English for eating out in a restaurant
Who doesn’t like eating out with friends or family? No one can deny trying new foods when traveling and making new memories. It’s also the perfect opportunity for you to put your English skills to the test. Nervous? Don’t worry, it’s simple and we will help!
Reservation
You can book a table on the phone or ask for a table when you are at the restaurant by saying “We’d like a table for 5, please.” This will let the waiter know how many people to expect so he can find an adequate table for your “party” (meaning group in this scenario). If you’re in a hot country, the waiter may ask if you’d prefer to sit indoors or outdoors. Make it clear exactly where you want to sit so you can have the most pleasant experience.
Ordering drinks
Usually a waiter or waitress will ask if you’d like to order a drink before ordering your food. This way, you hace more time to decide and it’s a nice time to pass time as you wait for your food to arrive. Therefore, their question might be “Would you like to start with a drink?” and you can reply with “Yes, we’d like (type of drink) while we decide on our food.”
Ordering food
Later, the waiter will come back and ask “Are you ready to order?” or “Can I take your order?” If you are ready, you can give your order. Use “I’d like…” or “I’ll have…” to introduce your order and expression “for starter/appetizer” to talk about the first course and “for main course” to talk about the second course of food you will eat.
If you are not sure what to order you can get some advice, ask the waiter “What would you recommend?” or “What are the specialities?” to find out what the most famous dishes are at that restaurant. You could also ask “What are today’s specials?” to find out if there are any dishes being served today that are not usually on the menu.
Allergies or other considerations
If you cannot eat certain things because of your religion or health, check the menu carefully. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are usually marked but if not you can point at the dish on the menu and ask the waiter “Does this contain meat/dairy?” to find out if it’s OK for you to eat. Or, when the waiter gives you the menu, you can say “I can’t eat _____, which dishes would you recommend for me?”
Paying the bill
To pay the bill you can catch the waiter’s attention and ask “Can we have the bill, please?” or “Check, please.” to see how much you need to pay. The waiter might ask if you want to pay separately or as a group. Remember to check the bill to see if a service charge or tip has been added for the waiter. If not, it is common in most English speaking countries to leave a tip for the waiter.
Just to make sure you’ve got it, I’ll include a conversation example below and a pdf with vocabulary and phrases that might help you feel more confident!
I hope you found some good tips in this post! Here at pensareninglés, I want to help you achieve fluency in English. Check out my free videos, blog posts and ebooks! If you really want to dive deep into English learning All courses developed after years of studying the way that Spanish speakers learn English. They include explanations, exercises and demonstrations that you can do around your busy schedule.
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Inglés para comer en un restaurante
¿A quién no le gusta salir a comer con amigos o familiares? Nadie puede negar probar nuevos platos cuando viaja y crear nuevos recuerdos. También es la oportunidad perfecta para poner a prueba tus habilidades en inglés. ¿Nervioso/a? ¡No te preocupes, es simple y te ayudaremos!
Reservar
Puede reservar una mesa por teléfono o pedir una mesa cuando esté en el restaurante diciendo “Nos gustaría una mesa para 5, por favor”. Esto le permitirá al mesero saber cuántas personas esperan para que pueda encontrar un mesa adecuada para su “fiesta” (significado de “grupo” en este contexto). Si se encuentra en un país caluroso, el camarero puede preguntarle si prefiere sentarse en el interior o al aire libre. Deje en claro exactamente dónde quiere sentarse para que pueda tener la experiencia más placentera.
Pedir bebidas
Por lo general, un camarero o una camarera le preguntará si desea pedir una bebida antes de pedir su comida. De esta manera, tiene más tiempo para decidir y es una buena manera de pasar el tiempo mientras espera que llegue su platillo. Por lo tanto, su pregunta podría ser “¿Le gustaría comenzar con una bebida?” Y puede responder con “Sí, nos gustaría (tipo de bebida) mientras decidimos nuestra comida”.
Pidiendo comida
Más tarde, el camarero volverá y preguntará “¿Está listo para ordenar?” O “¿Puedo tomar su pedido?” Si está listo, puede dar su pedido. Use “Me gustaría …” o la expresión “para empezar / como aperitivo” para hablar sobre el primer plato y “de plato principal” para referirse al plato de fondo..
Si no está seguro de qué pedir, puede pedir alguna sugerencia, pregúntele al camarero “¿Qué recomendaría?” O “¿Cuáles son las especialidades?” Para averiguar cuáles son los platos más famosos en ese restaurante. También puede preguntar “¿Cuáles son las ofertas especiales de hoy?” Para averiguar si hay algún plato que se sirva, que no esté usualmente en el menú.
Alergias u otras consideraciones
Si no puede comer ciertas cosas debido a su religión o salud, revise el menú cuidadosamente. Los platos vegetarianos y veganos generalmente están marcados, pero si no, puede señalar el plato en el menú y preguntarle al camarero “¿Contiene carne/ lácteos?” Para averiguar si está bien. O, cuando el camarero le da el menú, puede decir “No puedo comer _____, ¿qué platos me recomendarían?”
Pagando la cuenta
Para pagar la factura, puede llamar la atención del camarero y preguntar “¿Podemos recibir la factura, por favor?” O “La cuenta, por favor” para ver cuánto debe pagar. El camarero puede preguntarle si desea pagar por separado o en grupo. Recuerde revisar la factura para ver si se ha agregado un cargo por servicio o propina para el camarero. Si no, es común en la mayoría de los países de habla inglesa dejar una propina para el camarero.
¡Solo para asegurarme de que lo entiendes, incluiré un ejemplo de conversación a continuación y un pdf con vocabulario y frases que pueden ayudarte a sentirte más seguro!
¡Espero que hayas encontrado algunos buenos consejos en esta publicación! Aquí en pensareninglés, quiero ayudarlo a alcanzar la fluidez en inglés. ¡Mira mis videos gratuitos, publicaciones en mi blog y mis ebooks gratuitos! Si realmente quieres aprender el inglés profundamente, ofrezco cursos que desarrollé después de años de estudiar la forma en que los hispanohablantes aprenden inglés. Incluyen explicaciones, ejercicios y demostraciones que puedes hacer en torno de tu agenda apretada.
¿Tienes algún pedido? ¡Contáctame para que yo pueda crear el contenido que necesites! Me encantaría escuchar tus sugerencias o preguntas.
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