Do you know what to say when you are eating out?

Below there are some examples

of useful language used in this situation.
2
These phrases will help you to make a reservation at a restaurant and order your
meal. On arrival it is customary to wait to be seated. On paying it is customary to
leave a tip unless a service charge is included, or the service has been poor.

WAITER / WAITRESS CUSTOMER

Arriving at the Restaurant: Arriving at the Restaurant:

If the customer has booked a table: If you have booked a table:

 Hello. How are you?  I booked a table for two for 8pm
 Hi. Welcome to … . under the name of ... .
 Our reservation is under the name of
 Have you booked a table? … at 8.30 for two people.
 Would you follow me, please?  We have a dinner reservation for two
 Of course. Please come this way. at 8.30.
 Your table isn’t quite ready yet.  We’ve booked a table for … people.
Would you like to wait in the bar?  A table for two, please.

If the customer has booked a table: If you haven’t booked a table:

 May I show you to a table?  Do you have a table free?

 How many are you?  We haven’t booked a table. Can you
 We’re fully booked at the moment. fit us in.
Could you come back a bit later?  Do you have a table for … free?
 If you wait, there’ll be a table for  May we sit at this table?
you free in a minute.  Could we have a table over there,
please?
 Could we have a table by the
window, please?
 Could we have a non-smoking table,
please?
 Could we have a table away from the
kitchen/toilets, please?
 Being Seated at the Restaurant:

 I'm sorry but I asked for a table by

the window.
 Could we have an extra chair,
please?
2

Asking for the menu:

 Could you bring us the menu,

please?
 The menu, please.
 What’s on the menu?
 Could we see the menu, please?

Taking notes about the order: Choosing what to eat:

 Would you like an appetizer?  We’re not ready to order yet.

 Can I help you?  Could you give us a few more
 Are you ready to order? minutes, please?
 Are you going to try any of our…?
 Can I take your order, Sir/ Madam?  We’re ready to order now.
 Can I take your order?  We would like to order now, please.
 Are you ready to order yet?  We would like to order our food
 Would you like to order? now.
 What would you like to start with?  Excuse me, waiter, we’d like to
 What would you like for a starter? order.
 We would like…
Offering Food:  Could I have…
 I’d like a / an / some…and…, please.
 Would you like a / an / some…?  I'd like the .............., please.
 What about a / an / some…?  I want a / an / some…and…
 Can I get you a / an / some…?  I’ll go for a / an / some…
 Won’t you go for a / an / some…?  Please bring me a / an / some…
 Can I get you anything else?  We’d like to order a … and some ….
 Would you like to order anything  We’ll have the … with … and the
else? …, please.
 Can I get you a drink while you’re  I’ll have the … as a starter.
waiting?  I’ll have the … for the main course.
  For starters I'll have the … and for
If there are problems with the order, the the main course I'd like the … .
waiter/ waitress can say:  Could I have … instead of …,
please?
 I don’t think we have anymore …
 I'll have the same.
left. I’ll check with the kitchen.
 I’m sorry, but the …… soup is
 That’s all, thank you. 2
finished.
 That’ll be all for now.
 Sorry, the ……. are off.
 I'm sorry, we're out of that.
Asking about the menu:

 Is this served with …?

 What do you recommend?
 Does this have any … in it?
 Is the soup a … soup?
 What is in this … dish?
 Is there anything you recommend?
 What's the soup of the day?
 What's this dish?

Asking about preferences: To accept / refuse the offer:

 Do you prefer…?  Yes, please.

 How would you like it?  No, thanks. I’d like/ prefer a / an /
 Do you want a salad with it? some… .
 How would you like your steak?  I'll have the … .
 Do you want vegetables with it?
 Why don’t you try the …? Dietary needs:
 How would you like your steak?
(rare, medium-rare, medium, well  Is this dish suitable for vegetarians /
done). vegans?
 What kind of dressing?  Does this dish contain …?
 I’m allergic to wheat / dairy products
/ nuts / shellfish.

Deciding about drinks:

Asking about drinks:
 Which wine would you recommend?
 What would you like to drink?  Could I see the drinks menu / wine
 Anything to drink? list, please?
 And to drink?  I’d like…
 Can I get you any drinks?  Could you bring me ... , please?
 May I get you anything to drink?  I'd prefer red wine.
 What would you like to drink with  May I get a glass of lemonade?
your meal?  I would like a Coke.
 Would you like any wine with that?  Just some water, please.
 Can I get you a drink while you’re  I'll have a bottle of the … .
waiting?  I'll have a glass of house red/white,2
please.
 May I have some water, please?

During/After the Meal:

When the meal is brought:  Could we have some more bread,
please?
 Here you are.  Do you have a pepper mill?
 Enjoy your meal/dinner!  Could I have some dressing, please?
 Bon appétit!  Could you pass me the salt, please?
 Can you bring me the ketchup,
please?
 Could you bring us the salt / pepper /
vinegar, please?

Asking for more drinks:

 Same again, please.

 Could I have another glass / bottle of
…, please?
 Could you bring me another …,
please?
 Could we have …?
 Another bottle of wine, please?
 A jug of water, please?
 Some more water, please?

Deciding about desserts:

Asking about desserts:  Yes, can I see the dessert menu

please?
 Would you like to see our dessert  What do you want for dessert?
menu?  Let’s have four coffees, please.
 What would you like for dessert?  We would like two coffees and two teas.
 Do you want a dessert?
 Would you like any coffee? If you'd like to get the waiter's attention,
 Would you like coffee or tea with the most polite way is simply to say:
your dessert?
 Would you like dessert after your Excuse me!
meal?
 Would you like any coffee or
dessert? Dealing with problems: 2

Dealing with problems:  Excuse me, but I didn’t order this.

 I’m sorry, but this is cold.
 Let me take it back for you.  Can I change my order please?
 I am so sorry!  I’m sorry, but can I change my
 I am sorry that I misheard you. order?
 Let me change it for you.  I am sorry, but I think I ordered
 I am so sorry, Sir! waffles.
 I’m so sorry. I’ll change it for you  Could I have another spoon / knife /
straightaway. fork / fork / another piece of cutlery,
 I am terribly sorry. Your food will please? This one is not clean.
be served immediately.  Excuse me, but my meal/food is
 Sorry. We didn’t expect so many cold.
customers today. I’ll talk to the  This is too salty.
cook.  Is our meal on its way?
 Sorry. I apologise on behalf of the  This doesn't taste right.
kitchen. I will talk to the chef and  I’m sorry but I ordered only the salad
have this replaced immediately. not the vegetables.
 We've been waiting a long time
 Excuse me, we've been waiting for
over half an hour for our drinks.
 I'm sorry but I ordered the side salad
not the vegetables.
 Excuse me this steak is over done, I
ordered rare.
 I'm afraid this wine tastes corked.
 Excuse me this wine isn't chilled
properly.
 This isn't what I ordered
 Could you heat this up a bit more for
me, please?
 Making Comments on Food when having
finished the meal:

Asking about the service:  That was delicious! Thank you.

 That was lovely! Thank you.
 Is everything all right?  Everything was great.
 Was everything alright?  What a wonderful dinner!
 Did you enjoy your meal?  I especially like the wonderful … . 2
 I really love this meal.
 That was delicious. My compliments
to the chef.

When you want to pay, you can say:

 Please bring me the bill

(AmE: check) with my coffee.
Asking if the customer has finished the
meal:  Could you bring me the bill, please?
 Could I have the bill / check, please?
 Is that all?  Can I have the bill / check, please?
 Would you like anything else?  We’ll take the check.
 Are you done?  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 I pay by credit card?
 Can we have separate checks?
 Do you take Visa?
 We'd like separate bills, please.
 No, please. This is on me.
 We’re going to split the bill.
 Keep the change. (if you pay by cash
and want to leave a tip).

When the bill is not correct:

  Could you check the bill for me,
please? It doesn’t seem right.
 I think you may have made a mistake
with the bill.
 I think you've made a mistake.
 This is not our bill. 2

 There is something in our bill that

we didn’t order.

PARTS OF A MENU:

Starters/Appetizers/Entrees/Hors D'oeuvres
Soups

Main Courses (Meat/Fish/Vegetarian)

Desserts
Beverages (Coffee etc.)
Wine/Drinks List (sometimes on a separate menu)