If you want to sample German food and drink, be it at a more traditional Gasthaus (inn/pub), a fancy restaurant, a Café (good for coffee and cake/snacks) or a Bar, learning some key phrases in German will give you the confidence to chat to the waiter and prepare you for the kind of things they could ask you.
To ask for something in German, you can use ich möchte (I’d like) or wir möchten (we’d like) which come from the verb mögen (to want). You can also say ich würde gern… or ich hätte gern … (I’d like)
Ich möchte einen Tisch reservieren.
I’d like to book a table, please.
Wir würden gern bestellen, bitte.
We’d like to order, please.
Ich hätte gern etwas Brot, bitte.
I’d like some bread, please.
Wir hätten gern eine Flasche Rotwein.
We’d like a bottle of red wine, please.
When it comes to ordering, you can use ich nehme (I’ll take/have) which comes from the verb nehmen (to take).
Als Vorspeise nehme ich die Gulaschsuppe.
As a starter, I’ll have the goulash soup.
Als Hauptgericht nehme ich die Gemüselasagne.
And for my main course, I’ll have vegetable lasagne.
Ich nehme das Vanilleeis als Nachspeise.
For dessert, I’ll have vanilla ice cream.
Ich nehme den Hackbraten.
I’ll have the meatloaf.
If you want to ask the waiter for something in German, you can use Kann ich… haben? (Can I have …?) or Könnte ich… haben? (Could I have …?), both of which come from the verb können which means to be able, can. You can also use the verb bringen which means to bring.
Kann ich ein Mineralwasser haben, bitte?
Can I have a mineral water, please?
Kann ich einen Kaffee mit Milch haben, bitte?
Can I have a coffee with milk, please?
Bringen Sie mir bitte die Weinkarte?
Can I have the wine list, please?
If you want to sound more like a native German speaker, you can also say what you fancy having to eat or drink in German, by using ich habe Lust auf… (I fancy…).
Ich habe Lust auf ein Steak.
I fancy the steak.
Ich habe Lust auf eine Pizza.
I fancy a pizza.
Ich habe keine Lust auf einen Nachtisch
I don’t really feel like a dessert.
And finally, to ask for the bill:
Können wir zahlen, bitte?
Can we pay, please?
Zahlen, bitte. We’d like to pay, please.
Die Rechnung, bitte.
The bill, please.
Don’t forget to come back for the next blog post to help you continue with the conversation!
All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company, HarperCollins.
