Do you enjoy eating out at restaurants? They're great places to try new foods and to get to know the local culture more. Not only this, but you could even meet some new people while you're there.
Here we will introduce you to essential phrases that you can use while at a restaurant. Use them to talk to waitstaff, order food, and ask any questions you may have. Have a look and get ready for the next time you eat out!
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Here we will introduce you to essential phrases that you can use while at a restaurant. Use them to talk to waitstaff, order food, and ask any questions you may have. Have a look and get ready for the next time you eat out!
Table of Contents
Arriving at the Restaurant
When entering a restaurant in Germany you normally don't have to wait to be seated. You simply go in and look for an open table. The phrases below are useful when you arrive at a restaurant.
 German
|
 English
|
|---|---|
| How many are in your party? | |
| How many are you? | |
| Do you have a reservation? | |
| I made a reservation for two at 6:00. | |
| I booked a table for three for 7:00. | |
| Can I get your name? | |
| Your table isn't quite ready. | |
| How long is the wait? | |
| It'll be about a 20 minute wait. | |
| If you want you can have a seat at the bar until your table is ready. | |
| Please follow me. |
Haben Sie eine Reservierung?
Reserving a table is always a good idea if you are planning to go to a restaurant with a large group. This question is simply asking if you have a reservation. Another way to ask this is Haben Sie einen Tisch reserviert?. In response, you just have to say whether you have a reservation or not. For example: Ja, ich habe eine Reservierung für 3 Personen um 7:00 Uhr.
Bitte folgen Sie mir
If no tables are available at the moment, you simply have to wait until one opens up. Once a table is ready, waitstaff will signal you with this sentence, or they may say one of the following: Sie können mit mir kommen or Bitte kommen Sie hier entlang. In response, you could simply say something like: Großartig, vielen Dank!.
At the Table: Server
After you have been assigned a table and sat down it's time to order food and drinks. Below, you'll find the most common things waiting staff will say to you.|
German
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English
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|---|---|
| Hi, I'm Lisa and I'll be your server for today. | |
| Can I start you off with drinks? | |
| Do you need a couple more minutes to decide? | |
| What would you like for a starter? | |
| Can I get you any appetizers? | |
| What do you want for the main course? | |
| Tonight's specials are a lobster bake and clam chowder. | |
| How would you like your steak cooked? | |
| Would you like a salad with that? | |
| What kind of dressing would you like with your salad? | |
| Would you like fries with that? | |
| Would you like any dessert today? | |
| Anything else? | |
| I'll get that order in for you. |
Brauchen Sie noch ein paar Minuten, um sich zu entscheiden?
Waitstaff will ask this question or either Sind Sie bereit zu bestellen? or Kann ich Ihre Bestellung aufnehmen? to find out if you are ready to order. There are many ways you could respond. Here are two example responses: Nein, ich denke, wir sind so weit and Könnten wir noch ein paar Minuten haben?.
At the Table: Customer
The following phrases will help you when you are ordering food. Many of them are examples of how to respond to the questions in the table above.|
German
|
English
|
|---|---|
| What is today's special? | |
| We're not ready yet. | |
| Can we have a few more minutes? | |
| Does this come with a side salad? | |
| Does this have any meat in it? | |
| What do you recommend? | |
| Is this a vegetarian option? | |
| Is this gluten free? | |
| Does this have dairy in it? | |
| I'll have a bowl of potato soup. | |
| I'd like a Greek salad. | |
| Can I get a glass of white wine? | |
| Could you bring us a bottle of red wine? |
Paying for Your Meal
After you've enjoyed your meal and maybe had some dessert and coffee, it's time to pay for your meal. The following phrases will help you do this.|
German
|
English
|
|---|---|
| Could I get the check, please? | |
| I'd like to pay. | |
| Can I pay with card? | |
| How was everything? | |
| Can I get you anything else? | |
| That's it for today. | |
| Yes, could I get a slice of apple pie? | |
| Thanks for coming! | |
| Have a nice night. |
Relax while Listening to the Phrases
Keep calm and learn German! Listen to the phrases again with relaxing background music. This will help you improve your listening skills and remember the phrases. Choose your favorite style, then kick back and relax!
Relax with Meditative Music
Relax with the Sounds of Nature: River
Relax with the Sounds of Nature: Wind
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Practice & Record an Everyday Conversation
Take the next step and use what you’ve learned! Check out this topic’s dialogue unit and practice the phrases in a variety of exercises. Test your knowledge and get ready for real life conversations!
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Könnte ich eine Speisekarte haben?en
Ja hier ist sie. Möchten Sie schon etwas trinken?en
Ich hätte gerne ein Wasser, bitte.en
