DINING OUT IN RESTAURANTS

Vocabulary

1. Booking - an arrangement made with a restaurant in advance, to eat there a

particular time

2. A party - a group of people who arrange to eat together

Example sentence: “I would like to book a table for a party of five, please. Can
you fit us in at seven o'clock?

3. Menu - a printed list of meals that a restaurant serves

4. Set menu - a list of dishes you can order together (such as main meal, a starter
and a dessert) for a set price.

5. Drinks menu - a list of soft drinks and alcoholic drinks that you can choose from.
Some restaurants may also have a wine menu.

6. Cutlery- knives, forks, and spoons

7. Napkin- a cloth or folded piece of soft paper that you use to mop up spilt food.
Some people eating out would usually place a napkin on their lap, to catch spilt food
or drinks

8. Starter - the first course of the meal. Small portions of food, served either hot or
cold. You might decide to skip this course if you are not very hungry.

9. Main course- the main part of the meal. Medium to large portions of food, served
either hot or cold. In the UK, main meals are usually served with vegetables

10. Side dish - a small portion of food. Typically bread, salad, or vegetables in sauce,
that you eat with a main meal. Side dishes are often shared with other people eating
at your table.

11. Dessert - the last course of a meal. Typically a sweet dish, such as cake, pudding,
or ice cream.

12. Vegetarian option- dishes suitable for people who don’t eat meat or fish.

13. Vegan option- dishes suitable for people who don’t eat meat, fish and dairy.

14. Tip - a small sum of money often give to restaurant staff, for good service.
USEFUL EXPRESSIONS AND PHRASES

Arriving at the Restaurant

If you have booked a table:

“Hello. We’ve booked a table for ___ people.”

“ It’s under the name of… ”

If you haven’t booked a table:

“Hello. Do you have an available table?”

“Do you have a table for ___ free?”
“Hello. We haven’t booked a table. Can you fit us in?”

What the restaurant staff say:

 Can I help you?

 Do you have a reservation?
 How many are you?
 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.
 Smoking, or non-smoking?
 Of course. Please come this way.
 Would you follow me, please?

Ordering Food

“Could we see the menu, please?”

“Could we see the drinks menu, please?”

Dietary Needs

“Is this dish suitable for vegetarians?”

“Is this dish suitable for vegans?”
“Does this dish contain nuts?”

Choosing What to Eat

“We’re not ready to order yet. Could you give us a few more minutes, please?”
“We’re ready to order now”
“We would like to order now, please.”
You might not be ready to order food right away. First, you may need to ask the
server some questions about the food. For the sake of these examples, we’ll talk
about fried chicken. Here are some things you might ask the server about fried
chicken.

How is the fried chicken made? (You may want to know what seasoning comes on the
chicken or what type of oil they fry the food in.)

What side items come with the fried chicken?

Can I substitute one side item for another? (If you don’t like a side item that usually
comes with the fried chicken, you can ask to replace, or “substitute” it with something
else. For example, you may choose to substitute the potatoes with macaroni and
cheese or vegetables. The server could say yes or no, or they might tell you that you
can, but it’ll cost a little more.)

What do you recommend?

Which do you like more, the fried chicken or grilled chicken?

Some of these require a simple “yes” or “no” from the server. Others might require
you to be familiar with food-related vocabulary to understand their response.

When it’s time for dessert, you may ask these questions:

Do you have a dessert menu?

Can you describe the chocolate cake?

Which dessert is your favorite?

Placing your order

“Could I have..?”
“I would like…”
“I would like a glass of water, please.”
“Could we have a jug of water, please.?”

There are a few common phrases you could use to order food. Here are some
examples:

I’ll have the fried chicken.

I would like the fried chicken.

I’d like to order the fried chicken.

Can I have the fried chicken?

In certain cases, it makes sense to use “we” instead of “I.” This is often the case if
you’re ordering something for everyone, not just yourself.

We would like to share the mozzarella sticks.

We’ll start with an appetizer.

We’ll have a pitcher of beer.

Sometimes, your order will require the server to ask follow-up questions. Here are
some common questions the server may ask and some possible responses.

Server: How would you like your steak/burger cooked?

You: Medium-well, please.

Server: Which two sides would you like with your meal?

You: I’ll have french fries and grilled vegetables.

Server: What dressing would you like with your salad?

You: Ranch, please.

Asking for more drinks:

“Same again, please.”

“Could I have another glass (or bottle) of ____, please?”
“Could you bring me another ____, please?”

The server will likely ask, “Can I get you anything else?” You may ask for another
drink, a refill of water, extra dressing or some condiments.

Dealing With Problems

If you are given the wrong food:

“Excuse me, I didn’t order this.”
“I’m sorry, I think this may be someone else’s meal.”

If the cutlery isn’t clean:

“Could I have another spoon , please?”

If your food isn’t hot enough:

“Could you heat this up a bit more for me, please?”

Is there a problem with the food or anything else in the restaurant? When reporting a
problem, it’s good to use polite phrases.

Excuse me, my food is cold.

Pardon, this isn’t what I ordered.

May I speak to your manager, please?

Here are a couple of phrases you could hear from the server after you report a
problem:

I’m sorry!

Would you like to speak to a manager?

I’ll get the manager for you.

Would you like me to get you something else?

When something goes wrong with a customer’s food, many servers send the manager
to the table so you can talk to someone in charge. They do this either to make the
customer feel comfortable by talking to someone who’s “higher up,” or because the
manager actually does have the power to give you a discount in the restaurant’s
computer system.

When You Have Finished Your Meal

“That was delicious! Thank you.”

“That was lovely! Thank you.”
“Everything was great.”
Here are some possible positive and negative responses:

It’s delicious!

Everything is great, thank you.

Actually, my food is a little cold.

Excuse me, I ordered french fries, but I got potatoes.

Paying For Meal

“Could we have the bill, please?”

“Can I pay by credit card?”
“Keep the change.”

If you think your bill is wrong:

“Could you check the bill for me, please? It doesn’t seem right.
“I think you may have made a mistake with the bill.”

It’s customary for the server to bring the bill to your table before you even ask for it.
However, if the restaurant is busy or your server has forgotten to deliver your bill, you
might need to ask for it. Here are a few things you can say:

Excuse me, we’d like the bill.

We’re ready to pay.

Can we have the check, please? (“Check” and “bill” mean the same thing at a
restaurant.)

Do I pay you, or do I pay up front?

The server may have some questions, such as:

Can I get you anything else, or are you ready for the check?

Would you like a box? (If you didn’t eat your whole meal, your server may ask you if
you’d like a box to take your left-over food home.)

Will you be paying together or separately?

Will that be cash or card?

Conversation 1
Waiter: Hello, Can I help you?.
Kim: Yes, I'd like to have some lunch.
Waiter: Would you like a starter?
Kim: Yes, I'd like a bowl of chicken soup, please.
Waiter: And what would you like for your main course?
Kim: I'd like a grilled cheese sandwich.
Waiter: Would you like anything to drink?
Kim: Yes, I'd like a glass of Coke, please.
Waiter: Would Pepsi be OK? We don't have Coke.
Kim: That would be fine.
Waiter: (After Kim has her lunch.) Can I bring you anything else?
Kim: No thank you. Just the bill.
Waiter: Certainly.
Kim: I don't have my glasses. How much is the lunch?
Waiter: That's $6.75.
Kim: Here you are. Thank you very much.
Waiter: You're welcome. Have a good day.
Kim: Thank you. Same to you.
Conversation 2

Questions about the text

1. Has the couple booked a table? No

2. What did Max order for a drink? beer
3. What did Anna order for a meal? Soup and grilled fish
4. What did Anna had for dessert? Ice cream
5. What did Max order at the end of conversation? Two coffees
ACTIVITY

Sample Menu

Joe's Restaurant
Starters
Chicken Soup $2.50
Salad $3.25
Sandwiches - Main Course
Ham and cheese $3.50
Tuna $3.00
Vegetarian $4.00
Grilled Cheese $2.50
Slice of Pizza $2.50
Cheeseburger $4.50
Hamburger $5.00
Spaghetti $5.50
Drinks
Coffee $1.25
Tea $1.25
Soft Drinks - Coke, Sprite, Root Beer, Ice Tea$1.75