Brasserie
Encyclopedia
In France
and the Francophone world, a brasserie is a type of French restaurant with a relaxed, upscale setting, which serves single dishes and other meals. The word 'brasserie' is also French
for "brewery
" and, by extension, "the brewing business". A brasserie can be expected to have professional service, printed menus, and, traditionally, white linen -- unlike a bistro
which may have none of these. Typically, a brasserie is open every day of the week and serves the same menu all day.
The origin of the word in all probability stems from the fact that beer was brewed on the premises rather than brought in: thus an inn would brew its own beer as well as supply food and invariably accommodation too.
In Northern France, particularly towards the Belgian border (an area traditionally redolent of brewing French style beers), there has been a welcome revival of old breweries which had been converted into restaurants and hotels, reverting to brewing their own beer as micro-brewers. The term is often used in the United Kingdom
applied to small metropolitan restaurants, usually in city centres, however it generally has no connection with brewing.
brasser "to brew," from Old French
bracier, from Vulgar Latin
braciare, of Celtic
origin. Its first usage in English was in 1864.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the Francophone world, a brasserie is a type of French restaurant with a relaxed, upscale setting, which serves single dishes and other meals. The word 'brasserie' is also French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for "brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
" and, by extension, "the brewing business". A brasserie can be expected to have professional service, printed menus, and, traditionally, white linen -- unlike a bistro
Bistro
A bistro, sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Home cooking with robust earthy dishes, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet are typical...
which may have none of these. Typically, a brasserie is open every day of the week and serves the same menu all day.
The origin of the word in all probability stems from the fact that beer was brewed on the premises rather than brought in: thus an inn would brew its own beer as well as supply food and invariably accommodation too.
In Northern France, particularly towards the Belgian border (an area traditionally redolent of brewing French style beers), there has been a welcome revival of old breweries which had been converted into restaurants and hotels, reverting to brewing their own beer as micro-brewers. The term is often used in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
applied to small metropolitan restaurants, usually in city centres, however it generally has no connection with brewing.
Etymology
"Brasserie" is French, literally, "brewery," from Middle FrenchMiddle French
Middle French is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from 1340 to 1611. It is a period of transition during which:...
brasser "to brew," from Old French
Old French
Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
bracier, from Vulgar Latin
Vulgar Latin
Vulgar Latin is any of the nonstandard forms of Latin from which the Romance languages developed. Because of its nonstandard nature, it had no official orthography. All written works used Classical Latin, with very few exceptions...
braciare, of Celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
origin. Its first usage in English was in 1864.