Japanese - Cafe & Restaurant Phrases

Lesson 102 of 168

A smiling couple at a cozy Japanese café, ready to order; Japanese phrases about seating and ordering are helpful for this scene.

Goal: Ordering, seating, and small requests at a cafe

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

Welcome back! This short lesson helps you handle common cafe and restaurant moments — asking for a table, checking the menu, ordering, and small modifications. Practice by hearing, repeating, and using the phrases in a short conversation.

Level A2: In this lesson you'll learn polite, everyday phrases for cafes and restaurants — asking if seats are available, saying how many people, requesting menus and water, ordering, asking about spicy food, making modifications, and splitting the bill. CEFR-aligned and packed with practical lines you can start using today.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Ask if seating is available and request a table (e.g. 「席は空いていますか。」「___人です。」).
  • Request a menu and order items politely (e.g. 「メニューをお願いします。」「___をお願いします。」).
  • Modify an order and ask simple questions about dishes (e.g. 「___を___抜きでお願いします。」「この料理は辛いですか。」).
  • Ask about reservations, waiting time, outdoor seating, and splitting the bill (A2 speaking practice).
Entrance of a café in Japan with a hostess desk; learners will use phrases like asking if seats are available and giving the number of people.

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.

___人です

___ nin desu.

A table for ___, please.

Meaning: A table for ___, please.

When to use: At the entrance when the host asks how many people are in your party.

Tip: Don’t always use the kanji 人 with 1–2 people: say ひとり/ふたり (hitori/futari) rather than '一人/二人' read numerically in casual speech.

二人です

Futari desu.

A table for two, please.
三人です。窓側がいいです。

San-nin desu. Madogawa ga ii desu.

Three people. A window seat would be nice.

席は空いていますか。

Seki wa aite imasu ka.

Do you have a table available?

Meaning: Do you have a table available?

When to use: At the entrance to ask if there are open seats.

すみません、席は空いていますか。

Sumimasen, seki wa aite imasu ka.

Excuse me, do you have a table available?
お忙しいですか？席はまだ空いていますか。

O-isogashii desu ka? Seki wa mada aite imasu ka.

Are you busy? Are there still seats available?

メニューをお願いします。

Menyū o onegai shimasu.

Can I see the menu, please?

Meaning: Can I see the menu, please?

When to use: When you want to look over the menu before ordering.

メニューをお願いします。

Menyū o onegai shimasu.

Can I have the menu, please?
メニューをもう一つお願いします。

Menyū o mō hitotsu onegai shimasu.

Could I have one more menu, please?

___をお願いします。

___ o onegai shimasu.

I'd like ___, please.

Meaning: I'd like ___, please.

When to use: To order a food or drink item from the menu.

コーヒーをお願いします。

Kōhī o onegai shimasu.

Coffee, please.
サンドイッチをお願いします。

Sandoicchi o onegai shimasu.

I'll have the sandwich, please.

___を___抜きでお願いします。

___ o ___ nuki de onegai shimasu.

Can I get ___ without ___?

Meaning: Can I get ___ without ___?

When to use: When you want to ask for an item without a specific ingredient.

Tip: Beginners sometimes mix word order; remember: item を ingredient 抜きでお願いします (item o ingredient nuki de onegai shimasu).

ハンバーガーを玉ねぎ抜きでお願いします。

Hanbāgā o tamanegi nuki de onegai shimasu.

A hamburger without onions, please.
ピザをチーズ抜きでお願いします。

Piza o chīzu nuki de onegai shimasu.

Pizza without cheese, please.

この料理は辛いですか。

Kono ryōri wa karai desu ka.

Is this dish spicy?

Meaning: Is this dish spicy?

When to use: Point to a menu item when you want to know if it is spicy.

この料理は辛いですか。

Kono ryōri wa karai desu ka.

Is this dish spicy?
このスープはとても辛いですか。

Kono sūpu wa totemo karai desu ka.

Is this soup very spicy?

お水をお願いします。

Omizu o onegai shimasu.

Could we have some water, please?

Meaning: Could we have some water, please?

When to use: To request water or simple table items during your meal.

お水をお願いします。

Omizu o onegai shimasu.

Some water, please.
お冷をお願いします。

O-hiya o onegai shimasu.

Cold water, please.

注文をお願いします。

Chūmon o onegai shimasu.

We're ready to order.

Meaning: We're ready to order.

When to use: Call the server when you have decided what to order.

すみません、注文をお願いします。

Sumimasen, chūmon o onegai shimasu.

Excuse me, we'd like to order.
注文をお願いします。飲み物からお願いします。

Chūmon o onegai shimasu. Nomimono kara onegai shimasu.

We're ready to order. Let's start with drinks.

お会計は別々にできますか。

O-kaikei wa betsubetsu ni dekimasu ka.

Can we pay separately?

Meaning: Can we pay separately?

When to use: Ask when you want to split the bill between people.

お会計は別々にできますか。

O-kaikei wa betsubetsu ni dekimasu ka.

Can we pay separately?
ごめんなさい、お会計を別々でお願いします。

Gomen nasai, o-kaikei o betsubetsu de onegai shimasu.

Sorry, could we have separate bills?

___で予約しています。

___ de yoyaku shite imasu

We have a reservation under ___.

Meaning: We have a reservation under ___.

When to use: Tell staff your reservation name when you arrive.

田中で予約しています。

Tanaka de yoyaku shite imasu.

We have a reservation under Tanaka.
スミスで予約しています。二名です。

Sumisu de yoyaku shite imasu. Ni-mei desu.

A reservation under Smith. Table for two.

どのくらい待ちますか。

dono kurai machimasu ka

How long is the wait?

Meaning: How long is the wait?

When to use: Ask staff how long the waiting time is when the cafe is busy.

どのくらい待ちますか。

Dono kurai machimasu ka?

How long is the wait?
待ち時間はどのくらいですか？

Machijikan wa dono kurai desu ka?

How long is the waiting time?

外の席に座れますか。

soto no seki ni suwaremasu ka

Can we sit outside?

Meaning: Can we sit outside?

When to use: Ask if outdoor seating is available or if you prefer outside.

外の席に座れますか。

Soto no seki ni suwaremasu ka?

Can we sit outside?
外の席でもいいですか？

Soto no seki demo ii desu ka?

Is it okay if we sit outside?

___をお願いします。

___ o onegai shimasu

I'll have the ___.

Meaning: I'll have the ___.

When to use: Order an item by name from the menu.

ケーキをお願いします。

Kēki o onegai shimasu.

I'll have the cake, please.
アイスコーヒーをお願いします。

Aisu kōhī o onegai shimasu.

Ice coffee, please.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Two friends arriving and ordering at a café

Two friends at a café table, pointing at a menu and asking about a dish; the dialogue practices ordering and asking if a dish is spicy.

What do they ask about first?

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

すみません、席は空いていますか。

Sumimasen, seki wa aite imasu ka.

Excuse me, do you have a table available?

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

はい、何名様ですか？

Hai, nan-mei sama desu ka?

Yes — how many people?

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

二人です

Futari desu.

Two people.

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

メニューをお願いします。

Menyū o onegai shimasu.

Could we have the menu, please?

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

この料理は辛いですか。

Kono ryōri wa karai desu ka?

Is this dish spicy?

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase asks for the menu?

How do you ask 'Can we pay separately?'

Which phrase asks if a dish is spicy?

Which phrase means 'I'll have the ___' when ordering?

At the entrance you say: 'Excuse me, a table for two, please.'

入口で店員さんに言います：「すみません、___。」

After deciding, you call the server and say: 'We're ready to order.'

料理を決めた後、店員さんを呼んで言います：「___。」

When ordering: 'Hamburger, without onions, please.'

店員さんに注文する時、あなたは言います：「ハンバーガー、___」

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:

___人です

___ nin desu.

A table for ___, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

席は空いていますか。

Seki wa aite imasu ka.

Do you have a table available?

Say this phrase out loud:

メニューをお願いします。

Menyū o onegai shimasu.

Can I see the menu, please?

Say this phrase out loud:

___をお願いします。

___ o onegai shimasu

I'll have the ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

___を___抜きでお願いします。

___ o ___ nuki de onegai shimasu.

Can I get ___ without ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

この料理は辛いですか。

Kono ryōri wa karai desu ka.

Is this dish spicy?

Say this phrase out loud:

お水をお願いします。

Omizu o onegai shimasu.

Could we have some water, please?

Say this phrase out loud:

注文をお願いします。

Chūmon o onegai shimasu.

We're ready to order.

Say this phrase out loud:

お会計は別々にできますか。

O-kaikei wa betsubetsu ni dekimasu ka.

Can we pay separately?

Say this phrase out loud:

___で予約しています。

___ de yoyaku shite imasu

We have a reservation under ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

どのくらい待ちますか。

Dono kurai machimasu ka

How long is the wait?

Say this phrase out loud:

外の席に座れますか。

Soto no seki ni suwaremasu ka

Can we sit outside?

Say this phrase out loud:

___をお願いします。

___ o onegai shimasu

I'll have the ___.