Phrases to use at a Restaurant
Going into a restaurant and ordering a meal is such a common day situation. Yet some of us get this unavoidable nervousness when we have to talk to the waiter or any member of the staff. Some of us might have returned home without having any food just because we were too afraid to talk in English.
There is absolutely no shame in ordering your food in your native language but imagine a situation where you are in a foreign country and have to use English. And that is when this article comes of use.
Depending on different scenarios let’s go through this.
1.If you want to reserve a table
Look at the following simple dialogue between a customer and restaurant manager,
Customer: Hello
Manager: Hello sir, how can I help you?
Customer: I would like to reserve a table for this evening.
Manager: That is possible; may I ask at what time the reservation is for?
Customer: 5 P.M will be good.
Manager: how many people will you need the reservation for?
Customer: it will be for 3 people.
Manager: very well sir, I have made a reservation for you at 5 P.M. can you please give us your name and that will be all.
Customer: yes thank you very much, my name is Mr. Gupta.
Manager: Okay Mr. Gupta hope to see you in the evening and if you need to cancel the reservation please let us know. Good day sir.
Customer: Good day to you too and I appreciate your help.
This is a basic conversation that is most likely to occur and by following this format and getting familiar with it through practice you can make a clear and easy deal out of it.
2. Ordering food
Most restaurants will provide you with a menu once you sit down but if they don’t you can simple ask for it,
“Could I see the menu please?
After a little time the waiter will ask,
“Are you ready to order?”
Customer: what are the specials today?
What do you recommend for soup?
What does this meal contain?
I am allergic to peanuts, and pineapple
I’ll have the….(food of your choice)
I’ll take this.
How long will it take?
Waiter: I am sorry we are out of that at the moment
Is that all sir? Would you like anything else?
I’ll be right back with the meal within 20
minutes.
3.During the meal
- To get the attention of the waiter
You can always say “excuse me”
And when you need something,
You can say,
“Could you bring us a bottle of water?”
“Could we have more bread?”
“Could we have a bottle of wine?
The waiter will ask you whether you want any dessert,
“Would you like to order dessert sir?”
You can simply say,
“Could I see the dessert menu first?”
- If you encounter any problem mid meal,
After calling for the waiter you can let him know about your concerns
“The food is a little too salty/spicy/cold”
“This is not the meal that I ordered”
“We have been waiting for a long time since we ordered, is it on its way?”
3.Paying the bill
Customer: the bill please
Or
Could we have the bill please?
Can I pay by card?
Or
Do you take credit cards?
And make sure to include a tip for the waiter for his service.
Waiter after receiving the payment:
Thank you, hope you enjoyed the meal.
By practicing simple sentences like that while saying them out loud you can get rid of that fear you get when going to a restaurant and always enjoy a good stress free meal.