. That part is mostly about bringing food or drinks to add to their menu. This one, on the other hand, is about giving a little something to your host/ess as a thank you for the invitation. Emphasis on “little” too! It's also a faux pas to give an expensive and/or big gift to your host/ess. A good rule of thumb is to give them affordable treats, a bottle of wine, or something small enough that they can open it right then and there.



Here are a few tips that will truly help you when you’re invited to someone’s home in Paris. In my experience, this advice will ensure that you have a good time and that you’ll more than likely get invited back!