If you are travelling to another country on business or vacation, it is highly likely that you will enjoy visiting restaurants to enjoy nice meals.
If you are not fluent in English yet, ordering food in a restaurant can seem overwhelming. However, before you leave your country, you can practice and learn some simple phrases for ordering food in a restaurant.
REMEMBER that using “please” and “thank you” is respectful and polite in social situations.
Polite phrases to use:
Can I have/order/get ….. please?
May I have ….please?
Do you have ….please?
I would like to order ….please?
Here are twenty common English phrases that you can learn to increase your confidence when ordering food in a restaurant:
Ordering food in English
- Can I see the menu please?
- What do you recommend?
- Do you have a vegetarian/vegan menu?
- Can I see the wine list please?
- Do you have a gluten free option?
- Can I have a glass of water please?
- Can I have a glass of red/white wine please?
- Can I order the steak with fries and salad please?
- Can I order the chicken burger with fries and salad please?
- I would like to order the salmon with mushrooms and salad please?
- Can I order the lasagna and salad please?
- May I have a glass of iced tea please?
- May I have a glass of orange juice please?
- Can I have the curry please?
- Can I have the gluten free pasta with vegetables please?
- I would like the dessert menu please?
- May I have the chocolate cake/strawberry cake/vanilla cake please?
- May I have the tiramisu please?
- Can I have a coffee/tea please?
- Can I have a chocolate ice-cream/vanilla ice-cream/strawberry ice-cream please?
When ordering for a group of people, you can say:
Can we order ……please?
We will have ………please?
Can we get ……please?
If you are feeling overwhelmed with the variety of dishes and vocabulary, always have a look at the menu before you go to the restaurant, research the ingredients in your language and know what you will order.
Stay positive and know that everything is an experience and that you are always learning something new.