– easy words for eating out, tables, and cutlery
🏠 At the Restaurant
- Restaurant – a place where you can eat food.
- Café – a small place to drink coffee or tea and eat snacks.
- Pub – a place to drink beer or other drinks, sometimes with food.
- Diner – a simple, often American-style restaurant.
- Waiter / Waitress / Server – a person who brings food and drinks to the table.
- Host / Hostess – the person at the door who shows you to a table.
- Chef / Cook – the person who makes the food.
- Customer / Guest – a person who comes to eat.
- Menu – a paper or book that shows the food and drinks you can order.
- Bill / Check – the paper that shows how much money you must pay.
- Reservation – when you call or book a table before you come.
- Table for two / four – a table with space for two / four people.
- Takeaway / Takeout – food you buy and eat at home, not in the restaurant.
- Tip / Service charge – extra money you give to the waiter for good service.
🍽️ Table & Seating
- Table – flat furniture where you put food and drinks.
- Chair – something you sit on.
- Booth – a seat in a restaurant with high backs, usually for 2–6 people.
- Counter – a long table where people can sit, often in a bar or café.
- Tablecloth – fabric that covers the table.
- Napkin / Serviette – small cloth or paper to clean your mouth or hands.
- Placemat – a small mat under your plate.
- High chair – a tall chair for small children to sit at the table.
🍴 Cutlery / Silverware
- Knife – a tool with a sharp edge to cut food.
- Fork – a tool with points (prongs) to pick up food.
- Spoon – a tool with a round end to eat soup or soft food.
- Teaspoon – a small spoon, usually for tea or dessert.
- Tablespoon – a big spoon, often for serving.
- Soup spoon – a round spoon for soup.
- Dessert spoon – a spoon for cake or ice cream.
- Chopsticks – two sticks used to eat food in Asia.
- Steak knife – a sharp knife for cutting meat.
🍷 Glasses & Cups
- Glass – something you drink from, usually clear.
- Wine glass – a tall glass with a stem for wine.
- Champagne flute – a tall, thin glass for champagne.
- Beer mug – a big glass with a handle for beer.
- Cup – small container for drinks.
- Mug – a big cup, usually for tea or coffee.
- Teacup – a small cup for tea.
- Coffee cup – a cup for coffee.
🍽️ Plates & Bowls
- Plate – flat dish for food.
- Dish – another word for plate, or food prepared in a special way.
- Bowl – round, deep dish for soup or cereal.
- Soup bowl – a bowl for soup.
- Salad plate – a small plate for salad.
- Side plate – a small plate for bread or side dishes.
- Dessert plate – a small plate for cake or sweets.
- Tray – flat surface to carry food and drinks.
🧂 Other Table Items
- Salt shaker – small container for salt.
- Pepper shaker – small container for pepper.
- Condiments – sauces like ketchup or mustard.
- Oil and vinegar set – bottles of oil and vinegar for salad.
- Butter dish – a small plate for butter.
- Sugar bowl – a small bowl for sugar.
- Toothpick – a small stick to clean teeth after eating.
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Summary in A2:
Hello! My name is Emma, and I work in a small restaurant. Every day, I clean the tables and chairs. Some customers sit in booths, and some sit at the counter. I put a tablecloth on each table and place a placemat for every guest. I also give a napkin to each person, and sometimes a high chair for small children.
I set the cutlery carefully. I put a knife, fork, and spoon at each place. I also put a teaspoon for tea, a tablespoon for serving, a soup spoon for soup, and a dessert spoon for cake or ice cream. Some customers use chopsticks, and people with meat use a steak knife.
I set the plates and bowls. I use a plate for the main food, a dish for special meals, a bowl for soup or cereal, a soup bowl for soup, a salad plate for salad, a side plate for bread, and a dessert plate for sweets. I carry the food on a tray.
I also prepare the other table items. I put the salt shaker, pepper shaker, condiments, oil and vinegar set, butter dish, sugar bowl, and toothpick on the table.
I also prepare the drinks. I give glasses for water, a wine glass for wine, a champagne flute for champagne, a beer mug for beer, a cup for tea, a mug for coffee, a teacup for tea, and a coffee cup for coffee.
I like my job. I see happy people eat and enjoy their meals. Every day is busy, but I love it!
