Are you ready to order?

Lekce angličtiny ve virtuálním prostředí Languagelab

Functional language: Are you ready to order?

Students: Destiny Kroll, Megi00, Fernny, Luissa Highwater (Europe, Asia)

Teacher: Coco Knowledge (UK)

For people who aren’t confident speakers could be difficult to go to the restaurant and order food. Let’s go through some useful phrases. I wouldn’t want to be hungry just because I am visiting an English speaking country.

There is a custom in England that they would ask you whether you made a reservation beforehand (it means you called the restaurant and book a table before). It is because it can get quite crowded (full of people and no place to sit).

Here is an example of a dialogue:

Waiter (male) or waitress (female): Hello, do you have a reservation?

Customer: Yes, please. My name is Mrs. Smith (when booking the table on the phone you would mention your name)

Waiter: Please follow me. I’ll show you to your table.

After a while

Waiter: Are you ready to order?

Customer 1: I'd like the seafood spaghetti.

Waiter: And you?

Customer 2: I'll have a hamburger and fries.

Waiter: Would you like anything to drink?

Customer 1: I'll have a coke, please.

Waiter: And for you?

Customer 2: Just water, please.

Waiter: OK. So that's one seafood spaghetti, one hamburger and fries, one coke, and one water. I'll take your menus.

. . .

Waiter: Here is your food. Enjoy your meal.(a phrase to wish a good meal)

. . .

Waiter: How was everything?(checking on your satisfaction)

Customers 2: Delicious thanks.

Waiter: Would you like anything for dessert?

Customer 1: No, just the bill please.

This was an example of the dialogue that can be heard in a restaurant. We role played this dialogue with some variations as you can see below.

Customer:

Order drinks first

Then order your starters (a small dish served as the first part of a meal)

Then your main course

Then your dessert (sweet food eaten at the end of a meal)

Complain about things you don't like

You can complain about a bad service.

Dirty cutlery (dirty spoon, fork or knife)

Incorrect amount on the bill

Inedible(horrible) food

Here are some phrases:

• I have a complaint to make. ...
• Sorry to bother you but...
• I'm sorry to say this but...
• I'm afraid I've got a complaint about...
• I'm afraid there is a slight problem with...
• Excuse me but there is a problem about...
• I want to complain about...
• I'm angry about...

Waiter

Ask customer what they would like to drink

Then ask what they want for their starter.

Then ask what they want for their main course.

Then ask what they want for their dessert.

I was very hungry at the end of this lesson. The role play was a great fun.