Can I take your order?

Elementary (A1-A2) 20 minutes
ESL ordering food and drink game preview for elementary A1-A2, role-play, ordering menu items, card game, communicative practice

ESL Ordering Food and Drink Game - Speaking: Role-Play, Asking and Answering Questions, Communicative Practice - Group Work

This free ordering food and drink game helps students learn and practice phrases for ordering menu items. First, students read a menu, decide on a three...

ESL Ordering Food and Drink Game - Speaking: Role-Play, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Communicative Practice - Group Work This free ordering food and drink game helps students learn and practice phrases for ordering menu items. First, students read a menu, decide on a three-course meal and drink they would like to have, and write it on a slip of paper. Next, students play a card game where they try to get the four food or drink items by ordering them from the menu. Students then take turns ordering a menu item from another group member, e.g. 'Can I have a salad, please?' If the other student has the menu item card, they give it to the student and reply as a waiter saying, 'Certainly, here you are.' If the student doesn't have the menu item, they say, 'I'm sorry. We don't have any... left.' The first student to get their four menu item cards wins the game. Students can play several rounds to practice the ordering phrases.
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At the Coffee Shop

Pre-intermediate (A2) 30 minutes
ESL coffee shop role-play preview for pre-intermediate A2, ordering food and drink, dialogue, pair work, communicative practice

ESL Coffee Shop Role-Play - Speaking Activity: Ordering a Dialogue, Role-Play, Communicative Practice - Pair Work

In this useful coffee shop role-play activity, students practice ordering food and drink in a coffee shop. First, students write a coffee shop dialogue out in the correct order. After that, one student takes on...

ESL Coffee Shop Role-Play - Speaking Activity: Ordering a Dialogue, Role-Play, Communicative Practice - Pair Work In this useful coffee shop role-play activity, students practice ordering food and drink in a coffee shop. First, students write a coffee shop dialogue out in the correct order. After that, one student takes on the role of a customer, and the other is a barista. Students then role-play the dialogue several times in their pairs, exchanging roles each time. Finally, students use the dialogue and a coffee shop menu to create their own conversation in which they practice ordering food and drinks. When everyone has finished, pairs perform their role-plays to the class.
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At the Restaurant

Pre-intermediate (A2) 35 minutes
ESL restaurant role-plays preview for pre-intermediate A2, ordering dialogue, reading, vocabulary, gap-fill, pair work

ESL Restaurant Role-Plays - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Ordering a Dialogue, Categorising, Gap-fill - Speaking Activity: Role-Play - Pair Work

These productive restaurant role-play activities help students practice various phrases used by a customer and server in a restaurant. First, in pairs...

ESL Restaurant Role-Plays - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Ordering a Dialogue, Categorising, Gap-fill - Speaking Activity: Role-Play - Pair Work These productive restaurant role-play activities help students practice various phrases used by a customer and server in a restaurant. First, in pairs, students put sentence strips in the correct order to form a restaurant dialogue between a customer and a server. Students then practice the dialogue several times with their partner, switching roles each time. Next, students categorise phrases according to whether they are used by a customer or a server. After that, students complete other restaurant phrases with vocabulary from a box. In pairs, students then use the phrases from the worksheet, a menu and a set of prompts to practice ordering food and drink in a restaurant. Finally, pairs present their role-plays to the class.
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Fussy Eaters

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL restaurant role-play preview for pre-intermediate A2, group work, fussy eaters, preferences, waiter, menu

ESL Restaurant Role-Play - Speaking Activity: Role-Play, Communicative Practice - Group Work

In this fun restaurant role-play activity, students take on the role of fussy eaters and order food and drink according to preferences on cards. In groups, one student takes on the role of a waiter or waitress...

ESL Restaurant Role-Play - Speaking Activity: Role-Play, Communicative Practice - Group Work In this fun restaurant role-play activity, students take on the role of fussy eaters and order food and drink according to preferences on cards. In groups, one student takes on the role of a waiter or waitress. The other students take on the roles of fussy eaters. The fussy eaters read the food and drink preferences on their cards. Students then role-play a restaurant conversation where they order food and drinks from the menu according to their preferences. Students repeat the role-play several times, exchanging roles each time they complete the conversation. Finally, groups role-play their restaurant conversations in front of the class.
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What's for lunch?

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL restaurant language worksheet preview for pre-intermediate A2, matching, ordering, role-play, pair work

ESL Restaurant Language Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Ordering - Speaking Activity: Role-Play - Pair Work

This informative restaurant language worksheet helps students learn and practice phrases for ordering food and drink in a restaurant. First, students match each restaurant-related question...

ESL Restaurant Language Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Ordering - Speaking Activity: Role-Play - Pair Work This informative restaurant language worksheet helps students learn and practice phrases for ordering food and drink in a restaurant. First, students match each restaurant-related question with an appropriate reply. Students then write the questions and responses in the correct order to form a restaurant dialogue. Finally, students practice the restaurant dialogue with a partner and role-play it in front of the class.
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Dining Out

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL restaurant role-plays preview for intermediate B1, group work, dining out, role-play, restaurant interactions

ESL Restaurant Role-Plays - Speaking Activity: Communicative Practice - Group Work

In this engaging restaurant role-play activity, students review language for dining out by role-playing various restaurant interactions. The role-play cards cover 20 interactions in chronological order that...

ESL Restaurant Role-Plays - Speaking Activity: Communicative Practice - Group Work In this engaging restaurant role-play activity, students review language for dining out by role-playing various restaurant interactions. The role-play cards cover 20 interactions in chronological order that would happen between a customer and a server or a customer and a friend when dining at a restaurant. One student begins by picking up card number one and reading out the first role-play scenario, i.e. 'Invite your friend to a restaurant one evening.' The other students listen and then perform the role-play. When the two students have finished, the next student picks up a card, reads out the second scenario, and so on. At the end of the activity, groups role-play each interaction in front of the class to review the restaurant language.
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Let's Order!

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL restaurant language worksheet preview for intermediate B1, labelling, matching, dialogue completion, pair work

ESL Restaurant Language Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Labelling, Matching, Dialogue Completion - Speaking Activity: Role-Play - Pair Work

In this free restaurant language worksheet, students learn and practice phrases to order food and drink in a restaurant. First, students complete menu headings...

ESL Restaurant Language Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Labelling, Matching, Dialogue Completion - Speaking Activity: Role-Play - Pair Work In this free restaurant language worksheet, students learn and practice phrases to order food and drink in a restaurant. First, students complete menu headings with vocabulary from a box. Students then match a waiter's questions with suitable responses. Next, students read six phrases a customer might say in a restaurant and match the words in bold to their synonyms. After that, students use the menu and restaurant language from the worksheet to write customer responses in a restaurant dialogue. Finally, students role-play the dialogue with a partner and present it to the class.
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Restaurant Role-Play

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL restaurant role-play preview for intermediate B1, communicative practice, group work, server and customers

ESL Restaurant Role-Play - Speaking Activity: Communicative Practice - Group Work

Here is a communicative restaurant role-play to help students review phrases to order food and drink in a restaurant. In groups, one student takes on the role of a server, and the other two students are...

ESL Restaurant Role-Play - Speaking Activity: Communicative Practice - Group Work Here is a communicative restaurant role-play to help students review phrases to order food and drink in a restaurant. In groups, one student takes on the role of a server, and the other two students are customers. The customers come into the classroom and begin the role-play by asking their server for a table for two and a menu. The server follows instructions on a role card, takes the customers' orders and brings the meals. When the customers have finished their meal, they ask the server for the bill. The server then calculates the bill and gives it to the customers. At the same time, the customers work out what they think the bill should be. If any customers think the bill is wrong, they tell their server. At the end of the role-play, the customers give marks out of ten for the servers.
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Sally's Sandwiches

Intermediate (B1) 20 minutes
ESL sandwich shop role-play preview for intermediate B1, communicative practice, group work, ordering food and drink

ESL Sandwich Shop Role-Play - Speaking Activity: Communicative Practice - Group Work

In this communicative sandwich shop role-play activity, students order food and drink from a sandwich shop at lunchtime. In groups of three, one student takes on the role of a person ordering food and...

ESL Sandwich Shop Role-Play - Speaking Activity: Communicative Practice - Group Work In this communicative sandwich shop role-play activity, students order food and drink from a sandwich shop at lunchtime. In groups of three, one student takes on the role of a person ordering food and drink for themselves and a friend at lunchtime. Another student plays the role of the friend, and the other student is the sandwich shop worker. The student with the menu starts the role-play by explaining what is on the menu to their friend and taking their order. The student then role-plays ordering food and drink in the sandwich shop with the worker. Students repeat the role-play three times, exchanging roles each time they complete the conversation.
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Who said it?

Intermediate (B1) 20 minutes
ESL restaurant worksheet preview for intermediate B1, identifying, matching, creating dialogues, role-play

ESL Restaurant Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Identifying, Matching

In this insightful restaurant language worksheet, students practice phrases said by a server and a customer in a restaurant. Students begin by reading extracts from a restaurant dialogue and deciding who said each one, the server or...

ESL Restaurant Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Identifying, Matching In this insightful restaurant language worksheet, students practice phrases said by a server and a customer in a restaurant. Students begin by reading extracts from a restaurant dialogue and deciding who said each one, the server or the customer. Students then match each phrase with an appropriate response. As an extension, pairs of students use the language from the worksheet to create a restaurant dialogue, which they present to the class.
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Using Restaurant Language

Ordering food and drink in English covers a broader range of language than most learners expect: beyond 'I'll have the pasta, please', a real restaurant visit involves making requests, asking about dishes, handling problems, and responding to a server's questions on the spot. Learners who only practice set phrases struggle the moment a server asks something unexpected like 'Would you like to hear our specials?' or 'How would you like that cooked?', because they have no language ready for anything outside the script they rehearsed.

This page covers ordering food and drink across A1-A2, A2, and B1 levels, with ten resources including role-plays, speaking activities, and worksheets, with two available as free downloads.

The table below maps the most common moments in a restaurant interaction to who typically speaks and an example phrase for each situation.

SituationWho Says ItExample Phrase
Welcoming a customer Server 'Good evening. Do you have a reservation?'
Asking to be seated Customer 'A table for two, please.'
Asking for the menu Customer 'Could we see the menu, please?'
Taking the order Server 'Are you ready to order?'
Ordering a dish Customer 'I'll have the pasta, please.'
Asking about a dish Customer 'What does the risotto come with?'
Making a recommendation Server 'The grilled salmon is very popular.'
Reporting a problem Customer 'Excuse me, I ordered the steak, not the chicken.'
Describing dietary needs Customer 'I'm allergic to nuts. Does this dish contain any?'
Asking for the bill Customer 'Could we have the bill, please?'
Responding to a bill query Server 'I'll just check that for you.'

How to Use Restaurant Language

Modifying or customizing an order: When a learner wants to change a dish or request a substitution, they need specific softening language to avoid sounding demanding, as in 'Could I have the dressing on the side, please?' rather than 'Put the dressing on the side.'

Flagging a problem with the order: When the wrong dish arrives or something is missing, learners need a polite but clear way to raise the issue without sounding aggressive, as in 'Excuse me, I think there might be a mistake. I ordered the vegetarian option.'

Asking about unfamiliar items on the menu: When a learner encounters an unfamiliar dish or ingredient, asking the server directly is the natural and expected thing to do, and having a ready phrase prevents the awkward silence that often happens at this moment, as in 'Could you tell me what the tagine comes with?'

3-Step Framework for Teaching Restaurant Language

1. Introduce Phrases Through a Card Game: Open with a card game that gets learners using the core ordering phrases immediately in a low-pressure context. Learners try to collect four menu item cards by ordering from other group members using phrases like 'Can I have a salad, please?', and the cardholder responds in role, either handing it over with 'Certainly, here you are' or declining with 'I'm sorry. We don't have any... left.' Every exchange is a complete mini-transaction, so the phrases get repeated naturally across multiple rounds.

2. Build Both Sides of the Conversation: Once learners know the customer phrases, shift the focus to the full two-way exchange. Start with sentence strips that learners put in the correct order to form a dialogue between a customer and a server, then push further by having them categorise every phrase in the dialogue according to whether a customer or a server would say it. This dual focus means learners stop thinking of restaurant language as one-sided and start recognising the whole conversational script.

3. Sequence a Full Dining Experience: Round off the sequence with a set of scenario cards that walk learners through 20 interactions in chronological order, covering everything that happens between a customer and a server from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave. A student reads out each scenario card in turn, for example 'Invite your friend to a restaurant one evening', and the group performs it before moving to the next. Running the full sequence in order gives learners a mental map of how a real restaurant visit unfolds in English.

Common Mistakes with Restaurant Language

Using 'I want' instead of a polite request form: Students often translate directly from their first language and say 'I want the chicken' when ordering, not realising that in English this sounds blunt and impolite in a service context where 'I'll have' or 'Could I have' is the expected form. Wrong: 'I want the soup and the steak.' Correct: 'I'll have the soup, and could I have the steak, please?'

Confusing course names when ordering: Students often say 'first' and 'second' when ordering courses, translating directly from their first language, which leaves a server unsure what the learner is referring to and can result in dishes arriving in the wrong order or not at all. Wrong: 'For my first I want the soup and for my second I want the steak.' Correct: 'For my starter I'll have the soup, and for my main course I'll have the steak.'

Common Questions About Teaching Restaurant Language

What is a useful worksheet for ordering food and drink?

The free worksheet Let's Order! covers vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue in one sequence. Students label menu headings, match a waiter's questions to suitable responses, and match words in customer phrases to their synonyms, which builds the language they need. They then write customer responses in a dialogue and role-play it with a partner.

What is a fun restaurant role-play for practicing ordering food?

The activity Restaurant Role-Play puts students through the full dining experience. The server takes orders and calculates the bill while customers work out what they think it should come to. If the numbers do not match, customers challenge the server. At the end, every customer rates the server out of ten, keeping everyone invested throughout.

What is a good activity for practicing ordering food?

In the activity Fussy Eaters, each student plays a fussy eater with specific food and drink preferences on a card, while one student plays the waiter or waitress. Students cannot just recite a standard order and must ask questions, explain their likes and dislikes, and work through the menu until the waiter finds something that suits them.

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