Useful expressions to use in a restaurant

1. Eating Out
USEFUL LANGUAGE IN
RESTAURANTS

2. 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)

3. Booking a table
WAITER
• do you have a reservation?
• for how many people?
• when for?
• for what time?
GUEST
• I'd like to make a reservation
• I'd like to book a table for two at 8 in the name of
Hand, please.

4. Arriving at the restaurant
• I've got a reservation
• Good evening, the name is Hand. I have a table
booked for six.
• do you have any free tables?
• A table for (two/three/four…), please
• Could we have a table by the window, please?
• We haven’t booked a table. Can you fit us in?
• Do you have the menu in
English/German/French ..., please?
• Do you have a high chair for young children, please?
• Could we have an extra chair, please?

5. Ordering the meal
WAITER
• can I get you any drinks?
• are you ready to order?
• I'm sorry, we're out of that
• how would you like your steak?
• is that all?
• would you like anything else?
• how long will it take? it'll take about twenty
minutes

6. Ordering the meal
GUEST
• We’re not ready to order yet. Could you give us a few
more minutes, please?
• We’re ready to order now
• could I see the menu, please?
• could I see the wine list, please?
• do you have any specials?
• what do you recommend?
• what's this dish?
• I'll have the ...
• I'll take this
• for my starter I'll have the soup, and for my main course
the steak
• Steak: rare, medium-rare, medium, well done
• we're in a hurry, how long will it take?it'll take about
twenty minutes

7. During the meal
WAITER
• enjoy your meal!
• bon appétit!
• would you like to taste the wine?
• would you like any coffee or dessert?
• was everything alright? thanks, that was delicious
GUEST
• excuse me!
• could we have ...? (another bottle of wine, some more bread,
some more milk, a jug of tap water, some water, still or
sparkling?)
• do you have any desserts?
• could I see the dessert menu?
• was everything alright? thanks, that was delicious

8. Problems
• this isn't what I ordered
• this food's cold
• Could you heat this up a bit more for me, please?
• this is too salty
• this doesn't taste right
• we've been waiting a long time
• will our food be long?
• I'm sorry but I ordered the side salad not the
vegetables.
• Excuse me this steak is over done, I ordered rare.

9. Paying the bill
• the bill, please
• could we have the bill, please?
• can I pay by card?
• do you take credit cards?
• is service included?
• can we pay separately?
• We’d like separate bills, please
• I'll get this
• This is on me
• let's split it
• let's share the bill
• Could you check the bill for me, please? It doesn’t seem right
• I think you may have made a mistake with the bill
• Keep the change

10. Things you might see
• Please wait to be seated
• Reserved
• Service included
• Service not included