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5.1 Restaurant English

Dialogue 1:

Head Waiter:

White Rose Restaurant, can I help you?

John:

Good morning, John Noakes here - I’d like to book a table for four for 12.30 today.

HW:

Certainly, Sir. A table for 4 for 12.30, for Mr Noakes. Could you spell that, please?

John:

That’s Noakes, N-O-A-K-E-S.

HW:

Very good, sir - we look forward to seeing you later.

John:

Thank you, goodbye.
...

Dialogue 2:

Some time later.

HW:

Good afternoon, sir. Have you got a reservation?

John:

Hello, I’m John Noakes. I reserved a table for 12.30

HW:

That’s right, sir. This way, please. Here you are.

John:

Thank you. Would you like to sit there, Mary, and
Pekka there, and Sirpa there?

HW:

Can I get you something to drink while you’re looking
at the menu?

John:

Yes, that’s a good idea. Mary, what would you like?

Gin and tonic for me, please.

John:

Sirpa?

Sirpa:

I think I’d like an orange juice.

John:

Pekka?

Pekka:

I’ll have a whisky and soda, please.

John:

And I’ll have a whisky on the rocks, please.

HW:

Right, that’s one gin and tonic, one orange juice, one whisky and soda and one whisky on the rocks. I’ll be with you in a minute.

KEY PHRASES
	I’d like to book a table. Could you spell that, please? We look forward to seeing you. I reserved a table for 12.30. Would you like to sit there? What would you like to drink? I’d like an orange juice. I’ll have a whisky.

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Dialogue 3:

Sirpa:

What a lovely restaurant this is.

John:

Yes, we often bring our guest here - the food is rather good, too.

Pekka:

The menu looks very interesting, what do you recommend?

Mary:

Well, actually it’s all very good - but if you like meat, the roast beef is always excellent.

Pekka:

I think I’ll have that.

Mary:

Do you like roast beef, Sirpa?

Sirpa:

I prefer fish - I think I’ll take the lemon sole

The waitress arrives and serves them their drinks

Waitress:

Are you ready to order now?

Sirpa:

Lemon sole for me, please.

Mary:

I’ll have roast beef, please.

Pekka:

Me too, please.

John:

I’d like a sirloin steak, please.

Waitress:

How would you like your steak? Rare, medium or well-done?

John:

Well-done, please.

Waitress:

What would you like for starters?

Sirpa:

I’ll have the paté.

Mary:

Gazpacho for me, please.

Pekka:

What is gazpacho?

Mary:

It’s a cold soup made from tomatoes, paprika, leak and cream.

Pekka:

That sounds delicious, I’ll take that.

John:

Prawn cocktail for me, please.

Waitress:

Right. I’ve got that, and what would you like to drink with the meal?

John:

Would everyone like wine? Right, we’ll have a bottle of the 1987 Bull’s blood.

Waitress:

Right.

John:

What about you, Sirpa, would you prefer white wine with your fish?

Sirpa:

No, red wine’s fine with me.

John:

Are you sure?

Sirpa:

Absolutely sure. I love red wine - even with fish!

KEY PHRASES
	The food’s rather good. What do you recommend? I prefer fish. That sounds delicious. Would everyone like wine?

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5.2 Pronunciation practice - Listen and repeat the phrases on the cassette

5.3 Restaurant English (2)

The meal continues, they make "small talk" while eating.
John and Mary are the hosts, so it's their job to keep the
small talk going

John:

What’s Finnish food like, Sirpa?

Sirpa:

We eat a lot of fish in Finland, there are some excellent fish restaurants in Helsinki.

John:

What’s a typical Finnish speciality?

Sirpa:

In Kuopio they have a dish called kalakukko -
it’s made from small fishes and slices of pork baked in a rye crust.

John:

I’d love to try that when I’m in Finland.

Mary:

Could you pass me the bread, please, John?

John:

Of course, here you are.Would anyone else like bread?

John:

Would you like some more wine, Sirpa?

Sirpa:

Not at the moment, thank you.

John:

What about you, Pekka?

Pekka:

Yes, please. It’s a very nice wine.

Pekka:

This roast beef is delicious.

Mary:

Yes it is, isn’t it? What’s the sole like, Sirpa?

Sirpa:

Wonderful, the sauce is really super.

Waitress:

What would you like for dessert?

Sirpa:

Apple pie with ice cream for me, please.

Mary:

The same for me, please.

Pekka:

I’d like fruit salad with cream, please.

John:

Cheese and biscuits, please.

Pekka:

Have you ever tried Finnish food, Mary?

Mary:

I’m afraid I haven’t, but I like Swedish food - we were on holiday in Sweden last year.

Pekka:

Finnish food is quite similar to Swedish food.

Sirpa:

Well, I really enjoyed that meal, thank you for inviting us.

Pekka:

Yes, thank you for a wonderful evening.

Mary:

We’ve enjoyed it too.

Pekka:

I hope we can return the hospitality when you come to Finland.

John:

That would be very nice.

KEY PHRASES
	What's Finnish food like? I'd love to try that. Could you pass the bread, please? Of course, here you are Would you like some more wine? Not at the moment, thank you.

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5.4 Pronunciation practice - Listen and repeat the phrases on the cassette

5.5 Translation exercise

5.6 Menu

Do you know all the items on this menu? Use a dictionary to check new words

5.7 KEY GRAMMAR POINT - Be going to

5.8 KEY FUNCTION - DESCRIBING FOOD

Ulkomaalaisten vieraiden kanssa meidän täytyy usein vastata kysymyksiin kuten:
"What is Karjalanpaisti" tai "What does maksalaatikko mean"
Siksi tarvitsemme perusruokasanastoa. Click here for a basic food vocabularyVOCAB

ENGLISH

FINNISH

Takaisin etusivulle

5.22 Exercises for sending to your instructor