French - Cafe Restaurant

Lesson 103 of 159

A friendly café scene for French learners: ordering and checking a bill in a restaurant.

Goal: Ordering, ingredients and the bill — polite, everyday phrases

Free French lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Welcome! Ready for a friendly café lesson. In this short session you'll hear key phrases, practice them, then say them out loud.

Level A2: Lesson 103 focuses on useful café and restaurant phrases — asking what comes with a dish, checking ingredients, asking for more time, and handling the bill. This CEFR-aligned mini-lesson practices 10 ready-to-use chunks you'll actually say at a café.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Ask what comes with a dish and what's inside a menu item.
  • Ask for more time, finish your order politely, and request the bill.
  • Handle a small problem politely (point out a mistake on the bill).
  • Practice speaking each phrase aloud (A2 listening and speaking practice).
Close-up of a menu and a cup of coffee — perfect for practicing restaurant phrases in French.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

C'est servi avec ___ ?

Does it come with ___?

Meaning: Does it come with ___?

When to use: Ask this when you want to know what side dishes or sauces are included with a menu item.

C'est servi avec une salade ?
Does it come with a salad?
C'est servi avec du riz ?
Does it come with rice?

Il y a ___ dedans ?

Is there ___ in this?

Meaning: Is there ___ in this?

When to use: Use this spoken question to check if a dish contains a specific ingredient (use du/de la/des as needed).

Tip: Beginners sometimes forget articles (du/de la/des) before ingredients.

Il y a du lait dedans ?
Is there milk in this?
Il y a des noix dedans ?
Is there nuts in this?

Ce sera tout pour l'instant, merci.

That's all for now, thanks.

Meaning: That's all for now, thanks.

When to use: Say this when you've finished ordering for the moment and want the server to stop taking more items.

Ce sera tout pour l'instant, merci.
That's all for now, thanks.
Pour l'instant, ce sera tout, merci.
For now, that's all, thanks.

Je crois qu'il y a une erreur sur l'addition.

I think there's a mistake on the bill.

Meaning: I think there's a mistake on the bill.

When to use: Use this politely if you spot an error on the addition when the bill arrives.

Je crois qu'il y a une erreur sur l'addition.
I think there's a mistake on the bill.
Excusez-moi, je crois qu'il y a une erreur sur l'addition.
Excuse me, I think there is a mistake on the bill.

On va prendre encore quelques minutes.

We need a few more minutes.

Meaning: We need a few more minutes.

When to use: Tell the server you are not ready to order yet and need a short extra time.

On va prendre encore quelques minutes.
We need a few more minutes.
On va prendre encore deux minutes, s'il vous plaît.
We'll take two more minutes, please.

On pourrait avoir l'addition, s'il vous plaît ?

Could we get the check, please?

Meaning: Could we get the check, please?

When to use: Ask this politely when you're ready to pay; use « l'addition » in restaurants.

On pourrait avoir l'addition, s'il vous plaît ?
Could we get the check, please?
L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
The bill, please.

Il y a quoi dans ___ ?

What's in the ___?

Meaning: What's in the ___?

When to use: Ask this question when you want a quick list of ingredients or contents of a particular menu item.

Tip: Learners sometimes leave out the article (la/le) before the dish name.

Il y a quoi dans la soupe ?
What's in the soup?
Il y a quoi dans le sandwich au poulet ?
What's in the chicken sandwich?

Sur place ou à emporter ?

For here or to go?

Meaning: For here or to go?

When to use: Listen for this standard question in cafés and bakeries when ordering food or drinks.

Sur place ou à emporter ?
For here or to go?
Sur place, s'il vous plaît.
For here, please.

Je paie où ?

Where do I pay?

Meaning: Where do I pay?

When to use: Ask this when you're unsure whether to pay at the counter or at your table.

Tip: Saying only 'Je paie où ?' can sound abrupt; adding 's'il vous plaît' is softer.

Je paie où ?
Where do I pay?
Je peux payer où, s'il vous plaît ?
Where can I pay, please?

On peut prendre ça à emporter ?

Can we take this to go?

Meaning: Can we take this to go?

When to use: Ask this when you want to take an item or leftover food away from the café.

On peut prendre ça à emporter ?
Can we take this to go?
Est-ce qu'on peut l'emporter ?
Can we take it away?

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Two friends at a café deciding about a dish and later checking the bill.

Two friends at a café table discussing a dish and the bill — practice listening and speaking.

Who says there's a mistake on the bill?

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Il y a quoi dans la tarte ?

What's in the tart?

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Je crois qu'il y a des pommes et un peu de cannelle.

I think there are apples and a bit of cinnamon.

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

On va prendre encore quelques minutes.

We need a few more minutes.

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

D'accord. Ce sera tout pour l'instant, merci.

Okay. That's all for now, thanks.

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

On pourrait avoir l'addition, s'il vous plaît ?

Could we get the bill, please?

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Je crois qu'il y a une erreur sur l'addition.

I think there's a mistake on the bill.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase asks 'For here or to go?'

Which phrase would you use to say 'We need a few more minutes'?

If you see an extra item on your bill, which phrase fits?

How do you politely ask 'Could we get the check, please?'

I'm allergic to peanuts. Is there peanuts in this?

Je suis allergique aux arachides. ___

We are not ready to order. We need a few more minutes.

Nous ne sommes pas prêts à commander. ___

After the meal, where do you pay? Where do I pay?

Après le repas, tu veux payer ? ___

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

C'est servi avec ___ ?

Does it come with ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

Il y a ___ dedans ?

Is there ___ in this?

Say this phrase out loud:

Ce sera tout pour l'instant, merci.

That's all for now, thanks.

Say this phrase out loud:

Je crois qu'il y a une erreur sur l'addition.

I think there's a mistake on the bill.

Say this phrase out loud:

On va prendre encore quelques minutes.

We need a few more minutes.

Say this phrase out loud:

On pourrait avoir l'addition, s'il vous plaît ?

Could we get the check, please?

Say this phrase out loud:

Il y a quoi dans ___ ?

What's in the ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

Sur place ou à emporter ?

For here or to go?

Say this phrase out loud:

Je paie où ?

Where do I pay?

Say this phrase out loud:

On peut prendre ça à emporter ?

Can we take this to go?