canteen
n. countablen. a place in a school, office, or factory where people can buy and eat meals. It is usually more casual and cheaper than a restaurant.
n. a dining hall or cafeteria within an institution such as a school, workplace, or military base. Refers to both the physical space and the food service provided.
I usually meet my friends for lunch in the school canteen.
The company canteen offers a variety of healthy options for employees during their thirty-minute break.
While the main office was modern and sleek, the basement canteen remained a relic of the seventies, complete with plastic trays and industrial-sized coffee urns.
Borrowed from French cantine, itself borrowed from Italian cantina. Doublet of cantina.
Commonly used in British and Commonwealth English; American English speakers typically prefer 'cafeteria'.