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English vocabulary for restaurants and cafés

Practical words for booking a table, reading a menu, ordering food, asking for a recommendation and paying the bill.

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How to speak English in a restaurant

Reservation and table are useful when you arrive, followed by menu, dish, drink and dessert. Use order and recommend while choosing food, then bill and receipt when it is time to pay.

Polite requests often begin with Could we have…? or I’d like…: Could we have the menu, please? and I’d like to order. Please commonly comes at the end of this kind of request.

Vocabulary

Words in this topic

Use the speaker icon to hear each word in British English.

  • menu — a list of food and drinks available to order

    menu

    IPA: /ˈmɛnjuː/

    a list of food and drinks available to order

  • table — a piece of furniture where restaurant guests sit and eat

    table

    IPA: /ˈteɪbəl/

    a piece of furniture where restaurant guests sit and eat

  • waiter — a restaurant worker who serves food and drinks

    waiter

    IPA: /ˈweɪtə/

    a restaurant worker who serves food and drinks

  • reservation — an arrangement to have a table kept for you

    reservation

    IPA: /ˌrɛzəˈveɪʃən/

    an arrangement to have a table kept for you

  • order — food or drinks requested, or the act of requesting them

    order

    IPA: /ˈɔːdə/

    food or drinks requested, or the act of requesting them

  • dish — food prepared and served as part of a meal

    dish

    IPA: /dɪʃ/

    food prepared and served as part of a meal

  • drink — a liquid such as water, juice or coffee

    drink

    IPA: /drɪŋk/

    a liquid such as water, juice or coffee

  • dessert — sweet food eaten at the end of a meal

    dessert

    IPA: /dɪˈzɜːt/

    sweet food eaten at the end of a meal

  • bill — a written statement of the amount you need to pay

    bill

    IPA: /bɪl/

    a written statement of the amount you need to pay

  • receipt — a paper or electronic record showing that you paid

    receipt

    IPA: /rɪˈsiːt/

    a paper or electronic record showing that you paid

  • service — the work of serving and helping customers

    service

    IPA: /ˈsɜːvɪs/

    the work of serving and helping customers

  • recommend — to suggest something as a good choice

    recommend

    IPA: /ˌrɛkəˈmɛnd/

    to suggest something as a good choice

01

How to remember these words

  1. Act out a conversation between a guest and a waiter, from getting a table to paying.
  2. Build a meal with a drink, a dish and a dessert, then say your order aloud.
  3. Review nouns inside complete requests: a table for two, the menu, the bill.

02

Useful phrases

We have a reservation for two.

Use for two to say how many people the booking is for.

I’d like to order this dish, please.

I’d like… is a polite way to state your choice.

Could you recommend a dessert?

Use recommend when you want someone to suggest a good choice.

Could we have the bill, please?

Could we have…? makes the request polite and natural.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a bill and a receipt?

A bill shows the amount you still need to pay. A receipt records the payment after you have made it.

How do I ask for the bill in British and American English?

In British English, say Could we have the bill, please? In American English, check is often used instead of bill.

Is order a noun or a verb?

It can be both: Our order is ready uses the noun, while I’d like to order uses the verb.

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