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Hello everyone.

Welcome back to Everyday English Talk,

the podcast where we practice simple, everyday English together.

I'm Anna.

And I'm Ben.

We are so happy you are joining us today.

Whether you are at home,

commuting to work, or maybe even sitting in a restaurant right now,

this episode is for you.

Today we are going to talk about a very important topic,

how to order food at a restaurant like a pro.

That's right.

Many English learners feel nervous when they have to speak to a waiter.

But today, we will give you the phrases you need to feel confident.

We will walk you through the whole experience,

from arriving to paying the bill.

Don't forget to download the free PDF transcript and practice exercises to study later.

Let's jump into our first situation.

Ben, I am really looking forward to our dinner tonight.

I heard this new Italian place is excellent,

but it is always very crowded.

You are right, Anna.

When a restaurant is popular,

the first thing a pro does is make sure they have a spot.

I think I should call them first.

Good idea.

In English, we call this booking a table or making a reservation.

If you call them, what exactly do you say?

I usually keep it simple.

I say, Hi, I'd like to book a table for two people for tonight at 7 o'clock, please.

It is important to say the number of people and the time clearly.

That is perfect.

But sometimes, we just walk into a cafe or a small restaurant without calling.

When we enter, we usually see a person at the front.

Yes, that is the host.

When they see us, I can ask,

Hi, do you have a table for two?

If they have space, they will grab two menus and say,

Yes, please follow me.

I like it when they lead us to a nice table by the window.

Once we sit down, the waiter usually comes over quite quickly to say hello.

They might start by asking about drinks.

They often say, Can I start you off with something to drink?

Or, Would you like some water?

I usually like to look at the menu first because I might want a special juice or a soda,

so I tell them, Just some water for now, please.

This gives us a few minutes to look at the food.

Reading a menu in English can be a bit difficult because there are so many words.

I always look for the main sections.

I see starters at the top.

Starters are the small dishes you eat first,

like bread or a small salad.

Then there are the main courses,

which are the big plates of food like pasta or steak.

I am looking at the pasta section now,

but everything looks so good.

I am having a hard time choosing.

When that happens, I don't just guess.

I ask the waiter for help.

I say, this is my first time here.

What do you recommend?

That is a very smart move.

The waiter knows which dishes are the most popular.

They might say, our lasagna is the best in the city.

If that sounds good, I finally make my decision.

When the waiter comes back with their notepad and asks,

are you ready to order?

I am ready.

I use a very polite phrase to tell them my choice.

I say, I'd like to have the lasagna, please.

Or I can say, I'll have the spaghetti.

Those are the best ways to say it.

You don't need to say I want.

I'd like to have or I'll have sounds much more natural and professional.

Also, if I want my drink to be very cold,

I make sure to tell them,

with lots of ice, please.

Being specific is part of ordering like a pro.

Exactly.

Now that we have placed our order,

we can relax and wait for the delicious food to arrive.

Ben, let's look at some of the great expressions we used in this part.

I'd love to.

Let's start with the phrase, book a table.

This means you call the restaurant to save a seat before you get there.

For example, I want to book a table for my mother's birthday next Saturday.

Our second one is, follow me.

This is what the staff says when they take you to your seat.

For example, your table is ready near the window.

Please follow me.

Next is, what do you recommend?

You use this to ask the waiter which dish is the best.

For example, I can't decide what to eat.

What do you recommend?

Then we have a table for number.

This is the easiest way to tell the host how many people are in your group.

For example, hello, we would like a table for three, please.

Finally, we have ready to order.

This means you have finished looking at the menu and you know what you want to eat.

100

For example, we have made our choice.

101

We are ready to order now.

102

When you go to a restaurant,

103

do you usually know what you want to eat or do you ask the waiter for a recommendation?

104

Let us know in the comments.

105

So, Ben, our order is in,

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but I forgot to mention something important.

107

I really don't like spicy food.

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In fact, spicy peppers make me feel a bit sick.

109

Oh, you should definitely tell the waiter that.

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Even if the menu doesn't say a dish is spicy,

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it is better to be safe.

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You can say, I'm allergic to spicy peppers,

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or is this dish very spicy?

114

That is a good point.

115

Sometimes I also want to change a dish a little bit.

116

For example, If I order a salad but I hate onions,

117

I can ask for a small change.

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Right.

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You can say, could I have the salad without onions, please?

120

Most restaurants are happy to do this for you.

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And what if I want the dressing but I don't want it all over my lettuce?

122

A pro tip for that is to say,

123

could I have the dressing on the side?

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This means they put the sauce in a small bowl next to your salad.

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Then you can add as much as you want.

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I love that.

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Now, let's imagine we are waiting for our food.

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We are talking and having a good time,

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but then we look at the clock.

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It has been 40 minutes.

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That is a long time for a lasagna.

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If the food is very late,

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you don't have to be angry,

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but you should say something.

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You can catch the waiter's attention and say,

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Excuse me, could you check on our order, please?

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That sounds very polite.

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It asks the waiter to go to the kitchen and see what is happening.

139

Usually, they will come back and say,

140

it will be ready in two minutes.

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When the food finally arrives, it looks beautiful.

142

The waiter puts the plates down and asks,

143

is there anything else I can get for you?

144

I might need some extra napkins or maybe some more water.

145

I can say, could I have some more water, please?

146

The waiter will bring it and then say, enjoy your meal.

147

After we start eating, the waiter often comes back after five minutes.

148

They want to make sure the food tastes good.

149

They usually ask, is everything okay here?

150

I always try to give a nice answer if I like the food.

151

I say, yes, it's delicious, thank you.

152

But what if the food is cold?

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A pro knows how to fix this.

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You can say, I'm sorry,

155

but my soup is a bit cold.

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Could you heat it up for me?

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Most waiters will say, oh, I am so sorry.

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Let me take that back to the kitchen for you.

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It is okay to ask for what you need.

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I agree.

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Another thing I often ask for is a side dish.

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If my main course is just meat,

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I might want some vegetables too.

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You can say, I'd like a side of roasted vegetables with that.

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It makes the meal much better.

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Now that we have everything we need,

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we can finally enjoy our dinner.

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It's time to talk about some more useful phrases from our conversation.

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Let's do it.

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The first one is allergic to.

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You use this when a certain food makes you sick.

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For example, I am allergic to seafood,

173

so I cannot eat shrimp or crab.

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Our second phrase is without something.

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This is how you ask the kitchen to leave an ingredient out.

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For example, I'll take a cheeseburger without pickles, please.

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Third, we have check on our order.

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This is a polite way to ask why your food is taking a long time.

179

For example, Excuse me, we have been waiting for a while.

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Could you check on our order?

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Next is, is everything okay?

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This is what the waiter asks to make sure you are happy with your food.

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For example, the waiter came to our table and asked if everything was okay.

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Finally, we have on the side.

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This means you want your sauce or dressing in a separate small dish.

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For example, I like my fries,

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but I want the ketchup on the side.

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Have you ever had to send food back to the kitchen because it was cold or incorrect?

189

Tell us about your experience in the comments.

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That was such a big meal, Ben.

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I am so full I can barely move.

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But the waiter is coming back to our table again.

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I know what they are going to ask.

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They usually have a big smile and say,

195

Would you like to see the dessert menu?

196

Or would you like some coffee?

197

Even though I am full,

198

it is hard to say no to dessert.

199

I usually ask, What do you have for dessert?

200

They might have chocolate cake, fruit, or ice cream.

201

I usually just go for a coffee.

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I like a nice warm drink after I eat.

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Once we finish our coffee,

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the evening is coming to an end.

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Now comes the part that many people find a bit confusing, getting the bill.

206

In the United States, people often call it the check.

207

In the UK, we say the bill.

208

Both are perfectly fine to use.

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To get the bill, you don't need to stand up or shout.

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You can just catch the waiter's eye and say,

211

Could we have the bill, please?

212

When the bill arrives, we have to decide how we want to pay.

213

Sometimes, I go out with a large group of friends,

214

and we all want to pay for our own food.

215

In that case, we can tell the waiter, Can we pay separately?

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Or, We would like to split the bill, please.

217

This means the waiter will give everyone their own small bill.

218

But since today is a special dinner for us,

219

I want to pay for everything.

220

I can say to you,

221

Anna, don't worry about it.

222

It's my treat.

223

Oh, thank you, Ben.

224

That is so kind.

225

I will get the bill next time we go out.

226

Another thing to remember is the tip.

227

In many countries, it is polite to leave some extra money for the waiter if they did a good job.

228

That's true.

229

If the bill is $28 and I give the waiter $30,

230

I can say, keep the change.

231

This means they can keep the $2 as a tip.

232

Saying keep the change makes you sound like a real pro.

233

It shows you are happy and you are being generous.

234

Before we stand up to leave,

235

I always like to say a quick thank you to the staff.

236

I say, the food was wonderful.

237

Thank you so much.

238

It is a small thing,

239

but it makes the staff feel good.

240

They worked hard to make our dinner nice.

241

I agree.

242

Ordering like a pro is not just about the words you use.

243

It is about being polite and confident.

244

I feel much more confident now.

245

I think I'm ready to go to a real Italian restaurant and use all these phrases.

246

Let's review the final set of phrases for this episode.

247

Great idea.

248

First is the bill, or the check.

249

This is the paper that tells you how much money you owe.

250

For example, we are finished eating,

251

so I will ask the waiter for the bill.

252

Second is split the bill.

253

This is when a group of friends divides the total cost.

254

For example, the meal was expensive,

255

so we decided to split the bill equally.

256

Third is, it's my treat.

257

You say this when you want to pay for someone else's meal.

258

For example, happy birthday.

259

Put your wallet away.

260

It's my treat today.

261

Fourth is keep the change.

262

You say this when you want the waiter to have the remaining money as a tip.

263

For example, the coffee was $4 and I gave him $5.

264

I said keep the change.

265

Finally, we have for dessert.

266

This refers to the sweet food you eat at the end of a meal.

267

For example, I am saving some room in my stomach for dessert because I love chocolate.

268

When you go out to dinner,

269

do you prefer to split the bill,

270

or do you like to take turns paying for the whole meal?

271

We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

272

Now it's your turn to practice.

273

We want you to use what you learned today.

274

That's right.

275

Let's start with a listening challenge.

276

Go back and listen to the conversation again.

277

Can you find the phrases,

278

what do you recommend, and keep the change?

279

Try to hear exactly how we pronounce them.

280

Next is your speaking challenge.

281

Stand in front of a mirror and imagine you are in a restaurant.

282

Say these three sentences out loud with confidence.

283

First, I'd like to book a table for two at eight o'clock, please.

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Second, could I have the sauce on the side?

285

Third, we would like to split the bill, please.

286

Finally, a writing challenge.

287

Write three sentences in the comments section.

288

Tell us about a time you went to a restaurant,

289

what did you order, and did you enjoy the meal?

290

Try to use at least one new phrase from today.

291

Remember, practicing a little bit every day is the best way to improve your English.

292

You are doing a great job.

293

Just keep going, one step at a time.

294

Let's do a quick recap of what we covered today.

295

We followed the whole process of eating out,

296

from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.

297

Here are the six most important phrases from today's episode to keep in your mind.

298

First, book a table to reserve a spot before you arrive.

299

Second, what do you recommend?

300

To ask the waiter for their favorite dish.

301

Third, I'd like to have a polite and natural way to order your food.

302

Fourth, on the side, to ask for sauce or dressing in a separate bowl.

303

Fifth, split the bill, to share the cost of the meal with your friends.

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Sixth, keep the change, to leave a small tip and stay professional.

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Learning English is a journey,

306

and being able to order food is a huge milestone.

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Be patient with yourself and keep practicing these phrases.

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The more you use them,

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the more they will become a natural part of your vocabulary.

310

You can do it!

311

Thanks for listening to Everyday English Talk.

312

We hope you feel like a pro now.

313

We really enjoyed sharing these tips with you.

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We hope you can use them very soon at your favorite restaurant.

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Don't forget to download the free PDF transcript and vocabulary exercises.

316

It has everything we talked about today to help you study.

317

Tell us in the comments.

318

What is the one food you always order when you go out?

319

We love reading your answers.

320

Thank you for being with us today.

321

Bye for now.

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تدريب Shadowing: How to Order Food Like a Pro | Easy English Conversation for Beginners | Daily English - تعلم التحدث بالإنجليزية مع YouTube

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تدريب Shadowing: How to Order Food Like a Pro | Easy English Conversation for Beginners | Daily English - تعلم التحدث بالإنجليزية مع YouTube

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