Speak English at the Restaurant!

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. If  

you’re enjoying this video so far, please click  the like button and subscribe to my channel if  

you haven’t yet. Do not forget to click the  notification bell so you will never miss any  

of my new video lessons. Part 2. 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? Dressing?  What does that mean? Dressing 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.  

Don’t forget to give this video a thumbs up  and subscribe and I’ll see you next time!