Useful English phrases to use in a restaurant

One of the most common reasons why people choose to learn English online is to be able to travel abroad. Once on holiday, speaking English will make it a lot easier to check into a hotel or order food in a restaurant. If you’re currently practicing your tourist English, have a look at our list of useful English phrases to use in a restaurant.

“What is the special for today?” In many restaurants, the chef will cook something special – like a seasonal dish or a soup of the day, which won’t be listed on the menu. Ask your waiter/waitress about ‘the special of the day’ to find out about it.

“What is the ____ like?” When you are deciding on what to order, you might come across dishes on the menu that you‘re not familiar with. You could ask the waiter/waitress “what is the shepherd’s pie like?” for more information on ingredients and flavours.

“Would you recommend the _____?” This is another useful question when you are ordering food. Ask your waiter/waitress what they would recommend to get their opinion on certain dishes.

“Could I order the ____please? “ Once you have decided what you would like to eat, this is a polite way of ordering. For example, if you have decided to order the Caesar salad, you would say “Could I order the Caesar salad please?”

“Could I get another _____ please?” Use this phrase to re-order something, like more bread or another drink for example.

image: Joelk75