In the 18th century, a refined meal was not served in successive courses but in 'services': all the dishes of a single service covered the table at once, and guests helped themselves to what was within reach. One began with soup and entrees, then came the roast service accompanied by salads, followed by the entremets (sweet or delicate dishes), and finally dessert and cheeses. The supper among intellectuals, more intimate than the grand dinner, extended the table through conversation — at Diderot's, they reshaped the world as much as they ate.

An emblematic drink of the Enlightenment, coffee is the bitter that keeps minds awake. At the Café Procope, it was served piping hot to writers and encyclopedists; it accompanied debates as wine accompanied suppers. It is the fuel of the Encyclopédie.