What à la carte means
À la carte is a French phrase that means “from the menu”, or more literally “according to the card”. When a restaurant describes its menu as à la carte, it means every dish is listed and priced on its own, and diners choose exactly what they want, course by course. This is the standard way of ordering in most restaurants, cafés and bistros, but the term is most useful when there is something to contrast it with. Many restaurants offer both a set menu, sometimes called table d’hôte or prix fixe, and an à la carte menu.
The set menu offers a limited choice at a fixed price for the whole meal, while the à la carte menu gives the full range of dishes, each charged separately. You will also see the phrase used for parts of a meal, as in “sides are à la carte”, meaning they are not included with the main course and must be ordered and paid for separately. For a cook at home, the term matters mostly when reading menus or planning a dinner party where guests might choose their own dishes. In professional kitchens, an à la carte service usually means more dishes cooked to order, which demands careful preparation in advance.