How to order food in English: 104 yummy words to wolf down

How to order food in English

How you order food in English will largely depend on where you’re ordering it from. So, before we dive into the specific expressions, let’s first get some clarity on the different types of places to order food from:

• Restaurant:
  This is a place where people sit down to eat a meal prepared for them on the premises. There are different types of restaurants depending on the food they serve or their styles, such as fast food restaurants or fine dining restaurants.
• Café:
  A café is beverage-focused. It usually serves just coffee and tea and snacks.
• Takeout:
  The word “takeout” refers to food made in the restaurant but meant to be eaten outside. When you order takeout, you can either pick it up from the restaurant yourself or have it delivered to your door.
• Food truck:
  These are fun if you enjoy street food. A food truck is a large vehicle where food is prepared and sold to be eaten outside.

How to ask for a table in English dialogue

While nowadays we can usually book a restaurant table online, sometimes you’ll need to do it on the phone. You may also find yourself spontaneously walking into a restaurant one day, wondering if there’s a free table for you and your friends.

If asking for a table in English feels scary and overwhelming, we’ve got your back! Take a look at the list of some useful expressions below.

• I would like to make a reservation for three people, please.
• Hello! A table for two, please!
• Do you have any tables available for a group of four?
• I’d like to book a table for tonight at 7 pm.
• Do you have any tables available for two on Sunday evening?
• Do you have any tables available this afternoon?
• What is your booking availability for two people tomorrow evening?
• I’d like to book a table next to the window.
• I’d like to book a table for two on the rooftop.
• Are there any tables available right now?
• Hello! I made a reservation for four people under the name John Smith.
• When do you have a free table I can book for a group of 6?
• I would like a table in the non-smoking section, please
• We would like to be seated inside.
• Can you reserve one of your outside tables for us, please?
• I’d like to cancel the reservation I made for Sunday at 7 pm under the name of Smith.

How to order at a restaurant in English

Ordering food at a restaurant can be scary, especially if you don’t know the correct expressions! To help you avoid embarrassment in front of your friends or misunderstandings with the waiter, we’ve prepared the following table full of key phrases and expressions that will surely come in handy.

Knowing these will not only help you sound more fluent in English, but they’ll also allow you to clearly communicate what you want to order.

Restaurant menu in English

The most important vocabulary you need to know when going out to a restaurant or ordering food for delivery is, of course, the food vocabulary! Unless you can adequately name what you want to eat, you might confuse oysters with mussels or ask for pork instead of beef!