Russian phrasebook
Phrases in Russian with audio and video
Restaurant
When you go to eat to a restaurant, a good communication can keep you away from unpleasant surprises. You may be the client at a Russian restaurant or maybe a Russian client comes to your restaurant. In any case, here you're going to learn basic phrases to help you move smoothly from the main dish to the dessert. You'll even learn how to say "enjoy your meal!":
Part 1: Video
Summary of this topic with images and sound:
Watch the most important words and phrases of this topic below.
Useful phrases when you are the client:
Useful phrases when you talk to a client:
Part 2: Audio and explanations
Listen to the audio, read the explanations and get ready to learn real Russian.
We have the menu in English
Let's think of two possible scenarios. In the first one, you're in a Russian restaurant and you ask if they have the menu in English. In the second situation, a Russian client comes to your restaurant and asks if you have the menu in Russian:
Вы хоти́те меню́ на друго́м языке́?
vy ha-tí-tye mye-nyú na dru-góm ye-zy-kyé?
Would you like the menu in a different language?
У вас есть меню́ на други́х языка́х?
u vas yest mye-nyú na dru-gíh ye-zy-káh?
Do you have the menu in other languages?
У нас есть меню́ на... англи́йском / испа́нском / неме́цком.
u nas yest mye-nyú na... an-glíjs-kam / is-páns-kam / nye-myéts-kam
We have the menu in… English / Spanish / German.
У вас есть меню́ на... англи́йском / испа́нском / неме́цком?
u vas yest mye-nyú na... an-glíjs-kam / is-páns-kam / nye-myéts-kam
Do you have the menu in... English / Spanish / German?
Are you ready to order?
We already have the menu in our hands and we're ready to order. Sometimes we don't know what to have and we wait for a recommendation. For example a typical dish from the area. Below we're going to listen to those phrases:
Вы гото́вы заказа́ть?
vy ga-tó-vy za-ka-zát?
Are you ready to order?
Что вы рекоменду́ете?
shto vy rye-ka-myen-dú-ye-tye?
What do you recommend?
Я рекоменду́ю э́то.
ya rye-ka-myen-dú-yu é-ta
I recommend you this.
Вы хоти́те что́-то типи́чное?
vy ha-tí-tye shtó-ta ti-pích-na-ye?
Would you like something typical?
Како́е са́мое типи́чное блю́до?
ka-kó-ye sá-ma-ye ti-pích-na-ye blyú-da?
What's the most typical dish?
Вы вегетариа́нец (masc.)? / Вы вегетариа́нка (fem.)?
vy vye-gye-ta-ri-á-nyets? / vy vye-gye-ta-ri-án-ka?
Are you a vegetarian?
Я вегетариа́нец (masc.) / Я вегетариа́нка (fem.)
ya vye-gye-ta-ri-á-nyets / ya vye-gye-ta-ri-án-ka
I'm a vegetarian.
What would you like?
We're now going to see 3 different ways of asking the same question: What would you like? As you can see, you have to complete the first sentence so it makes sense, while the other two phrases can be used as they are:
Вы хоти́те...?
vy ha-tí-tye...?
Would you like...? (literally: "Do you want...?")
Что бы вы хоте́ли?
shto by vy ha-tyé-li?
What would you like?
Что вы бу́дете?
shto vy bú-dye-tye?
What will you have?
Let's add some more content to these phrases, so we can give extra information: In the case of "вы хоти́те..." we can add the name of food or drinks:
- Вы хоти́те + вино́ = Would you like + wine. ---> Вы хоти́те вино́? = Would you like wine?
As for the other two sentences, we can use them to make questions such as "What would you like to drink?" or "Would you like a dessert?". Let's see some examples:
Вы хоти́те... ры́бу / мя́со / па́сту / сала́т?
vy ha-tí-tye... rý-bu / myá-sa / pás-tu / sa-lát?
Would you like... fish / meat / pasta / a salad?
Вы хоти́те десе́рт?
vy ha-tí-tye dye-syért?
Would you like dessert?
Что бы вы хоте́ли... на заку́ску / на гла́вное / на десе́рт?
shto by vy ha-tyé-li... na za-kús-ku/ na gláv-na-ye / na dye-syért?
What would you like... for starters / for the main course / for dessert?
Что вы бу́дете пить?
shto vy bú-dye-tye pit?
What will you drink?
How to say "I'd like..."
We're done reading the menu and we're ready to order. In Russian there are two ways of saying "I'd like...": one for men and a different one for women. You don't need to know the grammatical explanation of this. Just use the right form for you:
Я хоте́л бы...
ya ha-tyél by...
I'd like...
Say this if you are a man
Я хоте́ла бы...
ya ha-tyé-la by...
I'd like...
Say this if you are a woman
Я хоте́л бы... мя́со / ры́бу / па́сту / сала́т.
ya ha-tyél by... myá-sa / rý-bu / pás-tu / sa-lát
I'd like... meat / fish / pasta / a salad.
Say this if you are a man
Я хоте́ла бы... мя́со / ры́бу / па́сту / сала́т.
ya ha-tyé-la by... myá-sa / rý-bu / pás-tu / sa-lát
I'd like... meat / fish / pasta / a salad.
Say this if you are a woman
Я хоте́л бы десе́рт.
ya ha-tyél by dye-syért
I'd like a dessert.
Я хоте́л бы пить...
ya ha-tyél by pit...
I'd like to drink...
Я хоте́л бы э́то.
ya ha-tyél by é-ta
I'd like this / that.
You can say this while pointing to the dish (on the menu or what someone else is eating) you'd like to have. This is a useful phrase to say a lot with few words.
Other phrases
We've created this list with a choice of phrases that you may hear at a restaurant. As for "Smoking or non-smoking?", it's something that soon will be a thing of the past, but it's still useful to know it in certain countries:
Куря́щий и́ли некуря́щий?
ku-ryá-schij í-li nye-ku-ryá-schij?
Smoking or non-smoking?
У вас есть зо́на для куря́щих?
u vas yest zó-na dlya ku-ryá-schih?
Do you have a smoking area?
Еда́ холо́дная.
ye-dá ha-lód-na-ya
The food is cold.
Со льдо́м? / Безо льда́?
sa l-dóm / bye-za l-dá?
With ice? / Without ice?
Со льдо́м / Безо льда́.
sa l-dóm / bye-za l-dá
Con hielo / Sin hielo.
Прия́тного аппети́та!
pri-yát-na-va a-pye-tí-ta
Enjoy your meal!
Спаси́бо!
spa-sí-ba!
Thank you!
