Ordering at the Restaurant (Im Restaurant bestellen)



Lesson Objective:


By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to understand and use basic phrases in Russian for ordering food and drinks at a restaurant, including making polite requests and asking for the check.



Vocabulary List:



  • Ресторан (restoran): Restaurant

  • Меню (menyu): Menu

  • Официант (ofitsiant): Waiter

  • Официантка (ofitsianka): Waitress

  • Я хотел бы... (ya hotel by...): I would like to... (spoken by a man)

  • Я хотела бы... (ya hotela by...): I would like to... (spoken by a woman)

  • Счёт, пожалуйста (schyot, pozhaluysta): The check, please

  • Первое блюдо (pervoye blyudo): First course

  • Основное блюдо (osnovnoye blyudo): Main course

  • Десерт (desert): Dessert

  • Вода (voda): Water

  • Без газа / с газом (bez gaza / s gazom): Still / sparkling



Grammar Point:



In Russian, when ordering food or making polite requests, the conditional form with "бы" is used.
Men say: Я хотел бы + noun/infinitive

Example: Я хотел бы суп. (I would like soup.)


Women say: Я хотела бы + noun/infinitive

Example: Я хотела бы стакан воды. (I would like a glass of water.)



To ask for something politely, use “пожалуйста” (please) at the end.

Example: Счёт, пожалуйста. (The check, please.)



Exercises:



Reading Comprehension:



Dialogue:

Клиент: Здравствуйте! Можно меню, пожалуйста?

Официант: Пожалуйста. Вы готовы заказать?

Клиент: Да, я хотел бы борщ и стакан воды без газа.

Официант: Хорошо. Что-нибудь на десерт?

Клиент: Да, я хотел бы мороженое, пожалуйста.



Comprehension Questions:


  • What does the customer order for the first course?

  • What drink does the customer want?

  • Does the customer order dessert?




Listening Comprehension:



Task: Listen to an audio of someone ordering food at a restaurant in Russian.

(Teacher provides audio file. Students identify the dishes and drinks being ordered, and whether they are being polite.)



Speaking Practice:



Role-play with a partner. One student takes the role of waiter or waitress, the other the customer. Take turns ordering the following items in Russian:


  • Soup and water with gas

  • Salad and tea

  • Main course and juice

  • Dessert and coffee




Summary:



In this lesson, you learned how to order food and drinks at a restaurant in Russian using polite phrases. You practiced vocabulary like "menu", "waiter", and "check", and used grammatical structures like "Я хотел бы" and "пожалуйста" to make requests.



Homework:



  • Write a short dialogue (5 lines) in Russian between a customer and a waiter including at least one food item and one drink item.

  • Learn and practice the vocabulary list until you can translate both to and from Russian without assistance.

  • Record yourself ordering a full meal in Russian (starter, main course, drink, and dessert), and try to use all the grammar you've learned.