Amuse-bouche

The amuse-bouche is a small bite served at the start of a meal in haute gastronomie, generally offered by the chef before the ordered menu. Its role is to open the appetite, to signal the chef's creativity and to set the aromatic tone of the meal. In three star tables, the amuse-bouche often reaches a remarkable level of technical complexity, sometimes with three to seven successive bites. The term progressively replaces the older mise-en-bouche and amuse-gueule names, judged less elegant by contemporary service codes (Source: MICHELIN Guide France, 2026).