2025.10.11

Ordering at a Restaurant｜Essential English Phrases for Dining

Izumi

One of the greatest pleasures of traveling is enjoying a meal at a restaurant. However, have you ever felt nervous when looking at the menu and trying to place your order?

If I can use English in such situations, I can enjoy my dining experience in a more relaxed and confident way.

Here, I will introduce useful expressions for ordering at restaurants in English-speaking countries.

Contents

Dialogue
Grammar and Expression Points
Summary

Dialogue

Good evening. Are you ready to order?

Yes, I’d like the pasta with tomato sauce, please.

Would you like anything to drink?

A glass of red wine, please.

Certainly. I’ll bring it right away.

Thank you very much.

Grammar and Expression Points

1. The Polite Structure for Ordering: I’d like …

“I’d like” is the contracted form of “I would like,” and it is one of the most commonly used polite expressions when ordering food in a restaurant.

It conveys the meaning of “I would like to have …” in a soft and courteous manner, expressing a request or preference.

I’d like the pasta.
I’d like a glass of wine.

By contrast, “I want …” can sound too direct or even blunt in customer service settings. That is why “I’d like” is the better choice when ordering politely at a restaurant.

2. Expressions for Drinks: Using a glass of …/a cup of …

When ordering drinks, the basic structure is “quantity + of + noun.”

a glass of water
a glass of red wine
a cup of tea
a bottle of sparkling water

The choice of words such as glass, cup, or bottle changes depending on the type of drink.

For example, instead of simply saying “Coffee, please.”, it sounds more polite to say “A cup of coffee, please.”

3. Natural Service Expressions: I’ll bring it right away.

The phrase “I’ll bring it right away.” means “I will bring it to you immediately,” and it is a common expression used by waitstaff in restaurants.

I’ll bring … → “I will bring …”
right away → “immediately / without delay”

This phrase sounds polite but not overly formal, making it a friendly and natural expression in customer service.

4. Softening the Tone with please and thank you

Polite words such as “please” and “thank you” are highly valued in English communication.

I’d like the pasta, please.
A glass of red wine, please.
Thank you very much.

By remembering to use these basic expressions, I can make the entire conversation sound more natural and leave a good impression on the other person. Conversely, leaving out please or thank you may make me sound abrupt or even impolite.

Summary

I’d like the pasta, please.
→ A polite way to order; more courteous than “I want.”
Are you ready to order?
→ A standard question used by servers.
Would you like anything to drink?
→ A polite way to offer drinks.
A glass of red wine, please.
→ A typical structure for ordering beverages.
I’ll bring it right away.
→ A common and natural service expression.

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