At the Restaurant
Vocabulary
Menu Starter
Set menu Appetizer
Drinks menu Main course
Today’ special/s Side dish
Cutlery Dessert
Napkin Vegetarian option
Vegan option
Halal
Useful Expressions
(making a reservation, being seated at the restaurant, ordering, dealing with problems, making comments on food,
getting the bill)
Making a Reservation
Customer
• I would like to make a dinner reservation for two.
• I need to make a dinner reservation.
• We will need the reservation for Tuesday night. We will be coming to your restaurant on Tuesday night.
English for Restaurant Staff
• We will have a table for you.
• I can seat you at 7.30 on Tuesday, if you would kindly give me your name.
• We don’t have anything available at 8.30. Is 7.30 OK?
• I have a table for four available at 7.45, please just give me your name.
Being Seated at the Restaurant
Customer
• I booked a table for two for 7pm under the name of John Thomas.
• A table for two, please.
• May we sit at this table?
• We have a dinner reservation for two at 7.30.
• Our reservation is under the name of Thomas at 7.30 for two people.
Waiter/ Waitress
• Of course. Please come this way.
• Your table isn’t quite ready yet.
• Would you like to wait in the bar?
• We’re fully booked at the moment. Could you come back a bit later?
• If you wait, there’ll be a table for you free in a minute.
• Would you follow me, please?
• If you would please be seated over in the waiting area, our hostess will be with you in a moment.
Ordering
Restaurant Staff
• Can I take your order, Sir/ Madam?
• Are you ready to order?
• Can I take your order?
• Are you ready to order yet?
• What would you like to start with?
• What would you like for a starter?
• Anything to drink?
• Do you want a salad with it?
• How would you like your steak?
• Do you want vegetables with it?
• Why don’t you try the pizza?
• Can I start you off with anything to drink?
• May I get you anything to drink?
• What would you like for dessert?
• Do you want a dessert?
• What would you like to drink with your meal?
• Would you like any wine with that?
• Can I get you a drink while you’re waiting?
• Would you like any coffee?
• Would you like an appetizer?
• Can I get you anything else?
• Would you like to order anything else?
• Would you like to try our dessert special?
• What did you want to order?
• Would you like coffee or tea with your dessert?
• Would you like dessert after your meal?
• What would you like to drink?
• Would you like to see our dessert menu?
• Would you like to finish your evening with us with some dessert?
Customer
• Could you bring us the menu, please?
• Yes, can I see the dessert menu please?
• No, thanks. I am full after the meal.
• The menu, please.
• What’s on the menu?
• Do you have a set menu?
• Could you bring us the salt/ pepper/ ketchup/ vinegar, please?
• I’ll have the soup as a starter.
• I’ll have the steak for the main course.
• That’s all, thank you.
• May I have some water, please?
• May I get an order of barbeque wings?
• That’ll be all for now.
• Yes, please. May I get a glass of lemonade?
• I would like a Coke.
• I would like to order my food now.
• We’d like to order a cheeseburger and some fries.
• We’ll have the chicken with vegetables and the vegetable pasta, please.
• Just some water, please.
• Let’s have four coffees, please.
• We would like two coffees and two teas.
• We’d like a little longer, please.
Dealing with problems
If there are problems with the order, the waiter/ waitress can say
• I don’t think we have anymore steak left. I’ll check with the kitchen.
• I’m sorry, but the king prawn soup is finished.
• Sorry, the hamburgers are off.
Asking about the menu
• Is this served with salad?
• What do you recommend?
• Does this have any seafood in it?
• Is that shrimp in the soup?
• Is the soup a shrimp soup?
• What is in this chicken dish?
• Is there anything you recommend?
•
Making Comments on Food
• What a wonderful dinner!
• I especially like the wonderful chicken dish.
• I really love this meal.
• My salad is very soggy.
• The vegetables are kind of mushy.
• My fish has good seasoning but is a little dry.
• The cake is too sweet for me.
Getting the bill/ check
When you want to pay, you can say
• Could I have the check, please?
• Can I have the check, please?
• We’ll take the check.
• Can I have my bill?
• Can we have the bill, please?
• Could we get the bill?
• Could I have the bill, please?
• I am ready for my bill.
• Could we pay please?
• I am ready to pay the bill.
• I would like my check, please.
Sometimes, you may also want to say
• Do you accept credit cards?
• Can we have separate checks?
• We’re going to split the bill.
• Are you paying together?
At the Restaurant Conversations
Making a Reservation
Restaurant staff: This is Emma Restaurant.
Customer: Hi, I would like to make a dinner reservation for 2 people.
Restaurant staff: What night will you be coming?
Customer: We will need the reservation for Sunday night.
Restaurant staff: What time would you like?
Customer: 8.30.
Restaurant staff: We don’t have anything available at 8.30. Is 7.30 OK?
Customer: Yes, that’s fine.
Restaurant staff: Please just give me your name.
Customer: My name is John Thomas.
Restaurant staff: Thank you, Mr. Thomas, see you this Sunday at 7.30.
Customer: Thank you. Bye.
Restaurant English Conversation 2: Being Seated at the Restaurant
Waiter: Good evening. Welcome to Emma Restaurant.
John: I booked a table for two for 7.30 under the name of John Thomas.
Waiter: Yes, Mr. Thomas. Please come this way.
Waiter: Here is your table.
John: Thanks for your help!
Restaurant English Conversation 3: Ordering
Waiter: May I get you anything to drink?
John: Yes, please. May I get 2 glasses of orange juice?
Waiter: Sure. Would you like an appetizer?
John: I’ll have the tomato soup to start.
Lisa: I’ll have the shrimp soup.
Waiter: Would you like to order anything else?
John: That’ll be all for now.
Waiter: Let me know when you’re ready to order your food.
Waiter: Here is your potato soup, Madam.
Lisa: But I ordered shrimp soup!
Waiter: I’m so sorry. I’ll change it for you straightaway.
Lisa: I would appreciate that.
John: Excuse me. Could you bring us the menu, please?
John: We’d like to order a cheeseburger and some fries.
Waiter: Sorry, the fries are off. Why don’t you try the steak? It is excellent
John: I’ll trust your taste and take one order of that.
Waiter: Do you want a dessert?
Lisa: The chocolate mousse cake sounds great.
Waiter: Would you like coffee or tea with your dessert?
John: Just some water, please.
Waiter: Can I get you anything else?
Lisa: That’s all, thank you.
Making Comments on Food
Lisa: John, is your steak OK?
John: The steak tastes wonderful!
Lisa: How is your cake?
John: My cake is too sweet for me.
Lisa: So is mine. I think they put too much sugar in cakes.
John: The food here is usually good, so I think that we should mention this to the waiter.
Lisa: You’re right. Maybe they can bring us some better food.
Getting the bill/ check
Cashier: Can I help you?
John: Yes, could I have the bill?
Cashier: Of course. Here you are.
John: Thank you. I am ready to pay the bill.
Cashier: Of course, Sir. How would you like to pay, cash or card?
John: By cash, please.
Cashier: That will be $80, please.
John: Here you are.
Cashier: Thank you. Here’s your change and your receipt.
John: Thank you.
