Whatever you need the waiter will eventually understand anyway, even with a bit of sign language, mis-pronounced words, cultural misunderstandings, etc. It`s their job to understand what the customer wants and to deliver.
You can swop foods, share foods, cut things in half, use the wrong cutlery, drink out of the wrong glass (it IS a glass after all and will hold most liquids). The waiter will swop the cutlery and glasses for what you`re ordering, and make sure you`re happy.
If you need another plate just ask for it.
At the end you most definitely will be given the bill, whatever hand signal you give. Whatever change you leave for a tip is also ok.
There are actually very few waiters who know everything they should do.
And most waiters will know quite a bit of English.
I remember being in Chamonix once on a very busy summer evening and an American couple thought the waiter was being unreasonable because he wouldn't let them sit outside beside each other thus taking up two tables rather than sitting at one table opposite each other.
I suppose while we are at it, has anyone ever had the waiter ask them how the meal was (e.g. as the main plates are cleared), or anyone ever remarked to the waiter to compliment the chef?
Fairly standard question of the former in good restaurants in Australia (the practice of appearing about three minutes after you start your main to ask if everything is to one's liking is fading out a bit). I assume that with the style here, it might not be standard. "No news is good news" and such.......
LOL, most of them are not Swiss - so perhaps they got the context wrong then
We often compliment the Chef- we did so on Sunday actually, when we went out to mountain restaurant above us- with daughter visiting from UK. One thing I like here is that the Chef often comes out of the kitchen after the meal to shake hands and have a word with everybody.
Actually the majority of them who work there are Swiss and that's not the only restaurant in Neuchâtel where they say it. I've only heard it in Neuchâtel though never in France.
There are plenty of good, inexpensive restaurants out there though, and not just in "cheap" towns like Neuchâtel. There's a place just round the corner from me in Luzern where you can get an evening menu (soup + a choice of three or four main courses) for 18 CHF. And another one equally close which has various "main course" salads for 12 to 14 CHF.
Of course you would pay a lot more in the more touristy parts of town, but the two places I mention here are within ten minutes' walk of the tourist hotspots.