3.1. Ready to order?

 

Forks, spoons and knives
Imagen de judith511
en Flickr. Licencia CC

All the words below are food and restaurant related vocabulary. What are they used for?

cutlery straw apron
tray tablecloth pot
napkin pan restroom

Moving on

Now, check your knowledge of food and restaurant related vocabulary by matching words (1,2,3) and pictures.

Do it yourself

Read the sentences below which are part of a natural dialogue in any restaurant or bar. Fill in the gaps using words from the grid:

recommend out charge courses
main free choice order
show booked ready bills
house call substitute appetizers

1. Are you to order?

2. I the vegetarian chilli.

3. We can the bacon for cheese if you like.

4. The meal consists of three - soup, the course and dessert.

5. I'm sorry. We're fully right now.

6. Are you paying together or would you like separate ? (Americans say 'checks')

7. The bread is free of .

8. Follow me, please, I'll you your table.

9. Our wine is Concha y Toro from Chile.

10. We're of Tandoor Chicken.

11. When the bartender says "Last !", it means that it's the last chance for customers to drinks before the bar closes.

12. All of the food has to be meat- We're vegetarians.

13. Canapés are small bite-size .

14. Very good . This is our most popular dish.

Adapted from: http://www.englishformyjob.com/ell_foodandbeverage.html

 

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Read these expressions which are used at a restaurant to carry out the following functions:

  • Booking a table
  • Placing your order
  • Complaining
  • Requesting information when arriving at the restaurant
  • Requesting information during and after the meal
  • Paying

Moving on

Now complete the following dialogues (1,2) which are conversations between a waiter / waitress and a customer.

Do it yourself

Listen to this conversation between a customer and a waitress and fill in the gaps with just ONE WORD according to what the speakers say. Listen to the recording twice.

 

 

SOURCE: http://www.elllo.org/english/0501/512-Akane-Restaurant.html

 

Waitress: Hi, welcome to our restaurant.

Customer: Thank you very much.

Waitress: How many people are there?

Customer: Just the one.

Waitress: Just one person, ok. or non-smoking?

Customer: Non-smoking please.

Waitress: All right. Come along and have a right here.

Customer: Thanks very much.

Waitress: Here are your and a glass of water.

Waitress: Can I get you something to drink?

Customer: Mmm I was wondering about this wine actually. What’s your wine?

Waitress: Our house wine is this wine right here and it’s 10 dollars.

Customer: Oh, I think I’ll have a glass of that actually.

Waitress: Just a glass?

Customer: How much is it for a ?

Waitress: Bottle is 10 dollars.

Customer: Oh sorry. Yeah I’ll have a bottle then, thanks.

Waitress: Can I take your order for an ?

Customer: Mmm I quite like the look of several of these. Now the melon, does that with anything else?

Waitress: The melon? It just comes with some garnish. Well, but it’s pretty much just plain melon and some whipped cream.

Customer: What would you ?

Waitress: Well I really recommend the . They’re quite good and they come with cheese and tomatoes and some chile on top.

Customer: Oh they nice. Ok, I’ll have those thanks.

Waitress: Are you ready to your meal?

Customer: Yes I think I’m ready now, thank you. I think I’ll have this vegetable goulash. Can you just tell me, is it ?

Waitress: It is, actually. It’s all vegetarian but it does come with cheese.

Customer: Oh that’s ok, I eat cheese. I'll have it. Do I get anything with it?

Waitress: It comes with a order of rice or potatoes.

Customer: I’d like rice please.

Waitress: Ok.

Waitress: Did you enjoy your meal?

Customer: It was , very nice, thank you.

Waitress: Can I get you some tea, coffee or ?

Customer: Oh, I’d like to look at the dessert menu please. Mmm these all nice. Oh I think I must for this chocolate cake here.

Waitress: Chocolate cake. Very good - that’s our most popular dish.

Customer: Could I get cream with it please?

Waitress: Certainly. Would you like or whipped cream?

Customer: Whipped cream please.

Waitress: Coming up.

Customer: Could I have the please?

Waitress: Certainly. you go.

Customer: Thank you. Mmm 30 dollars. Oh that’s ok, that’s not too .

Waitress: Thank you for .

Customer: Ok no problem.

Waitress: Bye bye, come again!

Customer: Bye!

 

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It's speaking time!

Work in pairs and perform the following dialogue following the model above and the expressions studied to carry out different functions at a restaurant.

Comensales alrededor de la mesa

Imagen de NCinDC  en Flickr.
Licencia CC

STUDENT A

You are the customer at a restaurant. When you arrive they give you a table next to the toilets but this is not the one you asked for when you booked, so you want to change .  You don't know what to order so ask the waiter/waitress for recommendation. When your order is served there's something you don't like and you have to complain. As for the dessert, make sure you don't order anything which contains banana since you are allergic to it. 


 

 

STUDENT B

You are the waiter/waitress of a restaurant. Student A is a very particular customer and keeps complaining for different reasons. You don't understand why he/she complains so much, so try to explain that they are not reasons to complain. Recommend the house speciality and, as for dessert, tell your customer that the banana pancake is your most popular dish.
YOU BEGIN THE DIALOGUE.

Camarero
Imagen de jojo 77 en Flickr. Licencia CC