Restaurant Phrases

Ordering food is one of the most frequent, lowest-stakes conversations you will have while traveling, which makes it a great place to practice speaking Japanese out loud. These phrases cover the full arc of a meal: getting seated, ordering, handling dietary restrictions, and paying. Dietary phrases are worth memorizing precisely rather than approximating, since a vague description of an allergy can lead to a genuine mistake in the kitchen. If a server responds with something you do not follow, asking them to repeat more slowly is always a safe, polite fallback, and it is one of the phrases included in the travel essentials list. Practice ordering a full meal out loud before you travel, not just individual phrases in isolation, since a real order is a short back-and-forth, not a single line.

• メニューをください。

  Menyu o kudasai.

  Please give me the menu.

• 注文をお願いします。

  Chūmon o onegai shimasu.

  I would like to order.

• おすすめは何ですか？

  Osusume wa nan desu ka?

  What do you recommend?

• お水をください。

  Omizu o kudasai.

  Please give me some water.

• これは辛いですか？

  Kore wa karai desu ka?

  Is this spicy?

• 辛くしないでください。

  Karaku shinaide kudasai.

  Please make it not spicy.

• 私はベジタリアンです。

  Watashi wa bejitarian desu.

  I am a vegetarian.

• ピーナッツアレルギーがあります。

  Pīnattsu arerugī ga arimasu.

  I have a peanut allergy.

• とても美味しいです。

  Totemo oishii desu.

  This is very delicious.

• お会計をお願いします。

  Okaikei o onegai shimasu.

  The bill, please.

• カードで支払えますか？

  Kādo de shiharaemasu ka?

  Can I pay by card?

• お持ち帰りにしてください。

  Omochikaeri ni shite kudasai.

  Please pack it to go.

• 席はありますか？

  Seki wa arimasu ka?

  Do you have a seat available?

• これをもう一つください。

  Kore o mō hitotsu kudasai.

  One more of this, please.

• ビールを一杯ください。

  Bīru o ippai kudasai.

  One glass of beer, please.

• 塩分を少なめにしてください。

  Enbun o sukuname ni shite kudasai.

  Please use less salt.

• ここに座ってもいいですか？

  Koko ni suwatte mo ii desu ka?

  May I sit here?

• 本日のおすすめを教えてください。

  Honjitsu no osusume o oshiete kudasai.

  Please tell me today's special.

• ナプキンをください。

  Napukin o kudasai.

  Please give me a napkin.

• ごちそうさまでした。

  Gochisōsama deshita.

  Thank you for the meal.