Ordering at a Restaurant in English at B1: From Booking a Table to Splitting the Bill

Restaurants follow a script, and once you know it, the meal becomes easy. The hard parts are the small surprises: a question you did not expect, a dish that arrives wrong, or a bill you want to split four ways. This article goes through a meal in order, with the sentences for each step.

Ordering in English is mostly about polite forms. I want a burger is grammatically correct, but it sounds abrupt. I would like, could I have and can I get sound natural, and they are all you need for most of the meal.

In American English, can I get is very common. In British English, could I have is the safer default. Both are understood everywhere.

Booking a table

When you book, the restaurant needs four things: the day, the time, the number of people and a name. If you have a preference, such as a table outside or somewhere quiet, ask while you book, not when you arrive.

If you have not booked, you can still ask at the door. Do you have a table for two? is the standard question.

• I would like to book a table for four on Friday at eight, please.
• Is it possible to sit outside?
• It is for a birthday. Could we have a quiet table?
• Do you have a table for two now, or is there a wait?
• I have a booking under the name Novak.

Ordering

The waiter usually asks for drinks first and food a few minutes later. If you need more time, say so. If you do not understand a dish, ask. Waiters are used to it.

Starter, main and dessert are the British words. In the US, the starter is an appetizer and the main course is an entree.

Questions about the menu and allergies

Allergies are the one thing to say clearly and early, before you order. Name the allergy and say it is an allergy, not a preference, because kitchens treat them differently.

For preferences, use without or on the side. On the side means the sauce or dressing comes separately, so you choose how much.

When something is wrong

If a dish is cold, wrong or has something you asked them to leave out, it is normal to say so. Be specific and calm, and ask for what you want. Excuse me, sorry is a polite way to get attention.

Most restaurants will replace the dish without discussion. You do not need to explain more than one sentence.

• Excuse me, I think this is not what I ordered. I asked for the fish.
• Sorry, this is a bit cold. Could you warm it up?
• I asked for no onions, but there are some in here.
• We have been waiting for quite a while. Is our food coming soon?

Paying, splitting and tipping

To ask for the bill in the UK, say could we have the bill, please. In the US it is the check. Waiters in many countries will not bring it until you ask, because rushing you would be rude.

Splitting the bill is common among friends. Say whether you want to pay separately or split it equally. Tipping customs differ: in the US 15 to 20 percent is expected, in the UK a service charge of around 12.5 percent is often already on the bill, and in many European countries people round up. Is service included? is a polite way to check.

Words worth learning

If you learn ten words for restaurants, choose: starter, main, side, tap water, on the side, allergy, the bill, service charge, to split and to book. They will cover almost every meal you eat out.

Put each one on a flashcard with a full sentence. Could I have the dressing on the side is more useful than the word side alone. For shopping vocabulary in the same everyday style, the supermarket and pharmacy article is a good next step.