Everyday Situations
At a Restaurant — Can I see the menu, please?
Eating out is exciting! These 5 dialogues teach you how to order food, ask for the menu, and talk to waiters in English. From dosas to pizza — master restaurant English!
Indian restaurants have special phrases. Learn to order politely and enjoy your meal!
💬 Dialogue 1: Aarav’s family is at a restaurant
📍 Aarav’s family is at a restaurant. Aarav orders for himself.
👦 Aarav:Excuse me! Can I see the menu, please?
सुनिए! क्या मुझे मेनू दिखाएँगे?
👨 Waiter:Of course! Here is the menu, sir.
बिल्कुल! ये रहा मेनू, सर।
👦 Aarav:Thank you. I would like a masala dosa and a mango lassi.
धन्यवाद। मुझे एक मसाला डोसा और एक मैंगो लस्सी चाहिए।
👨 Waiter:Would you like anything else?
और कुछ चाहिए?
👦 Aarav:No, that’s all. Thank you!
नहीं, बस इतना ही। धन्यवाद!
👨 Waiter:Your order will be ready in ten minutes.
आपका ऑर्डर दस मिनट में तैयार होगा।
👦 Aarav:Okay, thank you!
ठीक है, धन्यवाद!
✏️ Your Turn — Fill in the Blanks
Can I see the , please?
I would like a masala and a mango lassi.
Your order will be in ten minutes.
💬 Dialogue 2: Priya wants to order but has a question about the food
📍 Priya wants to order but has a question about the food.
👧 Priya:Excuse me, is the paneer tikka spicy?
सुनिए, क्या पनीर टिक्का तीखा है?
👨 Waiter:It is a little spicy. Would you like it less spicy?
थोड़ा तीखा है। क्या आप कम मिर्च वाला चाहेंगी?
👧 Priya:Yes, please! Less spicy. And one butter naan.
हाँ, प्लीज़! कम मिर्च। और एक बटर नान।
👨 Waiter:Sure! Anything to drink?
ज़रूर! कुछ पीने के लिए?
👧 Priya:One sweet lime soda, please.
एक स्वीट लाइम सोडा, प्लीज़।
👨 Waiter:Got it! Less spicy paneer tikka, butter naan, and sweet lime soda.
समझ गया! कम मिर्च पनीर टिक्का, बटर नान, और स्वीट लाइम सोडा।
👧 Priya:That’s correct! Thank you.
बिल्कुल सही! धन्यवाद।
💬 Dialogue 3: The food arrives
📍 The food arrives. There’s a small problem with the order.
👩 Mummy:Excuse me, I ordered butter naan but this is plain roti.
सुनिए, मैंने बटर नान ऑर्डर किया था लेकिन ये सादी रोटी है।
👨 Waiter:Oh, I am so sorry! Let me change it right away.
अरे, मुझे बहुत खेद है! मैं अभी बदलता हूँ।
👩 Mummy:Thank you. No problem.
धन्यवाद। कोई बात नहीं।
👨 Waiter:Here is your butter naan. Sorry for the mistake!
ये रहा आपका बटर नान। गलती के लिए माफ़ी!
👩 Mummy:It’s okay. This looks delicious!
कोई बात नहीं। ये स्वादिष्ट लग रहा है!
👨 Waiter:Please enjoy your meal! Let me know if you need anything.
खाने का आनंद लीजिए! कुछ और चाहिए तो बताइए।
👩 Mummy:We will. Thank you!
ज़रूर। धन्यवाद!
💬 Dialogue 4: Friends discussing what to order at a pizza restaurant
📍 Friends discussing what to order at a pizza restaurant.
👦 Rahul:What are you going to order, Ananya?
तुम क्या ऑर्डर करोगी, अनन्या?
👧 Ananya:I think I’ll have the margherita pizza. What about you?
मुझे लगता है मैं मार्गरीटा पिज़्ज़ा लूँगी। तुम?
👦 Rahul:I want the cheese burst pizza! It’s my favourite.
मुझे चीज़ बर्स्ट पिज़्ज़ा चाहिए! ये मेरा पसंदीदा है।
👧 Ananya:Should we share a garlic bread too?
क्या हम एक गार्लिक ब्रेड भी शेयर करें?
👦 Rahul:Great idea! And let’s order two cold drinks.
बढ़िया विचार! और दो कोल्ड ड्रिंक भी ऑर्डर करते हैं।
👧 Ananya:Okay! I’ll call the waiter. Excuse me!
ठीक है! मैं वेटर को बुलाती हूँ। सुनिए!
👦 Rahul:This is going to be so yummy!
ये बहुत स्वादिष्ट होगा!
💬 Dialogue 5: After the meal, Papa asks for the bill
📍 After the meal, Papa asks for the bill.
👨 Papa:Excuse me, can we have the bill, please?
सुनिए, बिल दे दीजिए।
👨 Waiter:Of course, sir. Here is your bill. The total is eight hundred rupees.
जी, सर। ये रहा बिल। कुल आठ सौ रुपये।
👨 Papa:Can I pay by card?
क्या मैं कार्ड से पे कर सकता हूँ?
👨 Waiter:Yes, sir. We accept cards and UPI.
जी, सर। हम कार्ड और UPI दोनों लेते हैं।
👨 Papa:Here is my card. The food was excellent, by the way!
ये लीजिए कार्ड। खाना बहुत बढ़िया था, वैसे!
👨 Waiter:Thank you, sir! We are glad you enjoyed it. Please come again!
धन्यवाद, सर! हमें खुशी है कि आपको पसंद आया। फिर आइएगा!
👨 Papa:We will! Thank you. Goodbye!
ज़रूर! धन्यवाद। नमस्ते!
✏️ Your Turn — Fill in the Blanks
Can we have the , please?
Can I pay by ?
The food was !
📖 Key Vocabulary
Menu
मेनू — List of food available
Order
ऑर्डर — What you ask for
Waiter
वेटर — Person who serves food
Bill
बिल — Paper showing total cost
Spicy
तीखा/मसालेदार — Has chilli/hot taste
Delicious
स्वादिष्ट — Very tasty
Favourite
पसंदीदा — Most liked
Share
बाँटना — Divide between people
Enjoy
आनंद लेना — Have a good time
Change
बदलना — Replace with correct item
🗣️ Key Phrases to Remember
- “Can I see the menu, please?” — Ask for the menu क्या मुझे मेनू दिखाएँगे?
- “I would like…” — Order food politely मुझे… चाहिए।
- “Is this spicy?” — Ask about food क्या ये तीखा है?
- “Can we have the bill?” — Ask to pay बिल दे दीजिए।
- “The food was excellent!” — Compliment the food खाना बहुत बढ़िया था!
📐 Grammar Spotlight: "I would like…" — Polite Ordering
Use ‘I would like’ instead of ‘I want’ for polite ordering
‘I would like’ (short: ‘I’d like’) is more polite than ‘I want.’ Use it when ordering food, shopping, or requesting anything from someone you don’t know well.
✅ I would like a masala dosa, please.
✅ I’d like the menu, please.
✅ I would like to pay by card.
✅ We would like two cold drinks.
✅ I’d like the menu, please.
✅ I would like to pay by card.
✅ We would like two cold drinks.
❌ I want a dosa! ❌ (Rude — use ‘I would like’)
🎭 Restaurant Role Play!
- One is ‘Customer’, other is ‘Waiter/Waitress’.
- Waiter greets: ‘Welcome! Table for how many?’
- Customer asks for menu, chooses food, orders.
- Waiter brings wrong item! Customer politely corrects.
- Customer asks for bill, pays, and compliments the food.
- Switch roles! Try ordering different Indian foods.
❓ Quiz — Test Yourself!
1. How to ask for the menu?
2. Polite way to order food:
3. Wrong item came. You say:
4. How to ask if food is spicy?
5. After eating, you ask for:
6. ‘I ___ like a mango lassi.’
7. How to compliment food?
8. Waiter says ‘Anything to drink?’ You reply:
❓ FAQ
How to order food in English?
Say ‘I would like…’ or ‘Can I have…’ followed by the food item. Always add ‘please’ at the end. Example: ‘I would like a masala dosa, please.’
What if the wrong food comes?
Politely say: ‘Excuse me, I ordered [X] but this is [Y]. Could you please change it?’ Don’t be angry — mistakes happen!
How to ask for the bill?
Say: ‘Can we have the bill, please?’ or ‘Check, please!’ In India, you can also say ‘Bill de dijiye.’
How to pay at restaurants?
‘Can I pay by card?’ ‘Do you accept UPI?’ ‘Here is the money/card.’ Most Indian restaurants now accept cards and UPI.
Common restaurant English words?
Menu, order, waiter, bill, tip, spicy, mild, starter, main course, dessert, beverage, takeaway, dine-in, reservation.