Ordering Food and Talking About Meals Out.

This practical lesson prepares you for eating out, shopping for food or ordering a drink in an English speaking environment. You explore sample menus and café receipts to learn names of common dishes, drinks and courses such as starter, main course and dessert. Listening tasks show typical conversations between customers and servers, and you notice how people order politely, ask for recommendations and check details such as price or ingredients. You practise talking about likes and dislikes using verbs like like, love, hate and prefer, and you learn useful adjectives for taste and texture. You also rehearse how to deal with small problems, for example when the order is wrong or something is missing. By the end, you can order food and drink confidently and handle simple misunderstandings without feeling rude.

1. Reading a café menu at The Riverside Café.

In this first part of the lesson, I would like you to imagine a very specific situation. You are travelling in an English speaking country and you stop at a small place called The Riverside Café. You are a bit hungry, maybe a little tired, and you want something simple and tasty to eat. The server gives you a menu in English. Now you need to understand it well enough to choose a starter, a main course, a drink and maybe a dessert. In this block we are going to focus on reading a menu. You will meet essential words such as starter, main course and dessert, and see how typical British prices look with the pound sign. You will also see symbols like v for vegetarian and ve for vegan. After that, you will answer a few simple questions in writing using the menu. Do not worry about perfection at this stage. The important thing is to understand the main idea, pick out key details like prices and ingredients, and start feeling more confident when you see a real menu in English.

The situation.

You are at The Riverside Café with a friend. The server brings the menu and smiles:

> "Here you go. Can I get you anything to drink while you look at the menu?"

Before you order, you need to read and understand the menu.

In many cafés and restaurants in the UK you will see sections like these:

• Starters – small dishes you eat before the main course
• Main courses – the central, bigger part of your meal
• Desserts – sweet dishes at the end of the meal
• Drinks – hot and cold drinks, with or without alcohol

You also often see small symbols:

• (v) = vegetarian (no meat or fish)
• (ve) = vegan (no animal products at all)

Prices normally use the pound sign: £. For example: £8.50 means eight pounds and fifty pence.

Sample menu: The Riverside Café.

Have a look at this simplified menu. You will use it again in the task below.

STARTERS

• Tomato soup (v) · £4.50
• Mixed salad (v) · £4.00

MAIN COURSES

• Grilled chicken with chips · £9.50
• Vegetable curry (ve) with rice · £8.50
• Fish and chips · £10.00

DRINKS

• Tea · £2.20
• Fresh orange juice · £3.00
• Still water (bottle) · £2.50

DESSERTS

• Chocolate cake · £4.50
• Ice cream · £3.50

Noticing useful patterns.

When you read a menu, focus on:

1. Type of dish: soup, salad, curry, cake, etc.
2. Special information: vegetarian or vegan symbols, or words like grilled, fresh, spicy, with chips.
3. Price: how much each item costs.

You do not need to understand every word. The important thing is to understand enough to choose something you like and check that it is OK for your diet.

In the activity below, you will answer a few questions about this menu in full sentences.

Practice & Feedback

Use the Riverside Café menu below to answer the questions. Read the menu slowly and carefully, and check the prices and symbols. Then write your answers in full sentences, not just one word.

Please answer these three questions:

1. How much is the vegetable curry?
2. Which starter is vegetarian?
3. You want a non alcoholic drink with your meal. What can you order?

Try to include some of the menu words in your answers. For example, you can write: The vegetable curry is… or I can order…. If you are not sure, make a good guess. I will tell you if it matches the menu and help you with corrections and more natural sentences.

2. Listening to a customer order politely.

Now that you can read a simple menu, let us move to the moment when you actually speak to the server. In this block you will listen to a short conversation at The Riverside Café between a customer called Sam and a server called Mia. Pay attention not only to what they order, but **how** they speak. Listen for polite phrases such as "Can I…?", "I would like…" and "Could we have…?". Notice the soft, friendly tone and little words like "please" and "thank you" that make the interaction sound natural and respectful. You will hear the server offer drinks and then take the order for a starter and a main course. After listening, you will write what Sam orders and copy one or two polite phrases that you like from the conversation. Try to listen twice if you can. The first time, just get the general idea. The second time, focus on specific phrases and details. Remember, you do not need to write every word of the dialogue. Your task is to show that you understood the main points and that you can recognise and reuse some useful sentences for ordering food and drink politely.

Listening to a model café conversation.

In the audio for this block, you hear a short dialogue between Mia (server) and Sam (customer) at The Riverside Café.

Here is a partial transcript so you can see the style of language they use:

> Mia: Good afternoon. Can I get you anything to drink?

> Sam: Yes, please. I would like a glass of still water.

> Mia: Still water, perfect. Are you ready to order, or do you need a few more minutes?

> Sam: I think we are ready. For starter, I will have the tomato soup, please.

> Mia: Lovely. And for your main course?

> Sam: What do you recommend?

> Mia: The vegetable curry is very popular. It is not too spicy.

> Sam: OK, I will have the vegetable curry with rice, please.

Even if the recording is slightly different, the key phrases are the same:

• "Can I get you anything to drink?" – common question from the server.
• "I would like…" / "I will have…" – polite ways for the customer to order.
• "What do you recommend?" – good question when you are not sure.
• "… please." – small but very important.

Why these phrases are useful.

Using fixed phrases or "chunks" like these helps you sound more confident and polite, even at A2 level. You do not need complex grammar. A few simple patterns, used correctly, are enough:

• I would like + drink / dish
• For starter, I will have + dish
• For my main course, I would like + dish

In the activity, you will write what Sam orders and choose one polite phrase you want to remember.

Practice & Feedback

Listen to the café conversation audio at least twice. The first time, just relax and follow the story. The second time, focus on what Sam orders and how Sam speaks to Mia.

Then write your answers in three short parts:

1. In one sentence, say what Sam orders to drink.
2. In one sentence, say what Sam orders for starter and for main course.
3. Copy one or two polite phrases you hear and write them exactly as you think they sound, for example: I would like a glass of still water, please.

Do not worry if the spelling is not perfect. Try your best. I will tell you if you understood the orders correctly, and I will help you improve your sentences and the phrases you selected.

3. Building your own polite food and drink orders.

You have now seen and heard real examples of how customers order food and drink. In this block, it is your turn to build your own polite orders step by step. We will focus on some very flexible sentence frames that you can use in almost any café or restaurant. Once you know these patterns, you can simply change the dish or drink and use them again and again. We will look at phrases like "Can I see the menu, please?", "I would like…" and "For my main course, I will have…". We will also look at one very useful question when you are not sure what to choose: "What do you recommend?". On the screen you will see a small table of sentence starters and examples using The Riverside Café menu. In the activity, you will pretend you are ready to order a full meal: a drink, a starter, a main course, and then you will ask for a recommendation for dessert. This is excellent practice for a real visit to a café or restaurant. Take your time to write clear, polite sentences. Do not worry if they are simple. Simple plus polite is exactly what we want at this level.

Key patterns for ordering.

When you order in a café or restaurant, you do not need very creative language. A few reliable patterns are enough.

Here are some of the most useful ones:

• "Can I see the menu, please?"
• "I would like…" / "I'd like…" (more natural in speech)
• "For starter, I'll have…"
• "For my main course, I'd like…"
• "What do you recommend?"

These patterns work with almost any dish or drink.

Examples with The Riverside Café menu.

Using the menu from Block 1, here are some model sentences:

• Can I see the menu, please?
• I'd like a glass of still water, please.
• For starter, I'll have the mixed salad.
• For my main course, I'd like the vegetable curry with rice, please.
• What do you recommend for dessert?

Notice three things:

1. Politeness: almost every sentence uses please.
2. Articles: we often say the tomato soup, the vegetable curry, because they are specific dishes on the menu.
3. Word order: the verb comes early: I'd like / I'll have + object (the dish or drink).

Building your order.

Think again about being at The Riverside Café. The server is ready and asks:

> "Are you ready to order?"

You want:

• one drink,
• one starter,
• one main course,
• and you want to ask Mia for a dessert recommendation.

In the activity below, you will write three or four sentences to do this politely.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine Mia, the server at The Riverside Café, is standing at your table and asking: "Are you ready to order?" You are hungry and thirsty, and you want to order a complete meal.

Using the sentence patterns from this block, write three or four polite sentences:

1. One sentence to order a drink.
2. One sentence to order a starter.
3. One sentence to order a main course.
4. One sentence to ask for a dessert recommendation.

Try to use expressions like I'd like…, I'll have… and What do you recommend?. Include please in your orders. You can use dishes from the Riverside Café menu (soup, salad, curry, fish and chips, etc.), or you can invent similar realistic dishes.

Write your sentences as if you are really speaking to the server. I will check your politeness, word order and choice of phrases, and I will give you corrected versions where necessary and a more natural model.

4. Talking about food likes, dislikes and allergies.

Ordering in a café is easier when you can explain what you like and what you do not like. It is also very important to say if there is anything you cannot eat for health, religious or personal reasons. In this block we will focus on simple but powerful verbs such as "like", "love", "hate" and "prefer". We will also look at very practical sentences like "I do not eat meat" and "I am allergic to nuts". On the screen you will see examples of people talking about their favourite flavours, such as spicy or sweet, and you will meet some common adjectives to describe food, like crunchy, creamy and healthy. You will read a short text where a person describes their food preferences, and then you will write about your own likes and dislikes. This language is useful not only in restaurants but also when you eat at friends’ houses or explain your diet to colleagues. Try to be honest and specific. The more clearly you can talk about your preferences in English, the easier it is for people to offer you food you will really enjoy.

Verbs to talk about preferences.

We often need to tell other people what we like and do not like to eat. These simple verbs are very useful:

• like – I like pasta.
• really like – I really like spicy food.
• love – I love chocolate cake.
• do not like / don't like – I don't like very salty food.
• hate – I hate cold soup.
• prefer – I prefer tea to coffee.

We usually follow these verbs with a food or type of food:

> I love fresh bread.

> I prefer vegetarian dishes.

Adjectives to describe taste and texture.

Here are some helpful adjectives for taste:

• spicy – with a hot flavour (for example, curry)
• sweet – with sugar (cake, ice cream)
• salty – with a lot of salt
• bitter – like very dark chocolate or strong coffee
• sour – like lemon or vinegar

And for texture (how food feels in your mouth):

• creamy – soft and smooth, like soup with cream
• crunchy – makes a noise when you bite, like crisps or salad
• fresh – recently made or picked
• oily / greasy – with a lot of oil or fat
• healthy / unhealthy – good or bad for your body

Allergies and special diets.

Sometimes you cannot eat something. Then it is important to tell the server clearly and politely:

• I don't eat meat.
• I don't eat pork.
• I am allergic to nuts.
• I am allergic to dairy.
• Is there any meat in this dish?

A short example.

> Hi, I'm Marco. I really like spicy food, but I don't like very sweet desserts. I love fresh salad and vegetable dishes. I don't eat meat, and I'm allergic to nuts, so I must be careful in restaurants. I prefer water or fresh juice to fizzy drinks.

In the activity below, you will answer a couple of questions about Marco and then write about your own food preferences.

Practice & Feedback

Read the short text about Marco in the resource section carefully. It tells you what he likes, does not like and cannot eat. First, answer the two questions about Marco in full sentences. Then, write about your own food preferences.

Please do these two things in one message:

Answer:

• What kind of food does Marco really like?
• What food does he avoid for health reasons?

Write four sentences about yourself using some of these verbs: like, really like, love, don't like, hate, prefer. You can also add one sentence about an allergy or something you do not eat, if it is true for you, using patterns like I don't eat… or I'm allergic to….

Try to use at least one taste or texture adjective such as spicy, sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy or healthy. I will check your answers about Marco and help you make your own sentences more natural and correct.

5. Politely solving small problems with your order.

Even in good cafés and restaurants, small problems happen. The wrong dish arrives, something is missing, or the food is cold. In these moments, many learners feel nervous because they do not want to sound rude. In this block, we will practise exactly this situation. You will learn simple, polite sentences you can use to fix problems with your order. We will stay in our familiar place, The Riverside Café. Imagine that you ordered the vegetable curry, but the server brings grilled chicken. Or you ordered still water, but you received fizzy water. On the screen you will see a short dialogue between a customer and Mia, the server, where the order is not correct. Notice how the customer starts with "Excuse me" and uses softening phrases like "I'm sorry, but…" before explaining the problem. In the activity, you will choose a problem situation and write what you would say to Mia to solve it politely. This kind of language is incredibly useful when travelling, because it allows you to protect your needs without creating conflict.

Typical small problems in cafés.

Here are some very common problems when eating out:

• The server brings the wrong dish.
• Part of your order is missing (no drink, no chips, no bread).
• The food is cold when it should be hot.
• There is something in the dish you cannot eat (for example, nuts or meat).

In English, we usually start politely and explain the problem calmly.

Useful polite complaint phrases.

These short sentences are friendly but clear:

• "Excuse me…"
• "I'm sorry, but this is not what I ordered."
• "I ordered the vegetable curry, not the grilled chicken."
• "I think something is missing. We ordered two salads."
• "The soup is cold. Could you warm it up, please?"
• "I'm allergic to nuts. Is there any nut in this dish?"
• "Could you change it, please?"

Notice that we often use "I'm sorry, but…" or "I think…" to sound softer and more polite.

Example dialogue at The Riverside Café.

> Customer: Excuse me. I'm sorry, but this is not what I ordered.

> Mia: Oh, I'm very sorry. What did you order?

> Customer: I ordered the vegetable curry, not the grilled chicken.

> Mia: Let me change that for you. I'll bring the curry in a few minutes.

> Customer: Thank you very much.

> Mia: You're welcome.

This is short, direct and polite. In the activity, you will create your own short request to fix a problem.

Practice & Feedback

Read the short dialogue in the resource section. It shows how a customer explains a problem and how Mia, the server, responds politely. Then imagine that you have a small problem with your order at The Riverside Café.

Choose one of these situations (or invent a similar one):

1. You ordered tomato soup, but you receive cold soup.
2. You ordered still water, but you receive fizzy water.
3. You ordered two mixed salads, but only one arrives.

Write 2–4 sentences that you could say to Mia to explain the problem and ask her to change or correct it. Start with Excuse me and try to use some softening language like I'm sorry, but… and Could you… please?.

Write your sentences as if you are really speaking to the server. I will check that you are clear and polite, correct any mistakes, and then give you a natural British English version you can remember for real life.

6. Full café role play in chat form.

You have now practised all the main parts of eating out in English: reading a menu, ordering politely, talking about your likes and dislikes, and solving small problems with your order. In this final block, you will bring everything together in one integrated task. Think of it as a little performance. You will write a short text chat between you and a server at The Riverside Café. Imagine you are using a messaging app to place an order or to ask questions before you sit down. You will need to greet the server, ask for the menu, order a drink, starter, main course and dessert, mention at least one preference or allergy, and then deal with one small problem politely, for example a missing drink. Finally, you will ask for the bill and say goodbye. On the screen you will see a checklist and some key phrases to help you. In the activity, you will write the whole conversation as if it is a real chat, with lines for "You" and "Server". This is a safe place to experiment, make mistakes and then see a more natural version. When you are finished, you will have a complete script you can review before your next meal out in an English speaking place.

Your final task: a complete café conversation.

Now it is time to put everything together in one realistic situation at The Riverside Café.

Imagine you are messaging the café to order food and ask questions. You will write a chat style conversation between:

• You (the customer)
• Server (Mia or another server)

Checklist for your chat.

Include these steps in your conversation:

1. Greeting and short opening.
2. Asking to see the menu.
3. Ordering a drink.
4. Ordering a starter and a main course politely.
5. Mentioning one preference or allergy (for example, I don't eat meat or I'm allergic to nuts).
6. Ordering a dessert (you can ask for a recommendation).
7. Having one small problem and solving it politely (for example, the wrong drink, missing salad, cold soup).
8. Asking for the bill and saying thank you and goodbye.

Useful phrases to reuse.

• Hi, good afternoon.
• Can I see the menu, please?
• I'd like a glass of still water, please.
• For starter, I'll have the tomato soup.
• For my main course, I'd like the vegetable curry, please.
• I really like spicy food, but I don't eat meat.
• I'm allergic to nuts.
• What do you recommend for dessert?
• Excuse me, I'm sorry, but this is not what I ordered.
• Could you change it, please?
• Could we have the bill, please?
• Thank you very much. Have a nice evening.

How to write the chat.

Write your conversation like this, with each line starting with You: or Server:

> You: Hi, good afternoon.

> Server: Good afternoon. Welcome to The Riverside Café.

> You: Can I see the menu, please?

Try to write 8–12 lines in total so that the conversation feels complete but not too long.

Practice & Feedback

Write a short chat style conversation between you and a server at The Riverside Café. Use the checklist above to make sure you include all the important steps.

Write your dialogue like messages in a chat app, for example:

You: Hi, good afternoon.

Server: Good afternoon. How can I help you today?

Include these things in your conversation:

• greet the server and ask to see the menu;
• order a drink, a starter, a main course and a dessert;
• say one preference or allergy (for example, I don't eat meat);
• show one small problem and solve it politely using phrases like Excuse me and Could you… please?;
• ask for the bill and say thank you and goodbye.

Aim for 8–12 lines in total. Do not worry if it is not perfect. I will play the role of the server and also your teacher: I will react to your chat, correct your English where necessary and show you a more natural version.