Can you confidently eat at a restaurant in English? If not, don’t worry – you’ll be able to do that by the end of this lesson!
Today I’ll teach you 25 essential restaurant English phrases – so you can order your meal, ask questions, and enjoy eating without stress.
So – shall we grab a bite to eat? Let’s get started.
🍽️ PART 1: ARRIVING & GETTING A TABLE
When you arrive, the host or hostess (that’s the person who greets people just inside the door) might ask:
- “Do you have a reservation?”
= Did you confirm your plans in advance?
If you have a reservation, you can say “Yes, for [your name]”
- “Table for two, please.”
Use this if you don’t have a reservation. Replace “two” with the number of people in your group. - “There’s a 20-minute wait.”
= You need to wait before getting a table. - “Can I see the menu?”
(Usually they give it automatically, but useful to know) - “Right this way.”
= Follow me (the host is guiding you)
🪑 PART 2: ORDERING FOOD
The person who takes your order and brings your food can be called a waiter (that’s a man), a waitress (that’s a woman) or a server (that can be either a man or a woman).
- “Are you ready to order?”
The server asks this. If you’re not yet ready, you can say “Not quite yet” or “I need a couple more minutes.” - “Are there any lunch specials?”
Specials are featured meals that might be available at a lower price. - “I’ll have the chicken.”
A natural way to order food (not “I want…”) - “Can I get…?”
Very common and polite way to make requests
👉 “Can I get the salad dressing on the side?” - “Is this spicy?”
Useful if you don’t like spicy food - “Can I make a substitution?”
= change part of the dish, like replacing the French fries with a baked potato - “No onions, please.”
Simple request
🥗 PART 3: DURING THE MEAL
- “How is everything?”
The server says this when he/she stops by the table to check on you - “Everything’s great, thanks.”
This is the typical response - “Could we get some more water?”
= Polite request - “Can we have another basket of bread?”
= Another way to make a polite request - “Excuse me…”
Use this with a little wave to get the server’s attention
💳 PART 4: PAYING FOR YOUR MEAL
- “Can we get the check?”
(“check” in American English, “bill” in British English) - “Can we have separate checks?”
= pay separately - “It’s on me. / My treat.”
= You offer to pay for another person’s meal - “Can I get a box to take this home?”
If you didn’t finish your meal and you want to save the leftovers for later.
⚠️ PART 5: PROBLEMS & SPECIAL SITUATIONS
- “I have a food allergy. / I’m allergic to… peanuts / eggs / etc.”
Very important for safety - “Could you check on our order?”
If it’s taking too long - “Sorry, but this is cold.”
- “Actually, this isn’t what I ordered.”
Polite way to say there’s a mistake
Now you know how to:
- get a table
- order food
- ask for what you need
- and pay the bill — all in English
I’d love to teach you real phrases for lots of different situations in daily life – from shopping to traveling to phone calls, socializing, and lots more. You can find them inside my Everyday English Speaking Course.
Thanks for watching — and I hope you enjoy your next meal in English! 🍽️
