Restaurant General Vocabulary 1

General vocabulary exercise for restaurant staff — the everyday English of restaurant service.

Vocabulary in context

Restaurant English covers a surprisingly wide range of communication contexts — from the brief, warm exchanges of front-of-house service to the urgent technical shorthand of the kitchen, from menu descriptions that sell a dish to allergy conversations that require absolute precision. The vocabulary in this exercise covers the general foundation: the terms that apply across restaurant service regardless of the type of establishment, the size of the team, or the style of the menu. Whether you're working in a diner, a brasserie, or a Michelin-starred restaurant, these are the words that every member of staff should know automatically.

Ready to practice? Let's go!

Fill in each blank with the correct word. If both words can be used, choose the one that sounds more natural in each situation.

1. Are you (prepared/ready) to order?

2. The soup of the (day/special) is "cream of broccoli."

3. Our (specials/deals) are listed on the board.

4. I (recommend/request) the vegetarian chili.

5. We can (substitute/subtract) the bacon for cheese, if you like. = We can give you cheese instead of bacon.

6. I'll be right (back/return) with your drinks.

7. This meal consists of three courses: soup, the (main/prime) course, and dessert.

8. The chicken (comes/arrives) with your choice of rice or potatoes.

9. I'm sorry, we're fully/completely (booked/baked) ( = we have no free tables) right now.

10. If you would like, you can wait at the bar until a table (opens/comes) up. ( = becomes available)

11. I'm sorry for the (tardiness/delay). Your food will be right out.

12. Are you paying together, or would you like separate (bills/receipts)? ( = Americans say "checks")

13. There's an automatic 15% (grace/gratuity) added to parties of 8 or more.

14. We accept all (primary/major) credit cards.

15. The bread is free-of- (charging/charge).

16. The drinks are in the (back/rear) of the menu.

17. We have (plenty/plentiful) of ( = many) vegetarian options as well.

18. Follow me, please. I'll (show/seat) you to your table.

19. You can get the salad on the (side/separate). ( = not on the same dish as the main meal)

20. It'll (take/last) about half an hour to prepare.

21. I'm sorry, but our kitchen (stops/closes) at 11:00 PM.

22. Would you like anything for (sweets/dessert)?

23. How was (all/everything)?

24. Our (house/home) wine is Concha y Toro from Chile.

25. Would you like to take a look at our wine (description/list)?

26. Our (special/specialty) ( = what we do best) is Tandoor Chicken.

27. We stay open until the last customer (leaves/goes).

28. A (sampler/diversity) plate gives you a chance to try several different items at once.

29. We're (finished/out) of the (NAME OF DISH) = We have no more (NAME OF DISH) left

30. The (portions/sizes) are very big.