Hello, my name is Kate, and in this lesson we’re going to go to the restaurant and we’re going to learn how to speak English in a restaurant. Part 1. Before going to the restaurant First let’s learn some words and phrases which you need to use when you’re planning to have a meal outside.
The first one is a phrasal verb to eat out. If you eat out, that means you eat outside your home, you go to a café or restaurant to have a meal. We can also say to dine out, that means to have dinner outside or to have lunch outside, for example – Would you like to dine out together?
Now, if you’re going to eat out, or dine out, before going to a restaurant you need to make sure if they have a table available for you. Let’s say you and your friend are going to the restaurant but you are not sure if they have a table for you. So what you need to do is to call the restaurant and… you should make a reservation or you should book a table.
Make a reservation or book a table means to call the restaurant and ask them to reserve a table for you Hello, I like to book a table for 2, for tonight at around 6 pm. Yes, we have a table available for you And now when you go to a restaurant, the restaurant may be very expensive or it may also be reasonably priced. Reasonably priced ?
Reasonably priced means it's not too expensive. It's not too cheap, but it's not too expensive as well. The prices are fair.
The prices are reasonable. For example, I checked the menu of that restaurant, and it’s reasonably priced Now, at the restaurant there are some people who are working there. Those people are called the staff.
A Waiter/ a Waitress: They bring your food and drinks to the table and take your orders. A server is another name for a waiter or waitress. A Chef: The person who cooks the food.
A Host/Hostess: They welcome you at the door and guide you to your table. A Manager: They make sure everything in the restaurant goes well. Some restaurants have a busser, also known as a busboy or busgirl.
They clear the table after you finish eating. Every restaurant has cuisine. Cuisine is a specific type of food they serve at the restaurant It may be Russian cuisine, European cuisine or Asian cuisine Local cuisine is the specific type of food you can find in a particular place, for example in America, burgers and hot dogs are their local cuisine.
Also, there is a type of food which is called Continental food. Continental food is European food made in Europe, Italian food, Spanish food, French food, German food, and so on. And there is a type of food which is called Oriental food.
It is Asian cuisine: Food from countries in Asia, including Chinese, Japanese and Thai food. What type of food do you prefer? I really like Continental food.
Another type of food is Vegetarian food. Vegetarian food is a type of food that is made without any meat or fish. And there is Vegan food.
Vegan food is food that doesn't come from animals. It means no meat, dairy, eggs, or any other animal products. Instead, it includes fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and plant-based alternatives.
Now let’s see how to use what we have learned in a dialogue. I hope you enjoyed the dialogue. Before we continue, I want to tell you something.
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At the restaurant Now when you are at the restaurant, the first thing you need to do is to ask the menu. It is a list of meals that a restaurant has. Many restaurants do not offer a menu on paper, they just have a QR code on the table, you need to scan it with your smartphone, to see the menu.
Also some restaurants have the drinks menu that includes the list of drinks or beverages. Beverages are different types of drinks such as water, juice, tea, coffee, soda, and alcoholic beverages like beer and wine. Sometimes you can see a section on the menu which is called Today’s specials It is the meal that the chef has prepared specifically for today.
It’s the dish they do not usually have on the menu. It is something they have cooked for today. When you’re having a meal at the restaurant, it may consist of 3 parts: 1.
Starter: A small dish to begin your meal. 2. Main course: The biggest part of your meal.
3. Dessert: A sweet food you have at the end. You can also have side dishes: These are extra foods you can order to go with your main dish, like fries or salad.
When you're ordering a salad, you can also ask the server, Can I have the dressing on the side? Drssing? What does that mean?
Drssing is a sauce that you put on salads to add flavor. The phrase ‘Can I have the dressing on the side? ’ means you want the sauce served separately so you can add as much as you like.
Now imagine a situation where you're at a restaurant with a friend. Your friend orders something delicious, and when the waiter comes to take your order, you say, I want the same meal that he ordered. Or you can simply say - ‘Make it two’.
Make it two, please. Now let’s see how to use all these phrases in a dialogue. Now when you’re having your meal and you need something, you may have some requests.
You call the waiter or the waitress but you need to do it in a polite way. For example. Could we have some extra napkins, please?
Could you bring some salt and pepper to the table, please? When you notice your glass of water is empty and you would like it refilled, you can say - Excuse me, could I please have some more water? Part 3.
When you’re going to leave When your meal is finished and you want to pay for it, you can say: Can I have the bill, please? Could you bring us the bill, please? Or May I get the check, please?
If you want to divide the cost between you and your friend, you can ask to split the bill. That means you will pay for your meal and your friend will pay for their meal. After finishing our dinner, we asked the waiter if we could split the bill.
Another great phrase which is commonly used - It’s on me. It’s on me. What does that mean?
If you want to treat your friend to a meal or buy something for them, you can say "It's on me. " This means you're going to pay for it and they don't have to. Now let’s watch a conversation where a customer is paying the bill.
Thank you for watching this video. I hope you enjoyed this lesson. And now you know what phrases to use when you’re planning to go to a restaurant or you’re going to make an order or you’re going to pay the bill.
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