Polidict Logo
Open appSign in

Stay in touch

Get product updates and new feature notes.

Enter your email
Subscribe

Contact Us

Report issues or make a request by email support@polidict.com

Pages

HomeAbout UsBlogPricingRoadmap

Collections

English WordsSpanish WordsUkrainian WordsPolish WordsFrench WordsGerman WordsItalian WordsKorean WordsJapanese WordsSwedish WordsArabic WordsDutch WordsChinese Words

Follow Us

XThreadsMastodonBlueskyLinkedIn

Site Language & Theme

en
System

Made by Maksym Solomkin, © 2026

🇺🇦 Stand with Ukraine
Privacy PolicyTerms of Service
  1. Collections
  2. Food
  3. At a Restaurant

At a Restaurant

Dining out vocabulary

Basic
Food
restaurant
/ˈɹɛstɚɹɑːnt/

a place where people pay to sit and eat meals served to them

noun

Examples:

• We had dinner at an Italian restaurant.

• The restaurant was fully booked for Saturday night.

menu
/ˈmɛnjuː/

a list of dishes available in a restaurant; a list of options in a software interface

noun

Examples:

• The restaurant offered a seasonal menu.

• Click the File menu to open a new document.

order
/ˈɔːɹdɚ/

the arrangement of things in relation to each other

noun

Examples:

• The names are in alphabetical order.

• She likes to keep everything in order.

a request to supply goods or a meal

noun

Examples:

• She placed an order online.

• Can I take your order?

to request food, goods, or a service

verb

Examples:

• We ordered a pizza and some garlic bread for the table.

• She ordered a glass of wine and waited for her companion to arrive.

waiter
/ˈweɪ.tər/

a person, typically male, who serves food and drinks to customers at a restaurant

noun

Examples:

• The waiter brought our menus and recited the evening's specials.

• She caught the waiter's eye and asked for the check.

dish
/dɪʃ/

a shallow container used for cooking or serving food

noun

Examples:

• She placed the casserole dish in the oven for forty minutes.

• All the dishes were washed and stacked neatly in the cupboard.

a particular kind of food prepared in a particular way

noun

Examples:

• Paella is a traditional Spanish dish made with rice and seafood.

• The restaurant's signature dish is slow-braised lamb with rosemary.

appetizer
/ˈæp.ɪ.taɪ.zər/

a small dish served before the main course of a meal to stimulate the appetite

noun

Examples:

• We ordered bruschetta and calamari as appetizers while we waited for our entrees.

• The restaurant's appetizer menu featured a variety of soups, salads, and shared plates.

dessert
/dɪˈzɜːrt/

a sweet course served at the end of a meal, such as cake, ice cream, or fruit

noun

Examples:

• After the main course, the waiter brought over a dessert menu featuring chocolate mousse and crème brûlée.

• We were too full for dessert, so we asked for the check instead.

bill
/bɪl/

a written statement of the amount owed for food and drinks served at a restaurant

noun

Examples:

• At the end of the meal, we asked the waiter to split the bill between the four of us.

• The bill came to eighty dollars, including a service charge.

a banknote; a piece of paper money issued by a government or central bank

noun

Examples:

• He pulled out a twenty-dollar bill to pay for his coffee and pastry.

• The cashier gave her change in small bills and coins.

tip
/tɪp/

a small amount of money given as a gratuity for services

noun

Examples:

• She left a generous tip for the waiter.

• They always leave a fifteen percent tip when dining out.

a useful piece of advice or information

noun

Examples:

• She gave me some helpful tips for cooking risotto perfectly.

• The travel guide was full of practical tips for visiting on a budget.

reservation
/ˌrez.əˈveɪ.ʃən/

an arrangement made in advance to secure a table at a restaurant, a room at a hotel, or a seat on a flight

noun

Examples:

• She called the restaurant to make a reservation for eight o'clock.

• They lost our reservation, so we had to wait an hour for a table.

table
/ˈteɪ.bəl/

a piece of furniture with a flat top and legs used for eating or working at

noun

Examples:

• Please set the table for dinner.

• She put the books on the table.

plate
/pleɪt/

a flat dish from which food is eaten or served

noun

Examples:

• She put the food on the plate.

• There were dirty plates piled up in the sink.

bowl
/boʊl/

a round, deep dish used for food or liquid

noun

Examples:

• She poured cereal into a bowl.

• There was a bowl of fruit on the table.

fork
/fɔːrk/

a utensil with two or more prongs used for lifting and eating food

noun

Examples:

• She set the table with a knife, fork, and spoon.

• He twirled the spaghetti around his fork before taking a bite.

a point where a road or path divides into two branches

noun

Examples:

• At the fork in the road, take the right-hand path toward the lake.

• The hiking trail splits at a fork near the top of the hill.

spoon
/spuːn/

a utensil with a shallow oval or round bowl and a handle, used for eating, stirring, or serving food

noun

Examples:

• He used a wooden spoon to stir the risotto as it slowly cooked.

• She set a soup spoon on the right side of each bowl before the guests arrived.

napkin
/ˈnæp.kɪn/

a square piece of cloth or paper used at a meal to wipe the mouth and fingers and protect clothing

noun

Examples:

• The waiter folded the cloth napkin into a fan shape and placed it on the plate.

• She dabbed her lips with a paper napkin after finishing her meal.

serve
/sɝːv/

to perform duties or work for someone

verb

Examples:

• He served in the army for ten years.

• She serves as the company's treasurer.

to present food or drink to someone

verb

Examples:

• Dinner is served at seven o'clock.

• The waiter served us our drinks.

portion
/ˈpɔːɹʃən/

a part or share of something; an amount of food served to one person

noun

Examples:

• A large portion of the budget goes to education.

• The portions at this restaurant are very generous.

cafe
/kæˈfeɪ/

a small restaurant or coffee shop selling light meals and drinks

noun

Examples:

• They met for breakfast at a little cafe on the corner.

• She spent the afternoon working on her laptop in the cafe.

snack
/snæk/

a small amount of food eaten between main meals

noun

Examples:

• She grabbed a handful of almonds as a quick snack before dinner.

• The café offered an afternoon snack menu with pastries and sandwiches.