la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid

Etymology
lit. 'revenge is a dish that is eaten cold'.

The phrase, which became widely used from the 19th century, is also found in other Romance languages, such as 🇨🇬 and 🇨🇬.

Proverb

 * 1) revenge is a dish best served cold revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed, when the person whom one wants to exact revenge from won't have any inkling that something is coming their way