English For: Waiters & Bartenders
In my online English lessons, I help waiters and bartenders sound friendly, natural and confident — taking orders, recommending items, handling small complaints politely, and chatting to guests in clear British English.
Useful Phrases and Idioms (Service & Bar)
- Greeting & seating: “Hi there — table for two?” / “I’ll take you through.”
- Taking orders: “What can I get you to drink?” / “Any allergies I should know about?”
- Recommending: “The roast chicken is very popular.” / “Fancy something lighter? The house salad is lovely.”
- Checking in: “How is everything for you?” / “Can I get you anything else?”
- Handling issues: “Sorry about that — I’ll get it sorted straight away.”
- Bill & goodbye: “Shall I bring the bill?” / “Thanks for coming — have a great evening.”
- Idioms: “On the house” (free) / “Packed to the rafters” (very busy).
Phrasal Verbs You’ll Use
- Run out of: have none left. “We’ve run out of lime.”
- Top up: add more drink. “Shall I top up your water?”
- Ring up / put through: process a payment. “I’ll ring that up now.”
- Clear away: remove plates/glasses. “I’ll clear these away for you.”
- Whip up: make quickly. “The kitchen can whip up a veggie pasta.”
- Calm down: reduce tension. “Let’s calm things down — I’ll fix this.”
Example Conversation (Busy Friday Night)
Server: Hi both — drinks to start?
Guest 1: Yes, a pint of lager and a sparkling water, please.
Server: Perfect. Any allergies I should know about before you order food?
Guest 2: I’m allergic to nuts.
Server: No problem — I’ll point out nut‑free options. The chicken and the tomato pasta are safe.
Guest 1: Great — we’ll have the chicken and the pasta, please.
Server: Lovely — I’ll get that in for you now.
Discussion Practice
- Offer two alternatives when a menu item is unavailable.
- Politely handle a wrong order or a cold dish.
- Recommend a drink that matches a guest’s taste.
Mini Writing Tasks
- Write a short message to confirm a table booking.
- Write a polite note to a manager about a stock shortage.
- Write a friendly apology to a guest with a small voucher “on the house”.
Vocabulary You’ll Hear
| Word / Phrase | Meaning | Natural Example |
|---|---|---|
| Allergy / intolerant | Food that causes a reaction / discomfort. | “Any allergies we should know about?” |
| Tab | Running bill to pay later. | “Would you like to start a tab?” |
| House special | Chef’s recommended dish or drink. | “Tonight’s house special is sea bass.” |
| Mocktail | Non‑alcoholic cocktail. | “We’ve got a passionfruit mocktail.” |
| Neat / on the rocks | Spirits without ice / with ice. | “Would you like that neat or on the rocks?” |
| Service charge | Tip added to the bill. | “A 12.5% service charge is included.” |
How I Teach This (and Why It Works)
In my lessons, we practise short, friendly service phrases that work on a busy shift — quick greetings, clear questions, and calm solutions. I’ll help you sound confident with guests at the table or at the bar.
If you want focused speaking practice for hospitality, join my online English lessons with a native speaker. My English speaking course is practical and conversational. You can take English lessons online with a native speaker online, wherever you are.