— What are your plans for this evening? (What are your plans for the evening?)
- I thought to go home. I was tired at work. (I was thinking about going home. I was tired from work)
— I invite you to go to the cafe. I know a very cozy place. (I suggest going to a cafe. I know a very cozy place)
- Good. Do we need to book a table? (Okay. Do we need to make a reservation?)
- No, on weekdays there are not many people. (No, there are not many people there on weekdays.)
- Sounds great. How far to get to it? We will not get into traffic congestion? (Sounds great. How far is it to get there? Will we get into traffic?)
— No, we will be able to get to the cafe on foot in half an hour. (No, we can get to the cafe on foot in half an hour.)
— How expensive are the dishes on the menu? (How expensive are the menu items?)
— They have a cheap hot drinks and inexpensive business lunches. (They have cheap hot drinks and inexpensive business lunch.)
- Well. But everyone pays for itself. (Great. But everyone pays for themselves.)
— Agreed. I propose to go right now. (We agreed. I suggest leaving now.)

Book a table in English

— Good evening! I would like to book a table, please. (Hello! I would like to reserve a table, please)
— Good evening. On what day and what time would you like to come? ( Good evening. What day and what time would you like to come?)
— This Friday at seven p.m. (This Friday at seven pm)
— Unfortunately, for five hours all the tables are occupied. (Unfortunately, at five o'clock all tables are occupied)
- Well. How about Saturday at the same time? (Okay. How about Saturday at the same time?)
— On Saturday, there are empty seats. How many people will come? (There are free places on Saturday. How many people will come?)
— We need a table for eight. (We need a table for eight)
— Smoking or non-smoking? (Is the room smoking or non-smoking?)
- Non Smoking, please. May I know what are the discounts? (Non-smoking please. May I know about discounts?)
— We have a student discount and discount on the day of birth. (We have discounts for students and birthdays)
— Can you tell me about discount birthday? (Tell us about the birthday discount)
— It works the whole week after the birthday. All menus will be a discount of twenty percent. (It is valid for the whole week after the birthday. There will be a twenty percent discount on the entire menu)
- Great. Then I book a table on Saturday. (Great. Then I'll book a table for Saturday)
— May I know your name? (May I know your name?)
— Anna Petrova. (Anna Petrova)
- Good. Thank you for your call! Bye! (Okay. Thanks for your call! Goodbye!)
- Bye! (Goodbye!)

Ordering food in English, dialogue with the waiter

- Good morning! Can I have the menu, please? (Hello! Can I please have the menu?)
- Yes, please. Can I take your order? (Yes please. Can I take your order?)
— Tell me something light, I’m on a diet. (Give me something easy, I'm on a diet)
— You can take a vegetable salad and grilled chicken. (You can take vegetable salad, chicken fillet Grilled)
- Okay, I’ll take them. What will advise of drinks? (Okay, I'll take them. What drinks do you recommend?)
— I would suggest tea or coffee. (I would suggest tea or coffee)
- Then the green tea, please. If possible, bring the bill immediately. (Back then green tea, Please. If possible, please bring the bill immediately)
— Okay, I’ll be right back with your order and the invoice. (Okay, I'll be right back with your order and invoice)

When traveling, you want to visit all the sights and interesting places. At the same time, it is no less interesting to taste exotic dishes in the best cafes and restaurants different countries peace. Probably every traveler has encountered the problem of ordering something delicious in another country when the language level is not very high. This article will help you find out how to book a table, check with the waiter for information, or, sometimes this is also very necessary, complain to the administrator about English language.

Book a table

If you are planning to visit any fancy restaurant, it is better to reserve a table (to book a table) in advance, especially if you plan to visit on a Friday or Saturday evening.

• I would like to book a table, please.- I would like to reserve a table, please.
• I would like a table for two.- I would like a table for two.
• When for?- for when?
• For what time?- for how long?
• Smoking or non-smoking?- (The hall) for smokers or non-smokers?
• Can I get your name?- May I know your name?

Dialogue
Customer: Good evening. I"d like to book a table in your restaurant, please.
Receptionist: I will be happy to help you. When would you like a table for?
Customer: For Wednesday evening, at 6 p.m. m.
Receptionist: Wednesday evening, October 13. For how many people?
Customer: For five people.
Receptionist: Sure. Can I get your name please?
Customer: Smith.
Receptionist: Could you give me your contact number?
Customer: Sure, it's 7589634129.
Receptionist: So, that"s a table for 5 people for Wednesday evening, October 13. Thank you, Mr. Smit. We are waiting for you.
Customer: Thank you. Goodbye!

Dialogue
Client: Good afternoon, I would like to reserve a table in your restaurant please.
Administrator: I will be glad to help you. When would you like to book a table?
Client: For Wednesday evening, at 6 o'clock.
Administrator: Wednesday evening, October 13. How many people?
Client: For five.
Administrator: Of course. May I know your name?
Client: Smith.
Administrator: Could you give me your contact telephone number?
Client: Of course. 7589634129.
Administrator: So, a table for five for the evening of Wednesday, October 13th. Thank you Mr Smith. We are waiting for you.
Client: Thank you. Goodbye!

Order food

Arriving at a cafe, you will need to order delicious dishes, the list of phrases below will help you do this quickly and easily. But, do not forget to mention if you are allergic to foods, use the phrase I'm allergic to...(I'm allergic to...) or just tell me I don't eat...(I do not eat...)

• Could you bring the menu, please?- Could you bring me the menu, please?
• Could I see the wine list, please?- can I see the wine list, please?
• Are you ready to order?- Are you ready to order?
• I am not ready yet.- I'm not ready yet.
• What do you recommend?- What do you recommend?
• I would like the set lunch.- I would like a set lunch.
• I will take this.- I will take it.
• Does it contain...?- Does this dish contain...?
• What specials do you have?- What special dishes do you have?
• For here or to go?- Here or with you?
• - Would you like anything else?
• Nothing else, thank you- Nothing more, thank you
• How long will it take?- How long will it take?
• Would you like any coffee or dessert?- Do you want coffee or dessert?
• Could you bring us some more bread/ milk/ water?- Could you please bring us some more bread/milk/water?

Dialogue
Waiter: Welcome to our restaurant. Here are your menus. I’ll be back to take your order in a few minutes.
Waiter (in a few minutes): Are you ready to order?
Customer: I’ll have the fried potato.
Waiter: Would you like anything to drink?
Customer: I'll have tea.
Waiter: Would you like anything else?
Customer: Yes, please. I would like some boiled vegetables.
Waiter: Would you like any dessert?
Customer: No, thank you. How long will it take?
Waiter: It will take about 15 minutes.

Dialogue
Waiter: Welcome to our restaurant. Here are your menus. I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order.
Waiter (after a couple of minutes): Are you ready to order?
Visitor: I'll have fried potatoes.
Waiter: Would you like something to drink?
Visitor: I'll have tea.
Waiter: Anything else?
Visitor: Yes, please. I would like some boiled vegetables.
Waiter: Would you like dessert?
Visitor: No, thank you. How long will it take?
Waiter: It will take about 15 minutes.

Complain

Unfortunately, situations arise when breakfast, lunch or dinner are not as rosy as expected. The waiter may be rude, the dish may be too salty, bitter or cold. It is better to resolve such issues immediately so that in the future you can only use high-quality service.

• This food is cold.- The food is cold.
• This dish is too salty.- This dish is too salty.
• We've been waiting a long time.- We've been waiting for a long time.
• Can I see the manager, please?- Can I see the administrator?
• This meat is underdone/over roasted.- This meat is undercooked/overcooked.
• This dish is not cooked enough- This dish is undercooked.
• On the house.- At the expense of the establishment.

Dialogue
Customer: Excuse me! My meal is too salty. Could you take care of it, please?
Waiter: Excuse me. I'll change it right now.
*2 hours later*
Customer: Thank you. Now it's ok.

Dialogue
Visitor: Sorry! My dish is too salty. Could you take care of this please?
Waiter: Sorry. I'll replace it right away.
*2 hours later*
Visitor: Thank you. It's fine now.

Bill payment

To leave in English means to leave a place without saying goodbye. Of course, this English tradition is quite interesting, and nevertheless, while in a restaurant or cafe, you will still have to talk to the waiter again before leaving to ask for the bill (bill, check). By the way, both words are used to mean the word bill, only the word bill is used in Britain, and check in the USA.

• The check, please.- The check, please.
• Could we have the bill, please?- Can we have the bill, please?

You can clarify questions about payment using these phrases:

• Can I pay by card?- Can I pay by card?
• Do you take credit cards?- Do you accept credit cards?
• Is service included in bill?- Is the service charge included in the bill?
• Can we pay separately?- Can we pay separately?
• Keep the change. - Keep the change for yourself.

Dialogue
Waiter: May I take away the dishes?
Customer: Yes, please. And could you bring us the bill?
Waiter: Yes, of course. How would you like to pay: in cash or by credit card?
Customer: By credit card. Here you go.
Waiter: Ok. Here is your bill.
Customer: Thank you. Is the service included?
Waiter: Yes, it is. Have a good day!

Dialogue
Waiter: Can I clear the dishes?
Visitor: Yes, please. And could you bring me check?
Waiter: Yes, of course. How would you like to pay: cash or card?
Visitor: Credit card. Here she is.
Waiter: Okay. Here is your bill.
Visitor: Thank you. Is maintenance included?
Waiter: Yes. Have a good day.

Idioms about food

Apple polisher- this is not the profession of an apple polisher, as one might think. This is how you can call a person a sucker or a sycophant.
To compare apples to oranges- you don't have to literally compare apples and oranges, this phrase should be used when you are comparing something that is undersupplied.
To go bananas- use this phrase when someone is going crazy with joy or anger.
As easy as pie- if the business you are doing is very easy, then use this phrase - as easy as shelling pears.
Cool as a cucumber- this is how you can call a person who remains calm in any situation and remains absolutely cold-blooded.

It’s always a pleasure to sit in a cozy atmosphere with friends, have a nice conversation and eat delicious dishes, and especially if you can order food in English without any problems. You can also gain additional experience thanks to this video.

We hope this article will help you feel more confident in any restaurant.

Big and friendly EnglishDom family

Hello. Pizzeria Tricolore. Can I help you?

Hello. I would like to book a table, please.

What day and what time do you want to come?

Tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. Do you have any free tables?

Yes, we do. We have a couple of tables available for tomorrow. And how many people are there in your party?

I hope there will be five or six of us.

Would you like to reserve a private dining-room?

OK. A table for six then. Would you like smoking or non-smoking?

Non-smoking, please.

Right. Can I get your name, sir?

Bond. James Bond.

Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr. Bond?

Well, we have a couple of vegetarians in our group, but I don’t think that would be a problem, wouldn’t it?

You're right. We can offer a special vegetarian menu with a wide selection of food in our restaurant.

Fine. That's all I think.

So you have a reservation for tomorrow at 7 p.m. If there's anything else you need, you can let us know. Just phone the same number and ask for me. My name's Helen.

Sure. Thank you, Helen.

Thank you for calling. See you tomorrow.

Translation

Hello. Pizzeria Tricolore. Can I help you?

Hello. I'd like to reserve a table, please.

What day and what time do you want to come?

Tomorrow evening at 7 o'clock. Do you have any free tables?

Yes, I have. There are still a couple of free tables available for tomorrow. How many people will be in your company?

I hope there will be five or six of us.

Do you need a separate banquet hall?

No, thank you.

Fine. Then just a table for six people. Smoking or non-smoking room?

Non-smoker please.

Fine. May I know your name?

Bond. James Bond.

Is there anything else I can help you with, Mr. Bond?

Yes, there are a couple of vegetarians in our group, but I don't think that will be a problem, right?

You're right. We can offer special vegetarian menu with a wide selection of dishes in our restaurant.

Great. I think that's it.

So, you have made a reservation for tomorrow at 7 pm. If you need anything else, you can let us know. Just call the same number and call me. My name is Helen.

Of course. Thank you, Helen.

Thank you for calling. Till tomorrow.

Goodbye!

Dialogue "Booking a table in a restaurant" - 5.0 out of 5 based on 12 votes

If you find yourself traveling in an English restaurant where you will only be understood in English, then it will be useful for you to know necessary phrases. How to ask for a menu? How to make an order? How to ask for a bill in English? You will find answers to all these questions in this article.

Let's start with how to say “restaurant” in English – “restaurant” [restaurant]. Both in spelling and sound, the word is a little similar to its Russian translation, so you will easily remember it.

Selection issues

If the menu is not brought to you right away, you can request it using the following phrase:
Menu, . Could we have a menu, please? [where ui have e manyu, please?]
The sentence assumes that you did not come alone. If you are alone, then replace the word we [ui] with I [ai] in the indicated phrase. Below we will give examples based on the assumption that English restaurant you visited more than one/more than one.

Let's say that you are still choosing what to eat, and the waiter arrives ahead of time and is ready to take your order. You can tell him:
We haven't chosen yet. We are not ready yet. [ui a not rady et]

If you want to contact him for help in choosing:
What do you recommend? What do you recommend? [what do you rackamand?]
What advice do you have for us? What would you recommend? [what wood yu rackmand?]
And in response to this you can hear:
I can offer you... I can offer you... [ai ken offe yu...]

If you want to try something popular from English cuisine, you can check this:
We would like to order something common from English cuisine. We would like to order some popular English dish. [ui wood like tu ode sam popule english dish]

What is your specialty of the house? What is your specialty? [what's the speciality?]
What meat/vegetable dishes do you have? What meat/fish dishes do you have? [wat mit/fish dishiz do yu have?]
Is this dish very spicy? Is this dish very spicy? [from zis dish very spicy?]

Order

Please bring... Please bring... [please bring...]

For dessert... For dessert... [fo dizet...]
Ice cream for dessert. Ice-cream for dessert. [ice cream fo dizet]

You may hear the following question from the waiter:
What will you drink? What would you like to drink? [what wood yu like that drink?]

Can I have some water with ice (no ice), please? May I have ice water (water without ice), please? [may ai have ice wate (wate visa out ice), please?]
A bottle of red/white wine, please. A bottle of red/white wine, please. [e bottle ov red/white wine, please]

Finishing the meal

We will review some of the items in one of the following materials. In the meantime, let's move on to completing and revealing the question of how to ask for a bill in English in a restaurant. This can be done very simply with a short phrase:
The check, please. The bill, please. [ze beat, please]

Video lessons

Below are three-minute video lessons from the project with free online Puzzle English lessons from the “English in Institutions” series, from which you will learn:

1. How to book (reserve) a table and how to report your reservation upon arrival at the restaurant. And also how to ask for a menu and how to ask the waiter for recommendations when choosing a dish.

2. How to order food and drinks.

3. How to ask for an invoice for payment? How to pay for someone? How do you say in English that you have discovered an error in your invoice?

By the way, if you want to speed up receiving your order (for example, if you have limited time for lunch), and also want to ask for the bill to be brought immediately along with the served dishes, information from a short video by Natasha Cooper, a professional translator, will help you with this:

If you are planning to go on holiday abroad, and you really need English to feel comfortable and free during the trip, come to our FREE mini-training in English for travel.
The online training is conducted by Natasha Cooper, translator of Reagan and Gorbachev. Receive an invitation to a series of FREE lessons by subscribing on the page:

Or a pub - the task, at first glance, is completely simple. Despite its apparent simplicity, many Russian tourists make mistakes or are simply lost when trying to find the right phrase. As a result, the majority simply translates what they want to say verbatim from Russian. This is called “tracing” and in most cases puts waiters, bartenders, cashiers and other service personnel into a cultural stupor.

The first thing a Russian tourist in an English-speaking country should learn is that literal translation is his worst enemy. In addition, even if a tourist had straight A’s in English at school, he will hardly be able to freely explain what exactly he needs without learning a number of useful phrases, which will be given later in this article.

How to call a waiter?

Let's say a tourist has received his order, emptied his plate, and is now about to ask for the bill. Before you rack your brains over the phrase “Can I have the bill?” in English, in a restaurant you need to attract the attention of the wait staff. The tourist recalls how he would do this in an ordinary Russian cafe:

• Young woman! Can I see you?

Then, if the tourist did not look into the phrase book and did not learn the corresponding phrases, he will certainly translate his version, familiar to Russian cafes, literally:

• Girl! Can I have you?

After which he will be puzzled for a long time and with concentration why the waitress was offended/angry/crying/slapped him in the face, and he was rudely thrown out of a decent establishment.

The fact is that the above phrase is in no way suitable for communicating with service personnel in a restaurant or cafe. Moreover, the only group of people for whom rough treatment of a girl is applicable are women of easy virtue. This is why tracing is the worst enemy of the tourist.

You should contact waiters or waitresses using one of the following options, depending on the situation:

• Miss.
• Madam (M"am).
• Mister.

To attract the attention of the service personnel, you do not need to contact them at all - you can simply raise your hand.

Let's assume that the tourist managed to attract the attention of the waiter and did not find himself thrown out of the establishment with a demand not to return to it again. To ask for a bill in a restaurant in English, he can use one of several phrases of varying degrees of politeness.

If a traveler has not sat down with an English textbook for many years, an easy-to-remember remark will help him:

• Bill, please.

If he really had an A in this subject, and some knowledge from school was retained, he may well show politeness and good manners and ask for a bill at a restaurant in English, using a more complex, but more cultural phrase:

• Can I have the bill, please?

• Can I please have the bill?

If a tourist for some reason does not use these phrases, for example, he forgot what the English translation of the word “bill” in a restaurant is, he may well use another phrase that does not contain a direct request:

• I would like to pay now, please (I would like to pay/pay now).

In addition, he will certainly receive a bill if he asks how much his order costs.

• How much does it cost?

To ask for a bill in English in a restaurant or cafe, the following option is a little more familiar:

• How much is the total (How much does it all cost)?

In addition, the tourist may ask how much he owes. In English there is a phrase for this, almost similar to Russian:

• How much do I owe you?

From these phrases, it is quite possible to choose only the ones you like, but it will be much more effective to learn them all. Just in case.

Having received the invoice, the tourist will certainly study it carefully. And it is possible that he will find an error or inaccuracy in it, which he will definitely want to report.

Of course, in English.

• I think/guess/believe the bill is added up wrong (I think/it seems to me that there is a mistake in the bill).

This expression is appropriate if the traveler had an A not only in English, but also in mathematics, and he is absolutely sure that there is something wrong with the score. If he is not sure, and there is no calculator at hand, you can formulate your claim more politely - in the form of a question:

• Is it just me, or the bill is added up wrong?

Or even more politely:

• Are you sure the bill is added up right?

Such a claim is not considered offensive or rude in cultural institutions. This only means that the tourist wants to check everything again, so any waiter will readily explain what the tourist is going to pay for.

How to pay in a company

A traveler may well dine not alone, but with friends.

If these are not very close friends of different social status, and on the common table expensive lobsters are side by side with cheap ones vegetable salad, the following phrase will be useful:

• We are paying separately.

Each person present will receive a separate bill, and guests will not have to pay for someone else's lobster.

If the company is friendly and everyone eats about the same thing, the bill can be divided:

• Let's split the bill (Let's pay equally).

If one person has more green bills in his wallet than his companions, he may well show a gesture of goodwill and pay for everyone:

• I "m paying for everything (I pay for everything / I pay for everyone)!

If you do not want to remain in debt to anyone, offer to pay for yourself:

• Let me pay my share (Let me pay my share).

By the way, when trying to impress your companions (or companion), you can use the following phrase:

• Put it on my bill, please.

How to ask for a check

To receive a check, you can use a phrase very similar to the one used to ask for an invoice.

• Check, please (Check, please).

The more polite option is slightly different:

• Can I get the check, please?

In general, asking for a check or bill at a restaurant does not require any particularly complex phrases.

Summing up

Asking for a bill in English in a cafe or restaurant is not difficult. If you learn the appropriate phrases, practice at home in front of a mirror and try not to worry, you can make a good impression on others, not lose face and enjoy visiting a cafe or restaurant. It is important to remember that you should not copy phrases from Russian and do not hesitate to ask for help if necessary.