Diners in France who order a bottle of wine but do not finish it are legally entitled to take it home, according to French consumer rules. The right stems from the country's EGalim law on agriculture and food, which aims to let farmers earn fair pay for their work and to help food production adapt to consumer demand for healthier, more sustainable eating.
Since July 2021, France's law on fighting waste and promoting the circular economy has made doggy bags mandatory. It requires all restaurants and drinking establishments offering on-site consumption to provide reusable or recyclable containers, on request, so customers can take home uneaten food or unfinished drinks, including wine, water and juice. The rule does not apply to all-you-can-eat offers.
Conditions for taking a bottle home
The right applies only if the establishment can supply a suitable container and the bottle can be properly resealed for transport. There is one exception: bottles subject to a deposit. In those cases, the restaurant can refuse to let the customer take the bottle or can charge for it.
France's competition, consumer affairs and fraud prevention authority, the Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes, has said restaurants may choose to charge customers for containers if requested, on top of the price of the meal.
Excess alcohol consumption is dangerous to health and should be consumed in moderation.
