Free guide · 7 min read
Japanese for restaurants
Everything from the moment you walk in to the moment you pay - being seated, ordering, asking about a dish, and getting the bill. Real phrases, with pronunciation.
Most “Japanese for restaurants” lists throw fifty food words at you. You don't need the word for every vegetable - you need the handful of sentences that carry a whole meal. Here they are, in the order you'll actually use them.
Getting seated
Walk in and say:
You'll often be asked なんめいさま (nanmei-sama, “how many people?”). Just answer with ひとりです / ふたりです, or hold up fingers - nobody minds.
Ordering
The one pattern that does most of the work is “___ を ください”.
Pointing plus これを ください is 90% of ordering in Japan. Picture menus and plastic food displays exist precisely so you can point - use them.
Dietary needs
Important if you can't eat something:
Allergy words are often said in katakana English: エッグ (eggu), ミルク (miruku), ナッツ (nattsu). If it's serious, write it down - staff will take a written note seriously and check with the kitchen.
During & after the meal
You'll usually pay at the front counter, not the table - bring the little slip they leave you. Tipping isn't practised in Japan, so don't; good service is standard.
These phrases get built into real conversation in the90 day course. The first week needs no account.