Learn Useful Restaurant English for Restaurant Staff and Common Expressions Used at a Restaurant. We’ve divided the lesson into six sections: making a reservation, being seated at the restaurant, ordering, dealing with problems, making comments on food, getting the bill.
Restaurant English: Useful Expressions Used at a Restaurant
Restaurant English: 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.
Restaurant English: 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.
English for 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.
Restaurant English: Ordering
English for 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.
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.
Restaurant English: Dealing with problems
Customer
- Excuse me, but I didn’t order this.
- I’m sorry, but this is cold.
- Can I change my order please?
- I’m sorry, but can I change my order?
- I am sorry, but I think I ordered waffles.
English for Restaurant Staff
- Let me take it back for you.
- I am so sorry!
- I am sorry that I misheard you.
- Let me change it for you.
- I am so sorry, Sir!
- I’m so sorry. I’ll change it for you straightaway.
Restaurant English: 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?
Restaurant English: 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.
Restaurant English: 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?
Restaurant English: At the Restaurant Conversations
Restaurant English Conversation 1: 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.
Restaurant English Conversation 4: 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.
Restaurant English Conversation 5: 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.
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