This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. French to English
  3. Tourism & Travel

à Discrétion

English translation: Unlimited Buffet

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:à Discrétion
English translation:Unlimited Buffet
Entered by: Jana Cole (X)

14:40 Aug 4, 2007
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Tourism & Travel / Restaurants
French term or phrase: à Discrétion
Part of a high-class menu - "eat as much as you can" doesn't quite fit, but that's the idea!
Steven Durose
France
Local time: 09:21
Unlimited Buffet
Explanation:
Buffet is polite but doesn't specify all-you-can-eat. But, all-you-can-eat and smorgasbord are not appropriate for a high-end-restaurant.

It doesn't seem like the perfect / 100% analygous term exists.
Selected response from:

Jana Cole (X)
Local time: 00:21
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone for their thoughts. I think the "correct answer" really depends on the context. "All you can eat" might not look out of place in some US/UK/Canadian restaurants, however expensive, but for a French restaurant - for which this translation was done - I was concerned it might seem too low register. I liked the idea of just leaving "buffet", which is more elegant, but I went for "unlimited buffet" since the menu talks about a "buffet" option and a "buffet à discretion" option. In another context I might have put "Guests are invited to help themselves from the buffet..." too.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3Buffet
Carol Gullidge
4 +2all-you-can-eat
Enza Longo
4 +2unlimited x / as much x as you like
translatol
3Unlimited Buffet
Jana Cole (X)


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
all-you-can-eat


Explanation:
this how we refer to it in this neck of the woods - see references

Buffet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Another form known as the "all you can eat" buffet has a set fee and customers can help themselves to as much food as they wish to eat. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffet - 32k - Cached - Similar pages
All-You-Can-Eat Restaurants - Phoenix Buffet Restaurants
If you are really hungry or like a lot of variety when you go out to eat, these all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants in Phoenix will let you have lots of food ...
phoenix.about.com/od/foodanddrink/a/buffet.htm - 27k - Cached - Similar pages
Buffet - OCAU Wiki
East Maitlands Western. Bon Appetit Family Restaurant 61 Church St, Wollongong 2 hour buffet ... Thursday nights - sumptuous all-you-can-eat smorgasbord. ...
www.overclockers.com.au/wiki?title=Buffet&rcid=1786 - 26k - Cached - Similar pages


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 mins (2007-08-04 14:53:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

here's the definition of "à discretion" from Answers.com

discrétion: définition et bien plus d'Answers.com
- [ Translate this page ]
English to German, English to Spanish, English to French. English to Italian, English ... À discrétion: à volonté, autant qu'on veut -- Manger à discrétion. ...
fr.answers.com/topic/discr-tion-1 - 25k - Cached - Similar pages

Enza Longo
Canada
Local time: 03:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  islander1974: This is what people say now - I even saw a couple of restaurants like that in London on a visit the other day. Extremely common in the US.
19 mins
  -> Cheers!
agree  translatol: I withdraw my objection, having now seen this expression on the menu of a supposedly high-class New York restaurant (http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/la-tour/menus/dinner.ht...
20 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Buffet


Explanation:
Often seen in restaurants - a more polite/discrete way of stating that you serve yourself to as much food as (and as many times!) as you like.

Also: Buffet menu

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-08-04 17:02:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

a couple of refs:

mumbai indian buffet,is a 150 seater high class restaurant serving indian dishes and...
www.learn4good.com/jobs/language/english/search/company/250... - 33k - Cached - Similar pages

Buffet Island Restaurant Birmingham review. Restaurants in ...We thought the restaurant is a very high-class buffet restaurant and recommended it to everybody. Recommended by: Lisa - 08/10/2005 ...
www.sugarvine.com/Birmingham/reviews/review_detail.asp?rest... - 52k


Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 62

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jana Cole (X): At a high-end restaurant you wouldn't say all-you-can-eat or smorgasbord.
8 mins
  -> thanks, Jana! Buffet does of course imply all you can eat, since you help yourself to as much as you want
agree  Roni Osbern: I second that. Buffet sounds a little more refined.
1 hr
  -> thanks, Roni
neutral  Tony M: I agree with your idea, but then again, it MAY not be a 'help-yourself' buffet, but rather 'ask for as many helpings as you want', as is often done with things like 'moules-frîtes'
1 hr
  -> thanks, Tony. I have to admit that that concept ("ask for ...") is quite new to me, whereas help-yourself-buffets have been around for a while. I must be old-fashioned!
agree  Mark Nathan: The idea of putting all the food on a table and letting people help themselves is not usually entertained by "high end restaurants" and fancy caterers, so the register has got to be slightly down market.//Oh dear, you actually put food on your own plate?
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, Mark! I agree that the really high-class restaurants like you to be served by posh waiters. But I've been to some awfully good buffets.//'fraid so! But the lobster and crayfish at the Norway Food Centre in Knightsbridge were to die for!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Unlimited Buffet


Explanation:
Buffet is polite but doesn't specify all-you-can-eat. But, all-you-can-eat and smorgasbord are not appropriate for a high-end-restaurant.

It doesn't seem like the perfect / 100% analygous term exists.

Jana Cole (X)
Local time: 00:21
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone for their thoughts. I think the "correct answer" really depends on the context. "All you can eat" might not look out of place in some US/UK/Canadian restaurants, however expensive, but for a French restaurant - for which this translation was done - I was concerned it might seem too low register. I liked the idea of just leaving "buffet", which is more elegant, but I went for "unlimited buffet" since the menu talks about a "buffet" option and a "buffet à discretion" option. In another context I might have put "Guests are invited to help themselves from the buffet..." too.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Carol Gullidge: Hi Jana! Buffet doesn't need to spell it out that it's unlimited, as you always help yourself to your heart's content!
49 mins
neutral  Tony M: Good idea about 'unlimited', as not ALL buffets are (some say 'as much as you can get on your plate in one visit'!) BUT it needn't necessarily be a buffet either!
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

51 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
unlimited x / as much x as you like


Explanation:
Two suggestions from the Oxford-Hachette.
The trouble with 'all-you-can-eat' is that it doesn't fit a high-class menu or restaurant.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day2 hrs (2007-08-05 16:54:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As the discussion shows, this is an interesting problem -- a problem not of meaning but of image. There's no difference of meaning between à discretion and à volonté, but it's no accident that the high-class restaurant used the former. 'All you can eat' might do for North America and Britain, but the French haute cuisine restaurant trade has a cultural and marketing mystique for which it sounds too greedy.

translatol
Local time: 08:21
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: Still a bit problematic for register, but I have certainly had it confrimed that 'à discrétion' is simply a politer way of saying 'à volonté' / Indeed, yes; and don't we have 'bottomless coffee'?
2 hrs
  -> Thank you. What I've usually seen is "vin à discretion", and in that case it would be enough to say "including wine".
agree  Mark Nathan: as below
6 hrs
  -> Thank you very much,
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search