pro-tip: you can verify the pronunciations with an online, voice-enabled dictionary as English and German pronunciations vary widely.
Greeting: You can say "Guten Tag" (Good day) or "Hallo" (Hello) to get their attention. When sitting down and a waiter has not seen you, you can attract a waiter's attention by saying "Entschuldigung, ich würde gern bestellen"
Ask for a Table: If you haven't made a reservation and need a table, say "Ich hätte gerne einen Tisch für [number of people] Personen" (I would like a table for [number of people]). For example, "Ich hätte gerne einen Tisch für zwei Personen" (I would like a table for two people).
Receiving the Menu: The staff will likely provide you with a menu. If not, you can ask, "Kann ich bitte die Speisekarte haben?" (Can I please have the menu?).
Choosing Your Dish: Take your time to look through the menu and decide what you'd like to order. If you need more time, you can say, "Ich brauche noch ein paar Minuten, bitte" (I need a few more minutes, please).
Ordering Drinks: When you're ready to order drinks, say
"Ich hätte gerne [name of the drink]" (I would like [name of the drink]).
For example, "Ich hätte gerne ein Glas Wasser, Rotwein, Weißwein - ein Bier" (I would like a glass of water, red wine, white wine - a beer).
Ordering Food: To order food, say "Ich hätte gerne [name of the dish]" (I would like [name of the dish]). For example, "Ich hätte gerne die Spaghetti Carbonara" (I would like the Spaghetti Carbonara).
Special Requests: If you have any special dietary requests or preferences, you can mention them at this point.
If you're a vegetarian, you can say "Ich bin Vegetarier/in" (I am a vegetarian) or "Ich esse kein Fleisch" (I don't eat meat).
Bitte ohne / mit (Pfeffer, Knoblauch, Zwiebeln ...) - With / without pepper, garlic, onions please ....
"Bitte nicht scharf" = not spicy please
Confirming: The server may repeat your order or confirm it by saying, "Alles klar" (Got it) or "Verstanden" (Understood).
Side Orders: If you want to add any side dishes or extras, you can say, "Ich hätte gerne noch [name of the side dish]" (I would also like [name of the side dish]).
Asking About Specials: If the restaurant has daily specials, you can inquire by asking, "Gibt es Tagesangebote?" (Are there daily specials?).
Thanking and Politeness: Adding "Bitte" (please) when making requests and "Danke" (thank you) when your order is taken adds to the politeness of the conversation.
Enjoy Your Meal: After your order is placed, you can relax and wait for your food. When the food arrives, it's customary to say, "Danke" to the server ("Bedienung") and "Guten Appetit" (Enjoy your meal, bon appetit) to your dining companions.
Paying the Bill: When you're finished and ready to pay, you can ask for the bill by saying, "Die Rechnung, bitte" (The bill, please) or "zahlen bitte" (pay please) in more down-to-earth establishments.
Tips (Trinkgeld): ["ein Tipp" is "a recommendation", not the money you leave a waiter]
a cultural note: Germans, like most Europeans, are no big tippers, compared to the US. Tipping is not a requirement and there are no "recommended" tips either. We usually just leave the small change, maybe up to 3 or 4 Euros, rounding it up to an even amount. That obviously also depends on the total bill. Bills are usually collected at the table. When paying in cash you can refuse the change in full by saying "stimmt so" ("it's ok like that") or you take some bills from the change and leave a balance of your choice on the table. When paying with card you should be able to add the tip on the machine.
Hope you enjoyed this German lesson!
Comments