Restaurant phrases
How to order food abroad: restaurant phrases in 8 languages
These guides cover what you actually say in a restaurant abroad: asking for a table, ordering, explaining an allergy or a diet, and paying, in the polite form staff expect. Each has around 30 phrases in the local script, a romanization where the script isn't Latin, and the etiquette that goes with them, from Italy's coperto to Japan's ticket machines.
All guides
- How to order food in French: 32 restaurant phrasesTo order food in French, start with "Bonjour" and then say "Je vais prendre…, s'il vous plaît" (I'll have…, please); finish with "L'addition, s'il…
- How to order food in German: 32 restaurant phrasesTo order food in German, say "Ich hätte gern…" (I'd like…) and finish with "bitte" (please); when you're done, ask for "Die Rechnung, bitte" (the…
- How to order food in Greek: 32 restaurant phrasesTo order food in Greek, say "Θα ήθελα…" (tha íthela, I'd like…) and finish with "παρακαλώ" (parakaló, please); when you're done, ask for "Τον…
- How to order food in Italian: 32 restaurant phrasesTo order food in Italian you mostly need "Vorrei…, per favore" (I'd like…, please), "Il conto, per favore" (the bill, please) and a polite…
- How to order food in Japanese: 32 restaurant phrasesTo order food in Japanese, point at the dish and say "Kore o onegai shimasu" (this one, please); call the staff with "Sumimasen!" and ask for the…
- How to order food in Portuguese: 33 restaurant phrasesTo order food in Portuguese, say "Queria…, por favor" (I'd like…, please), call the waiter with "Se faz favor!" and ask for "A conta, por favor"…
- How to order food in Spanish: 33 restaurant phrasesTo order food in Spanish, you can get a long way with "Para mí…, por favor" (for me…, please), "La cuenta, por favor" (the bill, please) and a…
- How to order food in Thai: 32 restaurant phrasesTo order food in Thai, point at the dish and say "Ao an ni khrap" (men) or "Ao an ni kha" (women), "this one, please"; say "Mai phet" for not…
How to use these phrases
- Learn three before you go: hello, "this one, please" and "the bill, please". With those and a finger pointing at the menu, you can eat almost anywhere.
- Save the allergy phrases. Take a screenshot of the ones you need, so you can show them even without a connection.
- Show, don't only say. If your pronunciation doesn't land, show the phrase on screen in the local script. Staff can read it faster than you can repeat it.
- Use the polite form. Every phrase here uses the register that's right with restaurant staff, so you won't sound too casual.
When you'd rather not say the dish names
Dish names are the hardest words to pronounce. In MenuGuide, scan the menu, add the dishes you want to your order and tap Speak My Order: the app reads your whole order aloud in the menu's language, or shows it on screen for the waiter. It speaks the whole order rather than single words, so these phrase guides still help with everything around it.
MenuGuide also flags dishes that may contain the allergens you've chosen. Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
To understand the menu itself, see how to translate a menu and our country menu guides.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most useful phrases for ordering food abroad?
Three phrases cover most meals: a greeting, "this one, please" while pointing at the menu, and "the bill, please". Add "I'm allergic to…" or "I'm vegetarian" if they apply to you, and "what do you recommend?" when you can't decide. Each guide here gives these in the local language, in the polite form restaurant staff expect.
How do I explain a food allergy in another language?
Learn or save the phrase "I'm allergic to…" with your allergen in the local language, and show it on screen if your pronunciation isn't understood. Ask about specific ingredients too, since hidden sources vary by cuisine: fish stock in Japan, peanuts and shrimp paste in Thailand, nuts in Italian pesto. For a serious allergy, ask the staff to check with the kitchen.
Can an app say my order in the local language?
Yes. In MenuGuide you scan the menu, add dishes to your order and tap Speak My Order, and the app reads the whole order aloud in the menu's language; you can also show it on screen or share it. It reads the complete order rather than teaching you to pronounce single dishes, so a few basic phrases are still worth knowing.
