Gastronomia

English for Food and Drink Staff
Are you a chef, bartender, or waiter/waitress working in a tourist spot? Maybe you're a student who wants to work part-time in a restaurant while you go to school abroad. Whatever the case may be, you will come across many English customers and staff members in the food and beverage industry. These pages are designed to help people who are employed, or lookingfor work in many different areas of the hospitality industry, including in the kitchen, on the floor, or behind the bar. You will learn helpful English vocabulary and expressions that will allow your guests to enjoy their dining experience and help you to communicate with your fellow staff members. Studying and practicing Food and Beverage English and gaining a better understanding of the industrymay even help you find a job. Do the exercises and take the quizzes to test your knowledge and understanding.

Vocabulary
Note: Many English words and expressions about food come directly from French. This is why some words about food are written with an accent (for example: à la carte). However, you may also see such words written without accent.
Vocabulary
part of speech | Meaning | Examplesentence |
à la carte
adjective | without a side dish | Is it possible to get the steak à la carte? I don't eat potatoes. |
à la mode
adjective | with ice cream | Would you like your apple pie à la mode? |
alcohol, liquor
noun | a distilled liquid such as rum or whiskey | This beer has 5% alcohol. |
all you can eat
adjective | customers pay one fee and can eat as much as they wish |These are all you can eat fries, so let me know if you want more. |
appetizer
noun | small snack before a meal | Would you like some garlic bread or another appetizer to start? |
appetizing
adjective | looks pleasing to eat | I'm afraid these pancakes don't look very appetizing. |
apron
noun | a cloth covering worn over the clothes while cooking | Remove your apron before you come out tothe dining room. |
awful (taste)
adjective | very bad taste | The customer said that her pasta was awful. |
bar
noun | place in an establishment where people go to get a drink (especially alcoholic drinks) | If you sit up at the bar you don't have to order any food. |
barbeque
noun/verb | southern style of cooking over a grill | The barbeque wings are our specialty. |
barstool
noun |tall seats that customers use at the bar | The guest fell off his barstool before he even ordered a drink. |
bartender
noun | staff member that mixes, pours, and serves alcoholic beverages | I do part-time work as a bartender in a local pub. |
beverage
noun | drink | Can I bring you some beverages while you look at the menus? |
bill, cheque, check
noun | the slip of paper that tells thecustomer how much to pay | Table 3 would like you to bring them their cheque. |
black coffee
adjective + noun | coffee without any milk | Should I bring some cream, or do you take your coffee black? |
boil
verb | style of cooking that involves placing food in a deep pot of extremely hot water | We usually boil the potatoes first so that they will cook faster. |
book off
verb | mark a daythat you cannot work | I need to book off the first week of May. |
booster seat
noun | a plastic unit that fits on top of a chair to help small children reach the table | Will your child be needing a booster seat today? |
booth/bench
noun | type of seating in which people sit side by side on a cushioned area | We'd prefer a booth if you have one available. |
booze
noun(idiom) | alcohol |You've been into the booze already, haven't you? |
bottle opener
noun | a device used for opening beer bottles that don't twist off | All of the servers keep bottle openers on their keychains. |
bread basket
noun | slices of bread and butter served before and with a meal | I'll bring you a bread basket to hold the kids down until dinner. |
breaded
adjective | rolled and cooked in bread...