À_la_carte
À la carte
Ordering individual dishes from a menu
In restaurants, à la carte (/ɑːləˈkɑːrt/; French pronunciation: [a la kaʁt]; lit. 'at the card')[1] is the practice of ordering individual dishes from a menu in a restaurant, as opposed to table d'hôte, where a set menu is offered.[2] It is an early 19th century loan from French meaning "according to the menu".[3][4]
The individual dishes to be ordered may include side dishes, or the side dishes may be offered separately, in which case, they are also considered à la carte.