Ordering at a café or restaurant in English: 15 phrases
Ordering food is the first real conversation most people have abroad. It is short, it is predictable, and a few polite phrases change how the whole meal goes. Here is what to say from the door to the bill.
The four moments of every meal
Every café or restaurant conversation has the same four moments: getting a table, ordering, asking for something during the meal and paying. In each one the staff will ask you a short question. Have a short, polite answer ready and you're done.
15 phrases for cafés and restaurants
| Phrase | When to use it |
|---|---|
| “A table for two, please.” | At the door |
| “We have a reservation under Garcia.” | If you booked |
| “Could we sit outside / by the window?” | Choosing where to sit |
| “Could we see the menu, please?” | When you sit down |
| “What do you recommend?” | When you can't decide |
| “I'll have the chicken salad, please.” | Ordering food |
| “Can I get a flat white to go?” | Coffee to take away |
| “Could I have it without onions?” | Changing a dish |
| “I'm allergic to nuts. Does this have any?” | Allergies – always say it clearly |
| “Is this dish spicy?” | Checking before ordering |
| “Could we have some water, please?” | During the meal |
| “Excuse me, I ordered the soup, not the salad.” | When the order is wrong |
| “Could we have the bill, please?” (UK) / “Could we get the check?” (US) | Asking to pay |
| “Can we pay separately?” | Splitting the bill |
| “Keep the change.” | Leaving the rest as a tip |
A sample dialogue at a café
Barista: Hi there, what can I get you?
You: Can I get a large latte with oat milk, please?
Barista: Sure. For here or to go?
You: To go, please. And one of those croissants.
Barista: Would you like it warmed up?
You: Yes, please.
Barista: That's 7.80. Card or cash?
You: Card. Can I tap?
Barista: Go ahead. And what's the name for the order?
You: Ana.
Barista: Thanks, Ana, it'll be ready at the end of the counter.
Tipping, briefly
Tipping customs differ a lot. In the US 15–20% in a sit-down restaurant is expected; in the UK around 10–12.5% is common and is often already on the bill as a “service charge”; in many other countries rounding up is enough. If you're not sure, ask: “Is service included?”
Common mistakes
- “Give me a coffee.” Grammatically fine, but in English it sounds like an order to a servant. “Can I get…”, “Could I have…” or “I'll have…” are neutral and normal.
- Forgetting “please”. English uses please and thank you far more than many languages do. Add it at the end of every request.
- “Can I have the account?” At a restaurant it's the bill (UK) or the check (US), not the account.
How to practise
- Pick your real usual order and say it three ways: “Can I get…”, “Could I have…”, “I'll have…”.
- Read the dialogue out loud, then answer the barista's lines without looking.
- Practise once with someone playing the waiter and changing the questions – the real barista won't follow a script.
Next scenes: shopping in English and small talk with colleagues.
Practising it with Ling
Ling AI is an iPhone and iPad app for spoken English. Each lesson is a live 3–4 minute voice scene with Sophia, an AI speaking partner – ordering a coffee is one of them – chosen for your goal and level. Stuck? Tap Hint for a phrase. Too hard? Switch to your language for a moment. At the end you get one main mistake to fix, not a list of ten.
About 5 minutes of voice every day are free. iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 or later; no Android version yet.