> Other English exercises on the same topics: Idioms | Food [Change theme]
	> Similar tests: - Fruits and vegetables - Eating out-Vocabulary - Fruit and vegetables - Cooking : Verbs-adjectives - English idioms: Food II - Fruit-trees - Vocabulary: I'm hungry - Ways of cooking
	> Double-click on words you don't understand

Vocabulary: at the restaurant

There are, of course, many different sorts of restaurants (from "gourmet cooking", "sit-down restaurants" to fast food restaurants, which a purist wouldn't call "restaurants", but still...  )  which represent different kinds of cooking, of staff - waiters/ waitresses, and of patrons (clients). They're very different and obey extremely varied codes. The different signs indicate different styles of restaurants  and guide us towards different kinds of food and of different requirements. 

The members of the staff who work in them also have different codes. All of them advocate the absolute respect of the patrons' safety and well-being (watching the glasses for complementary refills is part of that). Politeness is the utmost value; smiling is compulsory. There are important variations in codes (dress code - code of politeness and manners). The guests must feel at ease, like "at home". 

                                                  From formal to more casual ways of taking care of the patrons. 

Depending on the restaurants, you may have to make a reservation.

I) Arriving at the restaurant: 

II) Look at the MENU! 

When you're given the menu, you'll be asked to decide  what you fancy drinking, before or during the meal. 

- I'd like to have a pint of beer, please.

That's the moment when you should ask:   

* "Today's Special"= changes everyday; the food is cheaper and better quality.

On a MENU, you can notice three different courses: 

1. APPETIZERS : (small quantity coming "first"= are often "Soup or Salad" (mostly pronounced so quickly in Illinois, and with no intonation at all ,  so that you can imagine that the offer is "Super Salad". One of my friends answered politely: " A Super salad? Yes, please!" 

2.  MAIN (course)  to which you may add some extras or ask for "sides" or substitutes for something you wouldn't like [a change of vegetables, for instance].  

3. DESSERT: which can simply be a cup of tea or coffee, or a bigger dessert (pastry or ice-cream).

III) After the meal:

- Could we have the check/ bill, please?

In the United States, do not forget to add "service" to the bill (between 10% and 20%) and...

In Anglo-Saxon countries, the servings are huge... Even when you're having a meal in a very formal restaurant, do not hesitate to ask: 

- Can we have a doggy bag, please?               

Do not forget to give your appreciation of the meal, especially if it's good... ("The meal was delicious/ scrumptious!").

I hope you liked your meal and still have a little room ... for the test.    

Twitter Share
English exercise "Vocabulary: at the restaurant" created by here4u with The test builder. [More lessons & exercises from here4u]
Click here to see the current stats of this English test

Please log in to save your progress.

1. 'Shall I have to wear a dress to go to the restaurant tonight?' 'Oh no, Lucy, we're not going to a a fast-food restaurantgourmet-stylean innI don't know restaurant, not to your favourite school cantinefast fooddining roomI don't know one either, but to a simple formal fast-foodcasual gourmetcasual sit-downI don't know one.

2. There's no particular safetywaiterpolitenessdress codeI don't know. Your Dad won't wear a tie. '

'We have a champagneorderreservationspecialsI don't know in our name, and mustn't be late. We'll leave home by 7:30.'

3. At the restaurant: 'What will you eat as a Mainsoft drinks do you fancywould you like to drinkI don't know ?''We'll have half a bottle of Chardonnay, some iced tea and plain water with ice, please.' 'Yes, Sir. You can have two gallonsrefillscupsservingI don't know of iced tea.' ' Great! Thanks'

4. ' Can you recommend anythingWhat do you want drinkDo you have any fast foodI don't know ? ' ' Oh, definitely! The SpecialAppetizerMenuI don't know today is 'cod, mashed potato and broccoli' ' for AppetizerdessertmenuMainI don't know ' Wonderful, I want no extrasYou recommend itI'll have one, pleaseI don't know.'

5. 'Could I have a chocolate brownie and some vanilla ice cream with sauce for mainDessertAppetizerMenuI don't know, please, Mom?'

extrassubstitutesdoggy bagI don't know 'We won't need doggy bagsextrasSpecialssubstitutesI don't know today... We'll eat everything! '