English Conversations at a Restaurant

You probably look forward to going to a restaurant during your overseas trip so that you might have quality time with your family. But when you eat ou at a restaurant where you have to speak English, the situation goes from relaxing to pestering.

Let’s tackle common conversations you might have in an English-speaking restaurant in order to get you out of an annoying situation that might happen to you.  

 

Contents

• Making a Reservation
• Being Seated at the Restaurant
• Ordering
• Making Comments on Food
• Paying the Bill/Check
• Useful Expressions

 

Making a Reservation

Making a reservation for nice dinner

 

Restaurant staff: This is TheVeryKorean Restaurant.
Customer: Hi, I would like to make a dinner reservation for 2 persons.
Restaurant staff: What night will you be coming?
Customer: We will need the reservation for Friday night.
Restaurant staff: What time would you like?
Customer: 7:30
Restaurant staff: We don’t have anything available at 7:30. Is 8:00 OK?
Customer: Yes, that’s fine.
Restaurant staff: May I have your name.
Customer: My name is James Smith.
Restaurant staff: Thank you, Mr. Smith. See you this Friday at 8:00.
Customer: Thank you. Bye.

 

Being Seated at the Restaurant

Being Seated at the Restaurant

 

Waiter: Good evening. Welcome to TheVeryKorean Restaurant.
James: I booked a table for two for 7.30 under the name of James Smith.
Waiter: Yes, Mr. Smith. Please come this way.

Waiter: Here is your table.
James: Thanks!

 

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Ordering

Ordeing some food for lunch

 

Waiter: May I get you anything to drink?
James: Yes, please. May I get 2 glasses of mango juice?
Waiter: Sure. Would you like an appetizer?
James: I’ll have the mushroom soup to start.
Linda: I’ll have the shrimp soup.
Waiter: Would you like to order anything else?
James: 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.
Linda: But I ordered shrimp soup!
Waiter: I’m so sorry. I’ll change it for you straightaway.
Linda: I would appreciate that.
James: Excuse me. Could you bring us the menu, please?

Waiter: Here you are!
James: Mm.. We’d like to order some pizza and  a green sallad.
Waiter: It must be a good choice. It is excellent.
James: Sounds good! I’ll trust your taste.
Waiter: Do you want a dessert?
Linda: The cheese cake sounds great.
Waiter: Would you like coffee or tea with your dessert?
James: Just some water, please.
Waiter: Can I get you anything else?
Linda: That’s all, thank you.

 

Making Comments on Food

Making Commentss on Food

 

Linda: James, is your pizza OK?
James: It tastes really good!
Linda: How is your cake?
James: Um... I'm a Korean. My cake is a little too sweet for me. 
Linda: So is mine. Other than that, this is a good restaurant.
James: The food here is really good. I understand why this restaurant is always crowded with customers.
Linda: You're right! This restaurant has more regular customers than random ones.

 

Paying the Bill/Check

Paying the bill

 

Cashier: Can I help you?
James: Yes, could I have the bill?
Cashier: Of course. Here you are.
James: Thank you. Can I pay in cash?
Cashier: Of course, Sir. That will be $80, please.
James: Here you are.
Cashier: Thank you. Here’s your change and your receipt.
James: Thank you.

 

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Useful Expressions

Making Reservations

When we want to “reserve” a table, we can make a request by simply stating our wish:

• I’d like to book a table for five people. 
• I would like to make a reservation for four people. 

 

We could also make a request by asking:

• May I book a table for five people?
• Could I make a reservation for four people? 

 

Arriving & Greeting 

Once you arrive at a restaurant, you can start with a greeting and mention your reservation:

• Hello, I have a reservation under James Smith.
• Hi, I have a booking under the name of Michael Jackson. 

 

If you haven’t made a reservation ahead of time, you may ask:

• Do you have any free tables at the moment?
• Are there any tables available for a party of five?

Inquiring about the Menu

If you would like to know about recommendations or popular foods, you may ask:

• What are today’s specials?
• What do you recommend? 
• Do you have any house specials? 

 

If you would like to know what comes with an item on the menu, you could ask:

• Does this burger come with a side of fries?
• Does this come with a salad on the side? 

 

Similarly, if you would like to inquire about what’s in a dish, you may ask:

• Could you tell me what’s in the Somtam?
• What’s the Somtam made with? 

 

Ordering
Native speakers often start their order by saying: 

• May I have a…
• I’d like a…
• I’ll have a…
• Could I get a…

 

If ordering at a more casual restaurant, like a fast food place, you might say:

• Can I get a…
• I’ll have…

 

If you prefer to have an additional item with your main dish or would like something to be brought separately, you could say:

• May I have the dressing on the side?
• Could I get a side of fries?

 

When you would like to have something instead of another, you could ask:

• May I substitute the fries with a side of pickled radish?
• Could I get a glass of water instead of coke?

 

Expressing Frustration/Complaining

Sometimes restaurants are busy and your food may not meet your expectations. In this situation, you may want to expresss your frustration and tell the waiter:

• Excuse me, this dish isn’t what I expected it to be. Would it be possible to order something else
• Excuse me, I asked for no coriander and there’s a lot in my food. May I have this remade?

 

However, you may be in a situation where you haven’t received your food yet. When this happens, you can politely inquire:

• Excuse me, we ordered some time ago. Will our food be long? 

 

If you’re pressed for time and would like to leave, you could ask:

• I’m running late. Could I get this to-go instead?

 

Responding to Waitstaff

Often, your waiter or waitress will stop by to ask:

• How is everything?
• Are you enjoying your meal?
• Is everything ok with your meal?

 

If you are satisfied, you may respond to their question with:

• Everything is delicious; thank you.
• Yes, we’re enjoying our meal. Thank you for asking. 
• Casually: Everything’s great. Thanks.

 

Making A Payment/Finishing A Meal

When you’ve completed your meal and can’t eat anymore, you can request to take your unfinished food home by asking: 

• Could I get the rest to go?
• Could you box up the leftovers? 

 

When you wish to make a payment and leave, you could make the following requests to the waiter: 

• Could we have the bill/cheque, please?
• May I get the check, please? 

 

If you’d like to inquire about the payment method, you can ask:

• Do you take cash/credit/debit?
• May I pay by cash?

 

When you are with a group of people and want to have separate bills, you can say:

• We’d like to have separate bills, please.
• We’d like to split the check, please. 

 

When you pay by cash, you can simply tell the waiter to keep the change for your appreciation:

• Keep the change, thank you.