A1 — At the Restaurant: Theory
Level A1
Food & Drinks
Everyday situations
Goal
Order food and drinks, talk to the waiter, understand the menu, and pay the bill using simple, polite English.
Menu basics
- menu = list of food and drinks in the restaurant.
- Typical parts of a menu: starters, main courses, desserts, drinks.
- Ask for the menu: Can I have the menu, please?
Polite requests & orders
- Use Can I have… , please? to order: Can I have a salad, please?
- Use I’d like…: I’d like the chicken and a juice.
- Waiter asks: Are you ready to order? / Anything to drink?
At the table
- Objects on the table: plate, glass, cup, knife, fork, spoon, napkin.
- Ask for something: Can I have another glass, please?
- Say your choice: For me, the fish, please.
Paying the bill
- Ask for the bill: Can I have the bill, please? (US: the check).
- Ask about payment: Can I pay by card? / Can I pay in cash?
- Waiter says: Enjoy your meal! / Here you are. (когда что-то приносит).
Vocabulary — 30 restaurant words & phrases
1. restaurant
We have dinner at a restaurant.
2. café
Let’s meet in a café.
3. waiter
The waiter brings our food.
4. waitress
The waitress is very friendly.
5. customer
The customers are hungry.
6. menu
Can I see the menu?
7. table
Our table is near the window.
8. chair
There is a chair for you.
9. bill (check)
Can we have the bill, please?
10. tip
We leave a tip for the waiter.
11. glass
There is water in my glass.
12. cup
I drink tea from a cup.
13. plate
The pasta is on the plate.
14. knife
Cut the meat with a knife.
15. fork
Eat the salad with a fork.
16. spoon
We eat soup with a spoon.
17. napkin
Use a napkin to clean your mouth.
18. water
Can I have some water?
19. still water
I’d like still water, please.
20. sparkling water
He drinks sparkling water.
21. soup
The soup is hot.
22. salad
I start with a salad.
23. main course
The main course is fish.
24. dessert
Ice cream is my favourite dessert.
25. chicken
I’d like chicken and rice.
26. fish
She orders grilled fish.
27. rice
We have rice with vegetables.
28. vegetables
I eat a lot of vegetables.
29. juice
He drinks orange juice.
30. coffee
A coffee for me, please.
Tip: think in small “restaurant chunks”, not single words: a table near the window, a glass of water, the main course.
Booster — 20 extra restaurant words & chunks
1. to order
We are ready to order.
2. to book a table
I’d like to book a table for two.
3. reservation
We have a reservation at 7 p.m.
4. for two (people)
A table for two, please.
5. Are you ready to order?
The waiter asks: Are you ready to order?
6. Can I have … , please?
Can I have the menu, please?
7. I’d like …
I’d like the salad and a juice.
8. Anything else?
Anything else? — No, that’s all, thanks.
9. That’s all, thanks.
That’s all, thanks. Can I pay now?
10. Enjoy your meal.
The waiter says: Enjoy your meal.
11. tasty
The soup is very tasty.
12. delicious
This dessert is delicious.
13. spicy
The chicken is a little spicy.
14. vegetarian
She wants a vegetarian dish.
15. allergic (to)
I am allergic to nuts.
16. without …
Can I have the salad without cheese?
17. with …
Tea with lemon, please.
18. salt
Pass the salt, please.
19. pepper
There is pepper on the table.
20. to pay by card
Can I pay by card?
Tip: practise full sentences with the staff: We have a reservation for two. I’d like the chicken, please. Can I have the bill?
Mini-dialogues
- Waiter: Hello. Do you have a reservation? — Customer: Yes, a table for two.
- Waiter: Are you ready to order? — Customer: Yes. I’d like the soup and a juice, please.
- Customer: Can I have the bill, please? — Waiter: Here you are.
Conversation pattern
- A table for two, please.
- I’d like the fish and a glass of water.
- That’s all, thanks. Can I have the bill?
Use these patterns to role-play a full restaurant visit: arrive, order, eat, and pay in simple English.