AT THE RESTAURANT

Lo primero debemos saber que para pedir en restaurantes podemos utilizar varias
expresiones, se emplean mucho los verbos modales como will, can,
would, could, dependiendo de la formalidad del contexto. También hay que acordarse
siempre de ser educado (polite) y decir please y thank you.
ORDERING (Pidiendo)
Una vez que sabemos lo que queremos, o que el camarero (the waiter) nos ha
preguntado: Are you ready to order? (¿estás listo para pedir?) hay varias expresiones
que podemos utilizar:
– I’ll have the soup of the day, please. (Tomaré la sopa del día, por favor)
– Can I have a salad, please? (¿Puedo tomar una ensalada, por favor?)
– I’d like the pasta, please. (Querría la pasta, por favor).
– Could I have a glass of red wine and a lasagne, please? (¿Podría tomar una copa de
vino tinto y una lasaña, por favor?)
Las dos primeras expresiones son más normales, las dos últimas algo más formales.
Aunque suene raro, normalmente, no se debe decir: I want… ya que suena muy
directo y algo rude (maleducado). En muchas ocasiones también podemos pedir lo que
queremos así:
A hamburguer for me, please. Sin añadir nada más y sin olvidarnos del please.
Algunas de estas expresiones pueden sonar demasiado formales en español, sin
embargo, en inglés es muy común escucharlas cuando estamos ante alguien que no
conocemos.
MEAT (la carne)
Rare (poco hecho)
Medium-rare (al punto)
Medium (hecha)
Well done (bien hecha)
– I’d like my steak medium-rare, please.
THE MENU
Hay distintos tipos de menú dependiendo del restaurante al que vayamos. Un menú
convencional incluiría:
STARTERS (Aperitivos)
MAIN COURSES (Platos principales)
SIDES (Acompañamiento)
Examples: bread, salads, chips, etc.
DESSERTS (Postres)
Ojo! no hay que confundir desert /dezət/y dessert /dɪˈz3ːt/(desierto y postre).
BEVERAGES/ DRINKS (bebidas)
PROBLEMS (Problemas)
Excuse me, but this isn’t what I ordered (Disculpe, pero esto no es lo que he pedido).
The food is cold (La comida está fría).
The food is a bit salty (La comida está un poco salada).
We’ve been waiting a long time (Llevamos mucho tiempo esperando).
Is our meal on its way? (¿Está la comida en camino?)
ASKING FOR THE BILL (pidiendo la cuenta)
– Can I have the bill, please?/ Could I have the bill, please? (¿Me trae la cuenta, por
favor?)
– Do you take credit cards? (¿Aceptan tarjetas de crédito?)
– Can I pay by card? (¿Puedo pagar con trajeta?)
– Can we pay separately? (¿Podemos pagar por separado?)
Si queremos dejar propina (tip) podemos decir: Keep the change (Quédese con el
cambio)

Booking
“I booked a table for two for … (8pm).
“It’s under the name of …”
“A table for two please.”
What the restaurant staff say:
“Of course. Please come this way.”
Or…
“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?”

Asking about the menu

These are phrases you can ask the waiter if you aren’t sure of something on the menu.
“What’s … exactly?”
“Is this served with … (salad)?”
“Does this have any … (seafood) in it?”
“What do you recommend?”

Ordering
What the waiter says:
“Are you ready to order?”
“Can I take your order?”
“Anything to drink?”
“Would you like … (chips) with that?”
What the customer says:
“I’ll have…”
“I’d like…”
“Can I have …”
“We’d like to order …”
If there are problems with the order, the waiter can say:
“I don’t think we have any more … (lobster) left. I’ll check with the kitchen.”
“I’m sorry, but the king prawn soup is finished.”

Dealing with problems

The customer can say:
“Excuse me, but I didn’t order this.”
“I’m sorry, but this is cold.”
“Can I change my order please?”
The waiter can say:
“I’m so sorry about that…”
“Let me take it back for you.” (take it back = return it to the kitchen)
“Let me change it for you.”

Getting the bill

“Can we have the bill please?”
“Could we get the bill?”
“Could we pay please?”
(“bill” in British English; “check” in American English.)

Ordering at a Restaurant
Knowing how to order food at a restaurant is an important task for any beginner-level
English learner. Here are two short dialogues to help you learn common questions
and answers used at restaurants.
DINING AT A RESTAURANT ALONE
This dialogue includes most of the basic questions you'll need to know when going to a
restaurant alone. Practice it with a friend.
Waitperson: Hi. How are you doing this afternoon?
Customer (you): Fine, thank you. Can I see a menu, please?
Waitperson: Certainly, here you are.
Customer: Thank you. What's today's special?
Waitperson: Grilled tuna and cheese on rye.
Customer: That sounds good. I'll have that.
Waitperson: Would you like something to drink?
Customer: Yes, I'd like a coke.
Waitperson: Thank you. (returning with the food) Here you are. Enjoy your meal!
Customer: Thank you.
Waitperson: Can I get you anything else?
Customer: No thanks. I'd like the check, please.
Waitperson: That'll be $14.95.
Customer: Here you are. Keep the change!
Waitperson: Thank you! Have a good day!
Customer: Goodbye.
AT A RESTAURANT WITH FRIENDS
Next, use this dialogue to practice speaking at a restaurant when eating with friends.
The dialogue includes questions to help you choose what to eat. For this role-play,
you'll need three people instead of two.
Kevin: The spaghetti looks really good.
Alice: It is! I had it the last time I was here.
Peter: How is the pizza, Alice?
Alice: It's good, but I think the pasta is better. What would you recommend?
Waitperson: I'd recommend the lasagna. It's excellent!
Alice: That sounds great. I'll have that.
Waitperson: Fine. Would you like an appetizer?
Alice: No, lasagna is more than enough for me!
Kevin: I think I'll have the lasagna as well.
Waitperson: Right. That's two lasagnas. Would you care for an appetizer?
Kevin: Yes, I'll take the calamari.
Peter: Oh, that sounds good! I can't decide between the chicken marsala and grilled
fish.
Waitperson: The fish is fresh, so I'd recommend that.
Peter: Great. I'll have the fish. I'd also like a salad.
Waitperson: What would you like to drink?
Kevin: I'll have water.
Alice: I'd like a beer.
Peter: I'll take a glass of red wine.
Waitperson: Thank you. I'll get the drinks and the appetizers.
Kevin: Thank you.
Key Vocabulary and Phrases
Here are some key phrases used to discuss food in a restaurant when ordering and
deciding on what to eat:
 Could I have a menu, please?
 Here you are.
 Enjoy your meal!
 Would you like ...
 Can I get you anything else?
 I'd like the check, please.
 That'll be ...
 Have a good day!
 The spaghetti/steak/chicken looks good.
 How is the pizza/fish/beer?
 What would you recommend?
 I'd like my steak rare/medium/well done.
 Are there any nuts/peanuts? My child has allergies.
 Do you have any vegetarian dishes?
 Could I have a glass of water, please?
 Could you tell me where the restroom is?
 I'd recommend the lasagna/steak/pizza.
 Would you care for an appetizer/a beer/a cocktail?
 I'd like to have a beer/steak/glass of wine.