|
🗓️ Nov 2026 🏷️ Restaurant English · English for Daily Life 🕒 7 min read
|
| Ordering your meal | → | Can I have the grilled salmon, please? |
| Asking for help | → | What do you recommend? |
| Dietary options | → | Do you have any vegetarian options? |
| Changing an ingredient | → | Can I get this without onions? |
| Asking to pay | → | Could I get the bill, please? |
| Taking food away | → | Can I have this to go, please? |
🗣️ Example Conversation
🧑 Server: Are you ready to order?
👩 Customer: Yes. Can I have the pasta, please?
🧑 Server: Certainly. Would you like chicken or shrimp with that?
👩 Customer: Shrimp, please. Can I get it without onions?
🧑 Server: Of course. Would you like anything to drink?
👩 Customer: Could I have a glass of water, please?
🧑 Server: Absolutely. I’ll bring that right away.
📖 Menu and Ingredient Questions
“What comes with this dish?”
“Is this spicy?”
“Does this contain nuts?”
“Is this gluten-free?”
“Can I change the side dish?”
“What is today’s special?”
For a serious food allergy, clearly tell the server what you are allergic to instead of only asking whether a dish is available.
🥤 Polite Restaurant Requests
“Could I have another glass of water?”
“Could we get some extra napkins?”
“Could I have the sauce on the side?”
“Could you warm this up, please?”
“Could we have separate bills?”
⚠️ Handling a Problem Politely
“Excuse me, I ordered the salmon.”
“I’m sorry, but this is not what I ordered.”
“Could you check this for me, please?”
“This dish is cold. Could you warm it up?”
Start with a neutral explanation. The goal is to fix the order, not to start an argument.
🔧 Problem → Need → Request
Problem: Your meal contains onions, but you asked for no onions.
Need: You need the restaurant to correct the order.
Request: “Excuse me, I ordered this without onions. Could you check it, please?”
Quick Tip ✅
Choose your main phrase before the server arrives.
Start simply: “Can I have the ___, please?”
