How to Order Food in English?

If you’re traveling or studying abroad, one of the first skills you’ll need is knowing how to order food in English. For those who are not native English speakers, the process of ordering food in English can be intimidating at first. Menus might contain new or unfamiliar words, waiters may speak quickly, and cultural expectations, such as leaving a tip or using polite language, can feel confusing.

That’s why learning how to order food in English is so valuable. 

In this detailed guide, we’ll cover everything you need: restaurant vocabulary, menu words, ordering phrases, ways to customize your meal, and real-life dialogues. By the end, you’ll feel much more confident the next time you walk into a restaurant or café and need to order food in English like a pro.

1. Essential Restaurant Vocabulary

When learning how to order food in English, the first step is to build your and improve your English vocabulary. Most interactions in a restaurant or café will include a few common words and phrases. If you don’t know them, even simple tasks, like asking for the menu or paying the bill, can become stressful.

Here are the most useful words you should master:

Word / Phrase	Meaning	Example Sentence
Menu	A list of food and drinks offered	Can I see the menu, please?
Appetizer / Starter	A small dish before the main meal	We’d like a soup as an appetizer.
Main Course / Entrée	The main dish of a meal	For the main course, I’ll have pasta.
Side dish	Food served with the main meal	The steak comes with a side of fries.
Dessert	Sweet dish at the end	Chocolate cake is my favorite dessert.
Beverage / Drink	Any drink (water, coffee, juice)	Would you like a beverage with that?
Waiter / Waitress / Server	Person serving food	The waiter brought our drinks.
Bill / Check	The paper showing what you need to pay	Can we have the check, please?
Tip	Extra money for the service	It’s polite to leave a 10–20% tip.
Reservation	Booking a table in advance	I have a reservation for two at 7 pm.

Learning these words will make your dining experience much easier. They are the foundation of how to order food in English in any type of restaurant.

2. Phrases for Ordering Food

Vocabulary alone is not enough. To really learn how to order food in English, you need to know the right phrases and expressions. English speakers value politeness, and the way you order can change how friendly the interaction feels. For example, instead of saying “I want pizza,” which may sound too direct, you can say “I’d like the pizza, please,” which is softer and more polite.

Here are some common situations and polite phrases you’ll need:

Situation	Useful Phrase	Example
Asking for the menu	“Could I see the menu, please?”	Could I see the menu, please?
Ordering food	“I’d like…” / “Can I have…”	I’d like the grilled chicken, please.
Ordering drinks	“Can I get a…” / “I’ll have a…”	I’ll have a glass of water.
Asking for recommendation	“What do you recommend?”	What do you recommend for dessert?
Clarifying ingredients	“Does this contain…?”	Does this contain nuts?
Asking about spiciness	“Is this dish spicy?”	Is the curry spicy?
Changing an order	“Actually, can I change that to…”	Actually, can I change that to pasta?
Ordering for someone else	“He/She will have…”	She’ll have the salad.

3. Customizing Your Food Order

One key part of knowing how to order food in English is the ability to customize what you eat. In English-speaking countries, it’s common and completely acceptable to ask for small changes to your meal. 

For example, you might want your steak cooked a certain way, request extra cheese on your pizza, or ask for a dish without onions because of an allergy.

Here are some useful phrases for customizing orders:

Customization	Phrase	Example
Cooking style (meat)	Rare, medium, well-done	I’d like my steak medium rare.
Allergies	“I’m allergic to…”	I’m allergic to peanuts.
Extra / Less	“Could I have extra…” / “No…”	Could I have extra cheese? / No onions, please.
Vegetarian / Vegan	“Do you have vegetarian options?”	Do you have vegan desserts?
Spiciness	Mild, medium, hot, extra spicy	Can I get the curry mild, please?
Drink size	Small, medium, large	A medium latte, please.

Learning how to make requests like this ensures that your dining experience is enjoyable and safe, especially if you have dietary restrictions.

4. Useful Restaurant Situations

Ordering food is just one part of the restaurant experience. To fully understand how to order food in English, you also need to know how to handle situations before, during, and after your meal. This includes making reservations, asking for water, requesting the bill, or politely dealing with mistakes.

Here are some useful examples:

Situation	Useful Phrase
Making a reservation	“I’d like to book a table for two at 8 pm.”
Asking for water	“Could we get some water, please?”
During the meal	“Excuse me, could we get some more bread?”
If something is wrong	“Sorry, this isn’t what I ordered.”
Asking for the bill	“Can we have the check, please?”
Paying	“Do you take credit cards?”
Complimenting food	“That was delicious, thank you!”
Leaving	“Thanks, have a great evening.”

5. Example Dialogues

Reading and practicing dialogues is one of the best ways to see how to order food in English in action. These conversations show you how vocabulary and phrases are used in real life.

Dialogue 1: At a Restaurant

Server: Good evening, do you have a reservation?
You: Yes, a table for two under Smith.
Server: Right this way. Here are the menus. Would you like something to drink?
You: Yes, I’ll have a glass of red wine, please.
Your Friend: And I’ll have sparkling water.
Server: Great. Are you ready to order?
You: Yes. For the starter, I’d like the soup of the day. For the main course, I’ll have the grilled salmon with vegetables.
Your Friend: I’ll have the steak, medium rare, with fries.
Server: Perfect. Thank you.

Dialogue 2: At a Café

Barista: Hi, what can I get for you?
You: Could I have a medium cappuccino with soy milk, please?
Barista: Of course. Anything to eat?
You: Yes, I’ll take a blueberry muffin.
Barista: Great. That’ll be $6.50.

6. Tips for Ordering Food in English Like a Pro

Memorizing vocabulary is helpful, but using it naturally is even better. Here are some tips to make sure you sound confident when ordering food:

1. Be polite – Always include “please” and “thank you.” Politeness makes a big difference in English.
2. Use full sentences – Instead of saying just “Water,” try: “Can I have a glass of water, please?”
3. Ask questions – Don’t be afraid to ask the waiter if you don’t understand something on the menu.
4. Listen carefully – Notice how native speakers order; this will help you learn natural rhythm and improve your English pronunciation.
5. Practice often – Even ordering coffee at a café gives you real-life practice in how to order food in English.

Conclusion

Knowing how to order food in English is a practical skill that you’ll use in everyday life, whether you’re traveling abroad, living in an English-speaking country, or even ordering online. Once you learn the vocabulary, polite expressions, and phrases, you’ll feel more confident and natural in any dining situation.

👉 Keep practicing with dialogues, listen to how native speakers order, and soon you’ll be able to order food like a pro in English without hesitation!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What’s the difference between “bill” and “check”?

In British English, people say “bill.” In American English, it’s “check.” Both mean the same thing: the paper that shows what you owe.

How can I order politely?

Use phrases like “I’d like…” or “Could I have…” instead of simply naming the dish.

How do I order food in English if I don’t understand the menu?

You can say: “Could you explain what this dish is?” or “What do you recommend?”

Is it rude to ask for changes to my order?

No, it’s perfectly normal. Just ask politely: “Could I have this without onions, please?”

How do I order food online in English?

Look for buttons like “Add to cart,” “Proceed to checkout,” or “Place order.” Many online stores use the same words worldwide.