Restaurant phrasebook. Dialogues in a cafe in English with translation

I would like to tell about my favorite restaurant which is called Trattoria Formaggi. This Italian cuisine restaurant is located in one of the central streets. It is a very cozy place with a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. In front of the entrance there is a summer terrace where guests can enjoy a light business lunch or a cup of delicious Italian coffee.

The air-conditioned spacious dining room is elegantly decorated in warm tones. Quiet music is played in the background. The waiting staff will be happy to give all the information about new and specialty dishes.

Mainly there are Italian dishes on the menu. Guests can order fresh pizza, delicious pasta as well as excellent meat and fish specialties. A wide range of salads and snacks is also served here. After a lunch or dinner, you will be offered to try one of the wonderful desserts. The meal can be accompanied by alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails or other refreshments.

I would like to tell you about my favorite restaurant, Trattoria Formaggi. This Italian restaurant is located on one of the central streets. This is a very cozy place with a quiet and calm atmosphere. In front of the restaurant entrance there is a summer terrace where you can enjoy a light business lunch or drink a cup of delicious Italian coffee.

The spacious, air-conditioned room is elegantly decorated in warm colors. Quiet music is playing in the hall. The service staff will provide full information about new menu items and specialties.

The menu mainly features Italian dishes. Here you can order fresh pizza, delicious pasta, as well as excellent meat and fish dishes. The menu offers a wide selection of salads and appetizers. After lunch or dinner, you will be offered to try a magnificent dessert. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, as well as other refreshing drinks.

When traveling to other countries, it is important to know English at least at a basic level. Today we will look English phrases In a restaurant. These expressions will help you book a table, make a polite order and pay.

Booking a Table / Reserve a table

If the restaurant is popular, you may want to make a reservation for the time you plan to visit. Let's first look at a few expressions that will help you reserve a table in advance, or ask to be seated at a table if you haven't reserved one.

• Hello! I’d like to reserve / book a table, please — Hello! I would like to reserve a table please.
• Hello! Do you have any free tables? - Hello! Do you have any free tables?
• I’d like to book a table for three tonight. — I would like to reserve a table for three for tonight.
• What time do you want to come? — What time would you like to come?
• Hello! Do you have a reservation? - Hello! have you booked a table?
• Hello! I do not have a reservation. We would like a table for two, please. - Hello! I don't have a reservation. We'd like a table for two, please.
• Could we get a table by the window? —Can we sit at a table by the window?
• Hello! I do not have a reservation. May we sit at this table? - Hello! I don't have a reservation. Can we take this table?
• I’ve got a reservation - I booked.
• Please wait to be seated - please wait, you will be seated at a table.

How to make an order / How to make an order in English

So, you are comfortably seated at your table, and it’s time to place your order. Let's look at phrases that will help you cope with this task.

• Could I see the menu, please? — can I see the menu?
• Could you bring me the menu, please? - Bring me the menu, please.
• Can I get you any drinks? — Shall I get you something to drink?
• Can I take your order? — May I take your order?
• Are you ready to order? —Are you ready to order?
• Would you like an appetizer to start? — Would you like a snack to start?
• We are not ready yet. — We are not ready yet (to place an order)
• Yes, we are ready. - Yes, we are ready.
• Come to us in 5 minutes, please - come to us in 5 minutes, please
• Do you have any specials? — do you have special dishes?
• What dish do you recommend? — What dish do you recommend?
• Does it contain dairy products? — Does it contain dairy products?
• I’m allergic to dairy products / peanuts - I am allergic to dairy products / peanuts.
• I'd like the set lunch. — I'll have a set lunch.
• What's this dish? - what kind of dish is this?
• How does it taste? -What does it taste like?
• I'll take this. - I will take him.
• May I have a glass of water, please? — can I have a glass of water?
• Can I have a plate of that? — can I have a portion (a plate) of this?
• I'm a vegetarian. Do you have anything without meat? - I am a vegetarian. Do you have anything without meat?
• Do you have any vegetarian dishes? - Do you have vegetarian dishes?
• I’m sorry, we’re out of that - Sorry, we’ve run out of this.
• Thank you for the recommendation. - Thanks for the recommendation.
• Could I see the wine list, please? — Can I see the wine list, please?
• Can I get this to go? -Can I take this to go?
• How would you like your steak? — What kind of steak do you want?
• Rare/medium/well done. — Rare/medium rare/done.
• I will be right back with your order. - I'll be right back with your order.
• Would you like anything else? - would you like anything else?
• Nothing else, thank you - nothing more, thank you
• We're in a hurry. How long will it take? - We're in a hurry. Will everything be ready soon?
• Will our food be long? — How long will it take until it’s cooked?
• Enjoy your meal! - Bon appetit!

Problems / Problems

Unfortunately, sometimes restaurants make mistakes, as a result of which they may bring us a cold dish, or even not what we ordered.

• This isn’t what I ordered
• I’ve ordered another dish - I ordered another dish.
• This food's cold. May you pop it in the microwave? — This food is cold. Can you heat it up in the microwave?
• I can fry them up - it’d just take a second - I can warm them up - it will take a second.
• We’ve been waiting a long time - We waited a long time.
• This tastes a bit off. / It doesn't taste right. — This dish tastes strange.
• This meat is underdone/over roasted. — This meat is undercooked/overcooked.
• Can I see the manager, please? — Can I see the administrator?

Asking for a bill / Asking for a bill

• Could we have the bill, please? — could we get the bill, please?
• Can I pay by card? — can I pay by card?
• Do you take credit cards? - Do you accept credit cards?
• Is service included? - Is there a service fee included?
• Can we pay separately? — can we pay separately?
• Let's share the bill - let's pay together.
• Are you paying together? - Will you pay together?
• I will bring the check right now. - I'll bring the bill now.
• Do you need any change? —Will you need change?

Before leaving the restaurant, do not forget to thank the staff:

• Thank you it was delicious. - Thank you, it was very tasty.
• I really enjoyed it. - I liked it very much.
• I will come again. - I'll come again.
• My compliments to the chef. — My compliment to the cook.

We hope you find English restaurant phrases useful during your travels. We wish you a wonderful holiday and bon appetit :).

» In the Restaurant

Dialogues in English: In a restaurant. In the cafe

Quite simple dialogues on the topic At the restaurant. In the cafe. All dialogues are provided with a translation into Russian, and the words and expressions found in them are additionally written out.

Words and expressions for dialogues

• to be going to do smth.– going to do something (idiomatic grammatical construction expressing the future immediate tense): to be going to finish one's work- get ready to finish your work; I am going to close the door. - I'm going to close the door. He is going to open the window.- He's going to close the window.
• I believe (that)… - I suppose that)…
• to be hungry["hʌŋgrɪ] - to be hungry, to feel hungry I am hungry. - I am hungry. Are you hungry? - Are you hungry? Do you want to eat?
• Why not go... - Why not go...
• wait for smb. - wait for someone
• entrance ["entrəns] – entrance
• Settled. ["setld] – Agreed.

• be thirsty["θɜːstɪ] – to be thirsty, to want to drink I am thirsty. – I am thirsty.
• bar – bar, snack bar; bar, piece; crossbar; counter, counter; prohibit, hinder; coffee bar - (British) cafeteria

• free – free; free
• waiter - waiter
• dine – to have lunch
• dine a la carte – take a la carte dishes
• carte - menu; wine list (French)
• take the table d'hote - take the dishes on duty
• hamburger ["hæmˌbɜːgə] – Hamburg chop
• specials - signature dishes

• take order - accept an order
  how about…? - What about…?
• steak - beefsteak; piece of meat or fish for frying
• unleaded – (coffee) without caffeine; unleaded (about fuel)

• plaice – flounder (usually served fried in breadcrumbs)
• afterwards ["ɑːftəwədz] – then, subsequently, later
• ice-cream - ice cream

• order dinner (coffee, etc.) – order lunch (coffee, etc.)
• menu-card / menu ["menjuː] – menu What's on the menu?- What's on the menu?
• wine - wine
• list – list

• to make a phone call - call someone, make a phone call

• waitress - waitress
• the same - the same thing
• dessert - dessert What's for dessert? - What's for dessert?
• apple-pie - apple pie

• feel like - I want

• May I have...? - Can I…?
• check (bill) – account
• Here you are. - Here you are.
• change [ʧeɪnʤ] – to change, change; to change: change; changes; small money, change, change
• Keep the change.– Keep the change for yourself.

• tip smb. - give someone a tip
• per cent - percentage ten per cent - ten percent

• bother ["bɔðə] – disturb (sya)
• It's on me. - At my expense./ I treat (I pay the bill, the treat is at my expense). Expressions similar in meaning: It's my round. / It's my treat.
• pay for all- pay for everyone
• pay for both – pay for both
• pay the bill– pay the bill

Hello, potential visitor to our English course for waiters!

It is impossible to imagine even a small town without restaurants or cafes. And in such an establishment we always meet friendly, or, on the contrary, sullen staff. The waiter/waitress is the face of the restaurant. Depending on how he greets guests, serves them and communicates with them, we can find out whether they will want to visit this place again. Today we will talk about English for waiters and business English, we will tell you a few useful phrases in order to serve the client correctly. After all, in order to build this business correctly, waiter-client communication is needed. Native Eng lish School offers you and

This profession is suitable for people who are neat, energetic, punctual, friendly and stress-resistant. Since restaurant guests can be quite colorful personalities and provoke a conflict situation out of the blue, the waiter must be able to cope with it and smooth out the rough edges. Although this work is demanding and does not always have a convenient schedule (most often, waiters work in shifts - 12 hours a day), it is considered well paid. Of course, this depends on the level of the establishment. The higher the class of the restaurant, the more tips the employee receives. It is generally accepted that you need to leave the waiter a tip of 10% of the order amount if the tip is not included in the bill. The rate may be minimal or non-existent.

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN ENGLISH IN 6 MONTHS?

The income of a waiter in the USA or England significantly exceeds the salary of an employee located in Russian-speaking countries. Therefore, many young people are in a hurry to go abroad to earn extra money, and if they do not stay in another country for permanent residence, then return to their home country in order to open own business. You need to understand that without knowing English and meeting the company’s requirements, no one will hire you. Our team invites you to familiarize yourself with useful phrases that you can use when serving guests.

At Native English School, we devote maximum time to things that are important and useful to you, adjusting the course to the needs and desires of each of our students in order to make the learning as useful as possible.

When meeting guests, the first thing you need to do is greet them.

• Good evening, ladies.- Good evening, ladies.
• Good evening, gentlemen.- Good evening, gentlemen.
• Do you have a reservation? – Have you reserved a table?

After you have escorted your guests to their table, you need to serve the menu.

• Here are your menus. I will be back to take your order in a minute.- Here are your menus. I'll be back in a minute to take your order.
• May I take your order? Are you ready to order?– Can I take your order? Are you ready to order?
• What would you like to drink?-What would you like to drink?
• Would you like to start off with appetizers or with entrees?– What do you want to start with - appetizers or main course?

If a certain dish is not available today, but the guest ordered it, you need to offer him a similar option so as not to upset him. Or interest him with a more interesting and sophisticated choice.

• I am sorry but this dish is not available tonight may I offer you ___ - I'm sorry, but this dish is not available today, may I offer you ___?
• Would you like something else ? – Do you wish for anything else?

The work of a waiter requires maximum attention to his guests. It must be remembered that during their stay in the restaurant, the guest can make additional orders, and the service staff must also monitor the filling of glasses.

• More wine, sir? -More wine, sir?
• Would you like soup or salad? – Would you like soup or salad?
• I would like to let you know about the specials we have tonight – I would like to notify you about today's special offers.
• Here you are, enjoy your meal. – Your dishes, bon appetit.

It's definitely worth learning how to submit an invoice. Often guests want to pay each for their order. To avoid any confusion, it is worth clarifying this in time.

• Do you want to pay separately? – Do you want to pay separately?
• Here is the bill. - Your account.

They say that a patriot is a person who does not order a dish on the menu if he cannot pronounce its name. But what to do if you not only cannot pronounce the complex name of the dish, but also do not know how to communicate in English with the waiter? For you, we have prepared a simple Russian-English phrasebook with phrases for communicating in a restaurant or cafe. You will learn how to order a table and food, ask for the bill and complain about bad service on English language.

We have written a simple phrasebook for travelers, in which you will find dialogues, phrases and vocabulary on 25 essential topics. Go on a journey with the main character and improve your English. You can download the book for free at.

Book a table

If you are going to have dinner at a famous restaurant, you need to book a table in advance, for example by phone. In this case, you must give your name, specify the number of places required, and also exact time reservations. In addition, almost every establishment has two rooms: for smokers and non-smoking. Please specify which room you would like to reserve a table in. Let's see in the dialogue how to book a table in a restaurant in English:

Now let's see what phrases you can use when making a table reservation:

Now study the phrases that a cafe employee may use when communicating with you:

Please note: when ordering a table, we use the word party, which most people are familiar with as “party”. In this context, a party is a group of people who are going to visit a restaurant or cafe together.

We arrive at the restaurant

When entering the restaurant you will be asked if a table is reserved for you. Let's look at two dialogue options in English: with and without a table reservation.

The dialogue in a situation where you have booked a table in advance may look like this:

If you have not reserved a table in advance, the dialogue may look like this:

Below are phrases you can use when you go to a restaurant:

The following phrases can be used by the cafe administrator:

How to order food in English

After you are seated at the table, ask for the menu if the waiter has not done so. Next, you can order your dishes, as well as choose a drink and dessert.

You can use the following phrases to order food in a cafe or restaurant in English:

The waiter may use the following phrases when communicating with you:

You probably noticed the words starter and appetizer, which can be translated as “aperitif”. However, in Russian, by the word “aperitif” we usually mean low alcohol drinks, which are drunk immediately before meals to improve appetite. In English, these words are often used in a different sense. This is the name for a small portion of salad, soup, appetizer or other dish that is served before the main course to stimulate the appetite.

And now we offer you to watch a useful video that will help you understand the types of dishes and order food correctly in English:

Additional requests for ordering

Perhaps when choosing a dish, it will not always be clear to you what it consists of. If you are allergic, be sure to learn the names of the foods you are allergic to and let the waiter know. Maybe you just don't like some ingredient? You can ask the chef to prepare the dish without it. You were served “hot” room temperature? Ask for the dish to be replaced or reheated. Or maybe they handed you a dull knife? Ask for it to be replaced.

In addition, you can ask for some addition (sauce, bread) to your order or change the order altogether if you wish.

Do you need constant access to the Internet? Many cafes have free Wi-Fi, just ask the waiter for the password.

If you are in a hurry, check how long you need to wait for the dish. You can also take it or the food you haven’t finished eating with you. In the UK, as a rule, every establishment offers a doggie-bag (literally, “dog bag”), that is, you will wrap everything you haven’t finished eating with you in a paper bag.

In addition, in a cafe you may need an extra chair or a special high chair for a child.

How to complain to a cafe

It happens that the meal is not as pleasant as you would like: sometimes you have to wait a long time for the dish, sometimes the waiter forgets about you, sometimes he brings the wrong dish, or the product makes you suspicious of the notorious “second freshness”. In this case, you need to complain tactfully but confidently. Use the following phrases for dialogue in a cafe in English:

The waiter may respond to your complaints as follows:

Bill payment

After you have eaten, you need to ask for the bill. To correctly formulate your request, use the following phrases:

The waiter may use the following phrases when communicating with you:

As you noticed, we used two words to describe the word “bill” - bill and check. Often these two words are used interchangeably.

As for tips, this is a delicate point. Abroad, it is customary to leave 10-15% as a tip to the waiter. However, sometimes the cost of service is included in the bill, in which case you just need to pay it.

We all make mistakes. If you find an error in your bill, politely inform the waiter, he will definitely resolve your issue. Take into account the following phrases:

Leaving the restaurant

When leaving a restaurant or cafe, leave a good impression of yourself - praise the establishment and the work of the waiter. Rest assured that if you come here again, you will receive even better service. In addition, it would be nice to destroy the myth about “impolite Russian people.” Moreover, you don’t have to be full of praise; one of the simple phrases is enough:

Complete list of words and phrases for download

We have compiled two documents for you that will make it easier for you to conduct a dialogue in a restaurant or cafe in English. You can download them from the links below.

We hope our simple and detailed guide with phrases for dialogue in a restaurant or cafe in English will help you prepare for your trip. And if you want to feel comfortable abroad, we invite you to attend, during which you will learn vocabulary and phrases for traveling. After completing the training, you can easily order exactly what you need in any establishment. Bon appetit!