While on holiday in Germany or any other country, it is not usual to cook in a hotel room.
After all, you are on vacation! You don’t want to spend your free time in the kitchen.
Instead, go to a restaurant and try the tasty local food.
It is not a coincidence that all tourist regions and cities worldwide have restaurants at every corner.
In Germany, they are essential after strolling and sightseeing the city and the surrounding area the whole day or just for a quick snack.
If you’re just looking for a refreshing beer or want to taste the local coffee, you should look at how to order these beverages.
But if you are hungry, have a look at the following German phrases for restaurants.
12 German Words for Restaurants
- 🇩🇪 das/ein Restaurant – 🇺🇸 a restaurant
- 🇩🇪 die/eine Kneipe – 🇺🇸 a pub
- 🇩🇪 das/ein Cafe – 🇺🇸 a cafe
- 🇩🇪 bestellen – 🇺🇸 to order
- 🇩🇪 das/ein Essen – 🇺🇸 food or a meal
- 🇩🇪 das/ein Getränk – 🇺🇸 a beverage
- 🇩🇪 der/ein Kellner or die/eine Kellnerin – 🇺🇸 a waiter / a waitress
- 🇩🇪 die/eine Reservierung – 🇺🇸 a reservation
- 🇩🇪 der/ein Tisch – 🇺🇸 a table
- 🇩🇪 der/ein Stuhl – 🇺🇸 a chair
- 🇩🇪 die/eine Speisekarte – 🇺🇸 a menu
- 🇩🇪 die/eine Bestellung – 🇺🇸 an order
What can you find on the table besides the food?
It might be that you want the waiter to light the candle on the table or to replace your fork that fell onto the floor. Here are some handy words for such cases:
- 🇩🇪 die/eine Tischdecke – 🇺🇸 a tablecloth
- 🇩🇪 die/eine Kerze – 🇺🇸 a candle
- 🇩🇪 die/eine Blume – 🇺🇸 a flower
- 🇩🇪 die/eine Vase – 🇺🇸 a vase
- 🇩🇪 die/eine Serviette – 🇺🇸 a napkin
- 🇩🇪 die/eine Gabel – 🇺🇸 a fork
- 🇩🇪 das/ein Messer – 🇺🇸 a knife
- 🇩🇪 der/ein Löffel – 🇺🇸 a spoon
- 🇩🇪 der/ein Teelöffel – 🇺🇸 a teaspoon
- 🇩🇪 der/ein Teller – 🇺🇸 a plate
- 🇩🇪 die/eine Schüssel – 🇺🇸 a bowl
- 🇩🇪 die/eine Tasse – 🇺🇸 a cup
- 🇩🇪 das/ein Glas – 🇺🇸 a glass
Making a reservation in German
In popular, well-attended restaurants, you often have to make a reservation. Otherwise, you will have to wait in line or look for another restaurant.
The best way is to call the restaurant beforehand:
🇩🇪 Haben Sie für heute Abend einen Tisch frei?
🇺🇸 Do you have a free table for tonight?
🇩🇪 Ich würde gerne für Sonntag einen Tisch reservieren.
🇺🇸 I would like to reserve a table for Sunday.
🇩🇪 Ich hätte gerne einen Tisch für acht Personen am Freitag.
🇺🇸 I would like to have a table for eight people for Friday.
In addition, the skill of telling the time might be helpful while making a reservation, so maybe you’d like to have a look at how to tell and ask for time in German.
Essential Phrases in a German Restaurant
When you arrive at the restaurant, you can either just take a seat at a free table or ask the waiter for your table if you have made a reservation.
Guten Abend, ich habe für heute einen Tisch reserviert.
🇺🇸 Good evening, I reserved a table for this evening.
First, you will get a menu and a few minutes to choose what you want to order, but the waiters often ask directly:
🇩🇪 Kann ich Ihnen schon etwas zum Trinken bringen?
🇺🇸 Can I get you something to drink already?
or
🇩🇪 Was wollen Sie trinken?
🇺🇸 What would you like to drink?
Then you can either tell the waiter
🇩🇪 Für mich ein Bier, bitte.
🇺🇸 A beer for me, please.
or ask for a few minutes more:
🇩🇪 Ich brauche noch ein wenig (Zeit).
🇺🇸 I need a bit more time.
Making an Order in German
After you have decided on what to eat, you can use these examples to order your food:
🇩🇪 Wollen Sie eine Vorspeise?
🇺🇸 Would you like a starter?
🇩🇪 Wir nehmen die Käseplatte und zwei Gläser Weißwein.
🇺🇸 We’ll take the cheeseboard and two glasses of white wine.
🇩🇪 Wollen Sie dazu Weißbrot haben?
🇺🇸 Do you want to have white bread with it?
🇩🇪 Was kann ich Ihnen zum Essen anbieten?
🇺🇸 What can I offer you for the main dish?
🇩🇪 Ich hätte gerne den Schnitzel mit Pommes.
🇺🇸 I would like to have the cutlet with french fries.
🇩🇪 Ich würde den Gemüseauflauf nehmen.
🇺🇸 I’ll take the vegetable casserole.
🇩🇪 Mit Kartoffeln, Reis oder Nudeln?
🇺🇸 With potatoes, rice or pasta?
🇩🇪 Welche Kuchensorten haben Sie?
🇺🇸 What sorts of cake do you have?
🇩🇪 Wir haben Apfelkuchen, Käsekuchen und Schokoladentorte.
🇺🇸 We have apple pie, cheesecake, and chocolate cake.
🇩🇪 Ich nehme dann ein Stück von dem Apfelkuchen mit Vanilleeis und Schlagsahne.
🇺🇸 I’ll take a piece of the apple pie with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream then.
If you are unsure about the dishes on offer, you can always ask the waiter beforehand:
🇩🇪 Ist dieses Gericht vegetarisch?
🇺🇸 Is this dish vegetarian?
🇩🇪 Habt ihr etwas veganes?
🇺🇸 Do you have anything vegan?
🇩🇪 Was ist in dem Eintopf drin?
🇺🇸 What does the stew contain?
🇩🇪 Enthält dieser Kuchen Nüsse/Gluten/Laktose?
🇺🇸 Does the cake contain nuts/gluten/lactose?
🇩🇪 Ist dieses Bier alkoholfrei?
🇺🇸 Is this an alcohol-free beer?
🇩🇪 Kann ich statt dem Schweinefleisch Hühnerfleisch bekommen?
🇺🇸 Can I get chicken instead of pork?
How is Your Food?
A few minutes after your meal has arrived at your table, the waiter will show up to make sure everything is okay with your order.
🇩🇪 Sind Sie zufrieden mit dem Essen?
🇺🇸 Are you satisfied with your food?
🇩🇪 Alles in Ordnung bei Ihnen?
🇺🇸 Is everything fine?
I have the impression that the waiters intentionally wait till you take a bite and have your mouth full to ask you this kind of question. Or is it just me?
If you are able to say or do something more than (like me) just nod your head and smile as an answer, you could say:
🇩🇪 Alles prima, danke!
🇺🇸 Everything’s great, thanks!
🇩🇪 Alles in Ordnung!
🇺🇸 Everything’s fine!
🇩🇪 Es schmeckt sehr lecker, vielen Dank!
🇺🇸 It tastes delicious, thank you!
It could happen that you are not satisfied with the food or service or have another problem.
In this case, you should first turn to the waiter.
You can try to describe your problem with some common questions and phrases listed here.
🇩🇪 Ich möchte mit dem (Chef)koch sprechen.
🇺🇸 I would like to talk to the cook/ chef.
🇩🇪 Ich will mit Ihren Vorgesetzten sprechen.
🇺🇸 I want to talk to your superior.
🇩🇪 Ich hätte gerne eine andere Gabel. Diese ist schmutzig.
🇺🇸 I would like another fork. This one is dirty.
🇩🇪 Meine Suppe ist kalt.
🇺🇸 My soup is cold.
🇩🇪 Auf meinem Teller ist ein Haar.
🇺🇸 There is a hair on my plate.
🇩🇪 Es gibt einen Fehler in der Rechnung.
🇺🇸 There is a mistake on the bill.
🇩🇪 Mein Essen ist viel zu salzig.
🇺🇸 My food is way too salty.
I hope you won’t need these phrases and your visit to the restaurant will be unproblematic, but should you need to make a complaint or deal with the customer service in German, I recommend you this article.
Asking for the Bill in German
The waiter will not bring the bill to you until you ask for it. Here is how you do that:
🇩🇪 Kann ich die Rechnung haben?
🇺🇸 Can I get the bill?
🇩🇪 Wir möchten bezahlen.
🇺🇸 We would like to pay.
How to use German Phrases for Restaurants
Now, let’s sum up what we have learned today in a dialogue:
Making a reservation
🇩🇪 Hallo, ich würde gerne einen Tisch für zwei Personen für Sonntag reservieren.
🇺🇸 Hello, I would like to reserve a table for two people on Sunday.
🇩🇪 Guten Abend. Für wie viel Uhr wollen sie reservieren?
🇺🇸 Good evening. For what time would you like the reservation?
🇩🇪 Achtzehn Uhr wäre gut.
🇺🇸 6 p.m. would be nice.
🇩🇪 Da sind wir voll. Geht auch eine Stunde später?
🇺🇸 We are full at that time. Would one hour later be fine for you?
🇩🇪 Das kilngt auch gut. Bis Sonntag dann.
🇺🇸 That sounds good too. See you on Sunday then.
In a Restaurant
🇩🇪 Guten Abend, ich habe einen Tisch für zwei Personen reserviert.
Good evening, I reserved a table for two people.
🇩🇪 Herr Müller? Ihr Tisch wartet schon auf Sie.
🇺🇸 Mr. Müller? Your table is waiting for you.
🇩🇪 Kann ich Ihnen schon etwas zum Trinken bringen?
🇺🇸 Can I get you anything to drink already?
🇩🇪 Wir brauchen ein paar Minuten.
🇺🇸 We need a few minutes.
…
🇩🇪 Was kann ich Ihnen anbieten?
🇺🇸 What can I offer you?
🇩🇪 Ich nehme die Pizza mit Tunfisch und Salami.
🇺🇸 I’ll take the Pizza with tuna and salami.
🇩🇪 Und für mich die Gemüsepfanne mit Reis. Und bitte ohne Zwiebel.
🇺🇸 And for me, the vegetable stir-fry with rice. But without onions, please.
🇩🇪 Alles klar. Und zum Trinken?
🇺🇸 All right. And what about something to drink?
🇩🇪 Wir nehmen zwei Gläser Rotwein und eine Kanne Wasser mit Zitrone.
🇺🇸 We’ll take two glasses of red wine and a jug of water with lemon.
…
🇩🇪 Alles in Ordnung bei Ihnen?
🇺🇸 Is everything okay with your order?
🇩🇪 Ja, alles schmeckt sehr gut, danke.
🇺🇸 Yes, everything’s delicious, thanks.
…
🇩🇪 Ich hätte gerne die Rechnung.
🇺🇸 I would like the bill, please.
🇩🇪 Das macht 36.70 Euro.
🇺🇸 That’s €36.70.
🇩🇪 Machen Sie bitte 40 Euro.
🇺🇸 Round it up to 40€, please.
It is good manners to leave a tip for the waiter. Usually, it is about 5-10% of what you have paid for your order.
Guten Appetit!
