At the Café — Ordering Food

Hook

Imagine walking into a café. What do you hear? What do you say? Most café conversations follow the same simple pattern: greet, order, “anything else?”, pay. Learn the pattern and you can order anywhere.

Notice

Read the dialogue:

  • Waiter: Good morning! What would you like?
  • Customer: I’d like a cup of coffee and a croissant, please.
  • Waiter: Eat in or take away?
  • Customer: Eat in, please.
  • Waiter: Anything else?
  • Customer: No, that’s all, thanks. How much is it?
  • Waiter: That’s five dollars.
  • Customer: Here you are. Can I pay by card?
  • Waiter: Of course. Enjoy your meal!

Underline every polite phrase the customer uses.

Rule

The waiter says…You say…
What would you like? / Are you ready to order?I’d like… / Could I have…, please?
Eat in or take away?Eat in, please. / Take away, please.
Anything else?No, that’s all, thanks. / Yes, a glass of water, please.
That’s… dollars.Here you are. / Can I pay by card?
Enjoy your meal!Thank you!

In a restaurant: A table for two, please. · Can I see the menu, please? · Could I have the bill, please? · Is service included?

Watch Out

  • ✗ I want coffee. → ✓ I’d like a coffee, please.
  • ✗ Anything else? — No, it’s all. → ✓ No, that’s all, thanks.
  • ✗ Give me the check. → ✓ Could I have the bill (US: check), please?

Practice

  1. What does a waiter say to ask for your order?
  2. What do you say when you don’t want anything more?
  3. What do you ask to find out the price?
  4. Complete: A: Anything else? B: No, ___ all, thanks.
  5. Order a tea and a sandwich politely.
  6. What does the waiter say before you eat?
  7. You want to eat at home. Answer “Eat in or take away?”
  8. Ask for the bill politely.
Show the answers
  1. What would you like? / Are you ready to order?
  2. No, that’s all, thanks.
  3. How much is it?
  4. that’s
  5. I’d like a tea and a sandwich, please.
  6. Enjoy your meal!
  7. Take away, please.
  8. Could I have the bill, please?

Your Turn

Read the dialogue out loud, first as the waiter, then as the customer. Then write your own café dialogue (8 lines) with your favourite food and drink, and act it out.

Connect

Say the key café phrases out loud and check your pronunciation with our Pronunciation Practice.

Try Pronunciation Practice →

Put café sentences in the right order with our Sentence Builder.

Try our Sentence Builder →

CEFR A1 — Spoken Interaction: I can order food and drink in a café using simple, learned phrases.

Azizul Hakim
Latest posts by Azizul Hakim (see all)

Printable worksheet (PDF) Pro

PreviousNext