Dining Out

A night at the restaurant — from the menu to the tip.

20 words

1. restaurant n. /ˈɹɛsˌtɹɑnt/

a place where you sit down to eat a meal that you pay for. You usually choose your food from a list called a menu.
2. menu n. /ˈmɛnju/

a list of choices, such as the food you can order in a restaurant or the options you see on a computer screen.
3. waiter n. /ˈweɪtɝ/

a person who works in a restaurant and brings food and drinks to your table. You usually ask this person for the menu or the bill.
4. waitress n. /ˈweɪtɹəs/

a woman who works in a restaurant or café, bringing food and drinks to customers at their tables.
5. reservation n. /ˌɹɛzɝˈveɪʃən/

a common word for booking a seat or room in advance, a feeling of doubt about an idea, or a special area of land set aside for a specific group of people.
6. order n. /ˈɔɹdɝ/

a very common word used for organizing things, giving commands, or asking for food and products.
7. dish n. /ˈdɪʃ/

a common word for a plate or bowl, a specific type of food, or the act of washing up after a meal.
8. course n. /ˈkɔɹs/

a common word for a series of lessons, a part of a meal, the direction something moves, or a place where sports are played.
9. dessert n. /dɪˈzɝt/

the sweet food you eat at the end of a meal, such as cake, fruit, or ice cream.
10. beverage n. /ˈbɛvɝɪdʒ/

a formal or polite word for a drink, like coffee, juice, or soda.
11. cuisine n. /kwɪˈzin/

a style of cooking that belongs to a specific country or region, or the food served in that style.
12. chef n. /ˈʃɛf/

a professional cook who leads a kitchen, or more generally, anyone who is very good at cooking.
13. recipe n. /ˈɹɛsəpi/

a set of instructions for cooking a specific dish, or a plan that is likely to lead to a certain result.
14. delicious adj. /dɪˈɫɪʃəs/

having a very pleasant taste or smell. You use this to describe food that you enjoy eating very much.
15. spicy adj. /ˈspaɪsi/

a word used to describe food that has a strong, hot flavor from spices like chili; it can also describe something exciting, scandalous, or slightly risky.
16. vegetarian n. /ˌvɛdʒəˈtɛˌɹiən/

a person who does not eat meat or fish; also used to describe food that is made without meat.
17. portion n. /ˈpɔɹʃən/

a part of a whole, an amount of food for one person, or the act of dividing things into shares.
18. buffet n. /ˈbəfət/

a table with a variety of food that you serve yourself.
19. tip n. /ˈtɪp/

a common word with several meanings: a small amount of extra money for service, a helpful piece of advice, the pointed end of something, or the act of leaning or falling over.
20. bill n. /ˈbɪɫ/

a common word for a request for payment, a piece of paper money, a bird's beak, or a proposed new law.