English speaking lesson · Food & Drink
Order at a restaurant
You've just sat down at a restaurant table. A friendly waiter is ready to take your order. You practise it as a real conversation, at whichever of the four levels fits you — the room and the steps stay the same, only the words get harder.
A restaurant abroad · you talk to the waiter
Free plan: 10 messages a day. No card needed.
What you have to do
Order a drink and a meal, confirm the order is right, and ask for the bill. You finish the lesson by getting there in conversation — not by answering questions about it. Nothing is corrected while you talk; the corrections are collected and handed to you at the end.
How it opens
Good evening! Table for one — can I start you off with something to drink?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the waiter.
The 5 steps that finish it
A step clears when you say the thing that clears it. The steps are identical at all four levels — only the example line fades, and at Natural there is none at all.
- 01
Order a drink
Greet the waiter and say what you'd like to drink.
“Hi! Could I see the menu, and a water to drink, please?”
- 02
Order your main
Say what you'd like to eat.
“I'll have the chicken, please.”
- 03
Add a detail
Answer the follow-up — how you'd like it cooked, or add a side.
“Could I get a salad with that?”
- 04
Check the order
Check that the order is right.
“Yes, that's right, thanks. Could I get the bill?”
- 05
Pay the bill
Ask for the bill and say how you'd like to pay.
“By card, please — thanks!”
The words, at all four levels
The same room and the same steps, four vocabularies. These are the words the lesson listens for and scores you on — with what each one means and how it sounds when you are talking to the waiter.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- drink
- something you drink with your meal
- “A drink to start, please.”
- water
- the clear liquid you drink
- “Just water, please.”
- menu
- the list of food and drinks
- “Could I see the menu?”
- chicken
- a common type of meat
- “I'll have the chicken.”
- salad
- a mix of fresh vegetables
- “A salad, please.”
- ready
- prepared to do something
- “Are you ready to order?”
- bill
- the paper showing what you owe
- “Could I get the bill?”
- please
- a polite word when you ask
- “The bill, please.”
- thanks
- a short way to say thank you
- “Thanks very much!”
- card
- a bank card you pay with
- “By card, please.”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- reservation
- a table booked in advance
- “I have a reservation.”
- sparkling
- with bubbles — 'sparkling water'
- “Sparkling water, please.”
- recommend
- to suggest something good
- “What would you recommend?”
- medium
- cooked to a middle amount
- “Medium, please.”
- side
- a smaller dish served alongside
- “Could I add a side?”
- ready
- prepared to order
- “Yes, I'm ready.”
- everything
- all of it — 'is that everything?'
- “That's everything, thanks.”
- total
- the full amount to pay
- “What's the total?”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers for that!”
- contactless
- tapping a card to pay without a PIN
- “Contactless, please.”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- recommendation
- a suggestion of what's good
- “What's your recommendation?”
- rare
- cooked very lightly
- “I'll have it rare.”
- allergy
- a reaction to a certain food
- “I have a nut allergy.”
- portion
- the amount of food served
- “Is that a generous portion?”
- sharing
- splitting a dish between people
- “Perfect for sharing.”
- split
- to divide the bill
- “Could we split the bill?”
- generous
- a larger amount than expected
- “That's a generous portion.”
- wine
- a drink made from grapes
- “A glass of red wine.”
- settle
- to pay what's owed
- “I'll settle up now.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- famished
- extremely hungry (informal)
- “I'm famished.”
- sumptuous
- richly luxurious, of food
- “That sounds sumptuous.”
- helping
- a serving of food
- “A generous helping, please.”
- split
- to divide the bill
- “Shall we split it?”
- settle
- to pay what's owed
- “I'll settle up.”
- tab
- the running bill (informal)
- “Put it on my tab.”
- damage
- the cost (informal) — 'what's the damage?'
- “What's the damage?”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers, that was great.”
- sorted
- arranged and settled
- “Perfect, we're sorted.”
- indulge
- to allow yourself a treat
- “I might just indulge.”
More Food & Drink lessons
- Coffee shop order
- At the bakery
- Food market stall
- Booking a table
- Dietary requirements
- Splitting the bill
- At the bar
- Ordering a takeaway
- Room service