Guests and Hosts- Restaurant Vocabulary

Guests and hosts in restaurants key words and card games

Without looking below, listen to your teacher saying some typical restaurant language used between you and a foreign guest when you take them out for dinner. Decide if each line is said by a guest or is said by a host, and race to raise the right one of the two cards which you have been given.

Label each section below with G for guest or H for host. The ones in each section are said by the same person, so you don’t need to label each individual line.

Check your answers as a class, then play the same raising cards game in pairs or small groups.

Ask about any phrases you don’t understand.

 

Cards for students to hold up

Host	Guest
Host	Guest
Host	Guest
Host	Guest
Host	Guest

 

Are you allergic to anything?

Do you like spicy/ sweet/ sour/ bitter/raw/ Asian food?/ What kind of food do you like?

 

Are you ready for dessert?

Would you like to see the dessert menu?

 

Can we order this one?

Would it be okay to choose this one?

 

Do people eat this kind of food all the time?/ Do people cook this kind of thing at home?

Do you know how to make this one?

 

Do people generally order together?

Should we order different things each?

 

How about trying this main course?

I’d recommend this starter.

 

How do I eat this one?

Am I eating this one the right way?

 

How’s your steak?

Is it what you expected?

 

Actually, I have to go out for dinner tonight too, so I’d better not.

If you don’t mind, I’d prefer something a bit less filling/ spicy/ exotic/ adventurous/...

 

I think I’d like to try this one.

This one looks nice./ This one sounds nice.

 

I think you’d like/ enjoy this side dish./ If you like that, then you’d love…

You really should/ really must try this dessert.

 

I’ll definitely come back here again.

I’ll recommend this place to my colleagues.

 

I’ll have to see if I can find the same thing back home.

You must email me the recipe for this so I can try and cook it at home.

 

I’m afraid I don’t drink/ eat pork/ eat shellfish/ eat beef/ eat meat/ eat seafood.

I might stick to soft drinks, actually.

 

Is anything on the menu vegetarian?/ Is this dish vegetarian, do you know?

Is there anything which isn’t too spicy?

 

Is there anything you can’t eat?

Is there anything you don’t eat?

Is this popular in your country (too), do you know?

Is this available back home (too), do you think?

 

It all sounds so nice. I’ll let you decide./ It all looks so nice. I’ll let you order (for both of us).

I’ll have whatever you’re having.

 

It goes well with this sauce./ We usually eat it with vegetables.

We usually share dishes, if that is okay.

 

It’s on me.

(No, no, I insist). You are my guest today.

 

Please help yourself.

Please go ahead.

 

Shall we get a starter?

What would you like for a main course?

 

Thank you very much for your hospitality. I’ll do the same for you some time.

You are too kind! You must let me take you out in return.

 

Thank you (very much), that was delicious.

Thanks a lot, that was lovely.

 

That’s very kind, but I couldn’t eat another thing.

I would, but I’m afraid I’m absolutely stuffed.

 

This looks interesting. Do you know what it is?

What’s in this one, do you know?/ What’s it made from?

 

This looks like a nice place. Do you come here often?

The décor is great. Is this typical for this kind of place?

 

What does this one taste like?

Do you think I’d like this one?

 

What was this one called again?

Do you know where the bathroom/ restroom/ powder room is?

 

What would you like to drink?

Would you like to try this local speciality?

 

Would you like another drink?/ Shall I order another dish?

Would you like anything else to drink/ eat?

 

Would you recommend the fish?/ What would you recommend as a main dish?

Have you tried this one before?

Brainstorming stage

Without looking above for now, try to remember or think of at least two sentences for each of these categories. Phrases which aren’t above are also fine, as long as they have the same functions as are written below.

Host

Offering

 

 

 

Asking for information about the guest

 

 

 

Recommending/ Suggesting

 

 

 

Chatting about the food and restaurant/ Just making conversation

 

 

 

Guest

Asking for information about the food

 

 

 

Requesting

 

 

 

Refusing/ Turning down an offer

 

 

 

Chatting about the food and restaurant/ Just making conversation

 

 

 

Complimenting/ Thanking

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key words

Use the key words below to write more useful phrases above (not writing below).

Host

Offering

• starter
• main
• drink
• try
• help
• ahead
• another
• else
• ready
• see
• me
• guest

 

Asking for information about the guest

• allergic
• like
• can’t
• don’t

 

Recommending/ Suggesting

• trying
• recommend
• you’d
• really
• with
• share

 

Chatting about the food and restaurant/ Just making conversation

• how
• expected
• country
• home

 

Guest

Asking for information about the food

• recommend
• tried
• know
• in
• made
• taste
• like
• vegetarian
• too
• together
• each
• how
• way
• called
• room

 

Requesting

• can
• okay
• try
• nice
• let
• whatever

 

Refusing/ Turning down an offer

• go out
• prefer
• don’t
• soft
• couldn’t
• stuffed

 

Chatting about the food and restaurant/ Just making conversation

• place
• typical
• kind
• make

 

Complimenting/ Thanking

• delicious
• lovely
• hospitality
• kind
• find
• recipe
• again
• colleagues

 

Check as a class or with the suggested answers below.

 

Suggested answers

Other answers are possible, including with the same key words, so please check if you wrote something different.  

Host

Offering

• Shall we get a starter?
• What would you like for a main course?
• What would you like to drink?
• Would you like to try this local speciality?
• Please help
• Please go ahead.
• Would you like another drink?/ Shall I order another dish?
• Would you like anything else to drink/ eat?
• Are you ready for dessert?
• Would you like to see the dessert menu?
• It’s on me.
• (No, no, I insist). You are my guest

 

Asking for information about the guest

• Are you allergic to anything?
• Do you like spicy/ sweet/ sour/ bitter/raw/ Asian food?/ What kind of food do you like?
• Is there anything you can’t eat?
• Is there anything you don’t eat?

 

Recommending/ Suggesting

• How about trying this main course?
• I’d recommend this starter.
• I think you’d like/ enjoy this side dish./ If you like that, then you’d love…
• You really should/ really must try this dessert.
• It goes well with this sauce./ We usually eat it with
• We usually share dishes, if that is okay.

 

Chatting about the food and restaurant/ Just making conversation

• How’s your steak?
• Is it what you expected?
• Is this popular in your country (too), do you know?
• Is this available back home (too), do you think?

 

Guest

Asking for information about the food

• Would you recommend the fish?/ What would you recommend as a main dish?
• Have you tried this one before?
• This looks interesting. Do you know what it is?
• What’s in this one, do you know?/ What’s it made from?
• What does this one taste like?
• Do you think I’d like this one?
• Is anything on the menu vegetarian?/ Is this dish vegetarian, do you know?
• Is there anything which isn’t too spicy?
• Do people generally order together?
• Should we order different things each?
• How do I eat this one?
• Am I eating this one the right way?
• What was this one called again?
• Do you know where the bathroom/ restroom/ powder room is?

 

Requesting

• Can we order this one?
• Would it be okay to choose this one?
• I think I’d like to try this one.
• This one looks nice./ This one sounds nice.
• It all sounds so nice. I’ll let you decide./ It all looks so nice. I’ll let you order (for both of us).
• I’ll have whatever you’re having.

 

Refusing/ Turning down an offer

• Actually, I have to go out for dinner tonight too, so I’d better not.
• If you don’t mind, I’d prefer something a bit less filling/ spicy/ exotic/ adventurous.
• I’m afraid I don’t drink/ eat pork/ eat shellfish/ eat beef/ eat meat/ eat seafood.
• I might stick to soft drinks, actually.
• That’s very kind, but I couldn’t eat another thing.
• I would, but I’m afraid I’m absolutely stuffed.

 

Chatting about the food and restaurant/ Just making conversation

• This looks like a nice place. Do you come here often?
• The décor is great. Is this typical for this kind of place?
• Do people eat this kind of food all the time?/ Do people cook this kind of thing at home?
• Do you know how to make this one?

 

Complimenting/ Thanking

• Thank you (very much), that was delicious.
• Thanks a lot, that was lovely.
• Thank you very much for your hospitality. I’ll do the same for you some time.
• You are too kind! You must let me take you out in return.
• I’ll have to see if I can find the same thing back home.
• You must email me the recipe for this so I can try and cook it at home.
• I’ll definitely come back here again.
• I’ll recommend this place to my colleagues.

 

Test each other on the language above:

• Play the raising cards game again
• Say gapped phrases from one section for your partner to complete
• Say key words from one section for your partner to make phrases from

 

Guests and hosts key words card game

Work in groups of two to four people. Deal out the pack of cards that you are given or look at the cards below. Pretend you are in a restaurant and roleplay the conversation between (one or more) guests and (one or more) hosts. Try to use the words on your cards during your conversation. If your partner accepts that you used the phrase in the right way, you can discard that card or tick that word off below. The person with the fewest cards left or most words ticked off at the end of the game is the winner.

again	ahead	allergy/ allergic	(an)other
call(ed)	can(‘t)/ could(n’t)	colleague(s)	country
delicious	don’t	drink	each
else	expect(ed)	find	go
guest	help	home	hospitality
how	kind	know	let
like	lovely	main	make/ made
me	nice	okay	place
prefer	ready	really	recipe
recommend(ation)	room	see	share
soft	start(er)	stuffed	taste
together	too	try(ing)/ tried	typical
vegetarian	way	whatever	you’d

Guests and hosts functions card game

Work in groups of two to four people. Deal out the pack of cards that you are given or look at the cards below. Pretend you are in a restaurant and roleplay the conversation between (one or more) guests and (one or more) hosts. Try to do the things written on your cards during your conversation. If your partner accepts that you have done that thing in the right way, you can discard that card or tick off those words below. The person with the fewest cards or the most boxes ticked off at the end of the game is the winner.

 

Asking for information	Asking for information	Asking for information	Asking for information
Chatting about the food and restaurant	Chatting about the food and restaurant	Chatting about the food and restaurant	Chatting about the food and restaurant
Complimenting	Complimenting	Complimenting	Complimenting
Making conversation	Making conversation	Making conversation	Making conversation
Offering	Offering	Offering	Offering
Recommending/ Suggesting	Recommending/ Suggesting	Recommending/ Suggesting	Recommending/ Suggesting
Refusing	Refusing	Refusing	Refusing
Requesting	Requesting	Requesting	Requesting
Thanking	Thanking	Thanking	Thanking