A restaurant is a place where people go to eat meals that are prepared and served by staff. Some common vocabulary words related to restaurants include:
- Menu: a list of the food and drinks that are available at a restaurant
- Entrée: the main course of a meal
- Appetizer: a small, light dish served before the main course
- Dessert: a sweet dish served at the end of a meal
- Beverage: a drink, such as water, juice, coffee, or alcohol
- Server: a person who brings food and drinks to the tables and takes orders from customers
- Host/hostess: a person who greets customers when they arrive at the restaurant and assigns them a table
- Waitstaff: the collective term for servers and other staff who serve customers at their tables
- Reservation: a request to have a table reserved for a particular time and date.
- Specials: dishes that are not regularly on the menu, but are offered on a particular day or for a limited time
- A la carte: a type of menu where each dish is priced separately and customers can order as many or as few dishes as they like
- Set menu: a fixed selection of dishes that are offered as a single meal at a set price
- Chef: the person who is in charge of the kitchen and responsible for preparing the food at a restaurant
- Sommelier: a trained and knowledgeable wine expert who can recommend wines to pair with dishes at a restaurant
- Waiter/waitress: a person who serves food and drinks to customers at their tables
- Busser: a person who clears tables, refills drinks, and assists the waitstaff at a restaurant
- Maitre d’: the person who manages the front of the house at a restaurant, including seating customers and managing the waitstaff.
- Dining room: the area of a restaurant where customers sit and eat their meals
- Bar: an area of a restaurant where customers can sit and order alcoholic drinks
- Happy hour: a period of time, usually in the late afternoon or early evening, when a restaurant offers discounted prices on drinks
- Takeout: the act of ordering food from a restaurant to be picked up and taken away to be eaten elsewhere
- Delivery: the act of having food from a restaurant delivered to your home or another location
- Tip: a gratuity given to servers and other restaurant staff in addition to the bill
- Allergy: a medical condition that causes a person to have an adverse reaction to certain foods
- Vegan: a person who does not eat any animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs.
- Vegetarian: a person who does not eat meat, but may eat dairy products and eggs
- Gluten-free: a diet that avoids foods that contain gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye
- Food allergies: a medical condition that causes a person to have an adverse reaction to certain foods
- Nut allergy: an allergy to nuts or peanuts
- Food intolerance: a digestive problem that occurs when a person cannot tolerate certain foods
- Special diet: a diet that is customized for a person’s individual needs, such as for medical or religious reasons
- Table service: a type of restaurant service where servers bring food and drinks to the table and take orders from customers
- Counter service: a type of restaurant service where customers order and pay for their food at a counter and then take it to their own table.
- Takeout menu: a menu that lists the dishes available for takeout from a restaurant
- Online ordering: the ability to place an order for food from a restaurant using a website or app
- Delivery service: a service that brings food from a restaurant to a customer’s home or office
- Curbside pickup: the act of picking up food from a restaurant without leaving your car
- Dine-in: the act of eating a meal at a restaurant, as opposed to taking it to go or having it delivered
- Eat-in: another term for dine-in
- Table setting: the arrangement of dishes, cutlery, and glasses on a table at a restaurant
- Tablecloth: a cloth used to cover a table at a restaurant.
- Children’s menu: a menu with dishes that are specifically designed for children, such as smaller portions or simpler dishes
- Dessert menu: a menu that lists the desserts available at a restaurant
- Drinks menu: a menu that lists the beverages available at a restaurant, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic options
- Lunch menu: a menu that lists the dishes available at a restaurant during the lunchtime hours
- Dinner menu: a menu that lists the dishes available at a restaurant during the dinner hours
- Brunch menu: a menu that lists the dishes available at a restaurant during the brunch hours, typically a combination of breakfast and lunch dishes
- Daily specials: dishes that are not regularly on the menu, but are offered on a particular day or for a limited time
- Prix fixe: a type of menu where customers choose a set number of courses from a fixed selection of dishes for a set price.
- Buffet: a type of restaurant service where customers serve themselves from a selection of dishes laid out on a table
- Self-service: a type of restaurant service where customers serve themselves, typically at a buffet or salad bar
- Degustation: a type of restaurant service where the chef prepares and serves a series of small, carefully curated dishes
- Tasting menu: another term for degustation
- Fast food: a type of restaurant that serves quickly prepared, inexpensive food
- Casual dining: a type of restaurant that offers moderately priced, relaxed dining.
These are just a few examples of words and phrases that are commonly used in the context of restaurants. There may be other words and phrases that are specific to a particular restaurant or cultural context.