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Your First 10 Words in a Restaurant

August 5, 2026 Β· Sourov Β· 2 min read

5-Minute English Lab Β· A1 Beginner

🌱 Your First 10 Words in a Restaurant

⏱ 5 minutes · PPP · Vocabulary

πŸ’¬ From my own experience: My first week in Sydney, I pointed at the menu instead of speaking. Learning ten words changed everything β€” I got a job within a month.

🎯 By the end of this 5 minutes, you can:

name 10 common restaurant items and use them in a simple sentence: I’d like a _____, please.

Language Focus:

menutablebillorderdrinkstartermain coursedessertwatertip

πŸ“– Quick Explanation

These 10 words cover 90% of what you need in any English-speaking restaurant or cafΓ©. Notice the pattern: I’d like a [item], please.

Pronunciation tip: bill (rhymes with ‘fill’) Β· menu (‘MEN-yoo’) Β· dessert (stress on 2nd syllable: ‘deh-ZURT’ β€” not ‘DEZ-ert’ which is a dry landscape!)

Memory trick: Group them in order: arrive β†’ menu β†’ order β†’ starter β†’ main β†’ dessert β†’ bill β†’ tip. That’s a complete meal.

✏️ Practice

Task 1: Match the word

Which word goes where? bill / menu / tip / dessert / order
1. The waiter brings this first so you can choose. β†’ ___
2. You pay this at the end. β†’ ___
3. Extra money for good service. β†’ ___
4. Sweet food after your main course. β†’ ___
5. To ask for food or drink. β†’ ___

πŸ’‘ Show answer
1. menu Β· 2. bill Β· 3. tip Β· 4. dessert Β· 5. order

Task 2: Say it out loud

Practise saying this sentence with 5 different items from the list: ‘I’d like a _____, please.’ Say each one twice β€” first slowly, then at natural speed.

πŸ’‘ Show answer
I’d like a menu, please. / I’d like the bill, please. / I’d like a starter, please. (etc.)

Task 3: Odd one out

Which word does NOT belong? Why?
A) starter Β· main course Β· dessert Β· tip

πŸ’‘ Show answer
Tip is money, not food. The others are all courses of a meal.

πŸ—£ Use It Now

You are in a cafΓ© in London. Write 3 sentences using words from the list. Start with: Excuse me, I’d like to order… Then ask for the bill and leave a tip comment.

βœ… Quick Self-Check



Independent teaching resource. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification. Based on publicly available ELT methodology and 18 years of professional experience.
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