Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about food, cooking, and eating out.
Example: I always have eggs and toast for ___. (breakfast / dinner / lunch)
Answer: I always have eggs and toast for breakfast.
Food, Cooking and Eating Out in English
Food is a topic we talk about every day — at home, at work, and when we travel. Whether you are ordering a meal at a restaurant, buying ingredients at the supermarket, or describing your favourite dish to a friend, knowing the right vocabulary makes communication much easier and more natural.
In this lesson, you will learn key words and phrases connected to food, cooking and eating out at the A2 level. By the end, you will be able to talk about what you eat, how food is prepared, and how to order a meal confidently.
Mini Situation: Dinner Plans
Maria and Tom are planning their evening. Read the conversation and notice the vocabulary in bold.
"Are you hungry? I can cook something at home, or we can eat out tonight."
"Let's go to a restaurant. I feel like having a starter and a main course."
"Good idea. There's a nice Italian place near here. They have a great menu. We should book a table first."
"Yes! And I'd love to try their dessert too!"
Now let's look at all the important vocabulary from this topic in detail.
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Food & Drink Vocabulary
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| meal | noun — food that you eat at a specific time of day | We had a big meal on Sunday afternoon. | have a meal, cook a meal, enjoy a meal |
| dish | noun — a type of food prepared in a particular way | Pasta is my favourite Italian dish. | a traditional dish, a local dish, the dish of the day |
| ingredient | noun — a food item used to make a recipe | The main ingredient in this soup is tomato. | fresh ingredients, basic ingredients, add an ingredient |
| recipe | noun — instructions that explain how to cook something | I found a great recipe for chocolate cake online. | follow a recipe, a simple recipe, a traditional recipe |
| snack | noun — a small amount of food eaten between meals | I had a snack at three o'clock — just an apple and some nuts. | have a snack, a light snack, a healthy snack |
| starter | noun — a small dish eaten before the main course | For my starter, I ordered a bowl of soup. | order a starter, have a starter — also called appetiser in American English |
| main course | noun — the largest and most important part of a meal | The main course was grilled chicken with vegetables. | choose a main course, order a main course |
| dessert | noun — sweet food eaten at the end of a meal | We shared a chocolate dessert after dinner. | have dessert, order dessert, a sweet dessert |
| portion | noun — the amount of food served to one person | The portions at that restaurant are very large. | a large/small portion, a generous portion |
| flavour | noun — the taste of a food or drink | This sauce has a strong flavour of garlic. | a strong/mild flavour, full of flavour, rich flavour |
| diet | noun — the kind of food a person usually eats | He has a healthy diet — lots of fruit and vegetables. | a healthy diet, a balanced diet, follow a diet |
| vegetarian | adjective / noun — not containing meat, or a person who does not eat meat | Do you have any vegetarian options on the menu? | a vegetarian meal, a vegetarian restaurant, go vegetarian |
2. Cooking Vocabulary
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| cook | verb / noun — to prepare food using heat; also a person who cooks | She cooks dinner every evening at seven o'clock. | cook a meal, cook dinner/lunch, a good cook |
| boil | verb — to heat water or food until it bubbles (100°C) | Boil the pasta for ten minutes. | boil water, boil an egg, boil vegetables |
| fry | verb — to cook food in hot oil in a pan | He fried the onions in a little olive oil. | fry an egg, fry vegetables, fry in oil/butter |
| bake | verb — to cook food in an oven without oil, usually bread, cakes, or biscuits | I love baking bread on Sunday mornings. | bake a cake, bake bread, bake biscuits |
| grill | verb — to cook food on a metal frame over or under direct heat | We grilled some fish on the barbecue. | grill chicken, grill fish, grill vegetables |
| roast | verb — to cook meat or vegetables in an oven with oil | They always roast a chicken on Sundays. | roast a chicken, roast vegetables, roast potatoes |
| chop | verb — to cut food into small pieces with a knife | Chop the onions and add them to the pan. | chop vegetables, chop finely/roughly, chop and fry |
| mix | verb — to combine two or more ingredients together | Mix the flour and eggs in a large bowl. | mix the ingredients, mix together, mix well |
| heat | verb — to make food warm or hot | Heat the soup in a pan for five minutes. | heat up, heat gently, heat the oven |
| taste | verb / noun — to experience the flavour of food; the flavour itself | Can you taste this sauce and tell me if it needs more salt? | taste good/bad/sweet/salty, have a taste, taste of something |
| peel | verb — to remove the skin from a fruit or vegetable | Peel the potatoes before you boil them. | peel potatoes, peel an orange, peel and chop |
| serve | verb — to give food or drink to someone at the table | The waiter served us quickly and was very polite. | serve food, serve a meal, serve with (e.g. serve with rice) |
3. Eating Out Vocabulary
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| restaurant | noun — a place where you pay to eat a meal | We went to a French restaurant in the city centre. | go to a restaurant, eat at a restaurant, a local restaurant |
| menu | noun — a list of food and drinks available in a restaurant | The waiter brought us the menu as soon as we sat down. | look at the menu, read the menu, the set menu |
| waiter / waitress | noun — a person who brings food and drinks to your table | The waiter asked if we were ready to order. | ask the waiter, call the waiter — server is common in American English |
| order | verb / noun — to ask for food or drink in a restaurant | I'd like to order the grilled salmon, please. | place an order, take your order, order food/a drink |
| book a table | phrase — to reserve a table at a restaurant in advance | I booked a table for two at seven o'clock. | book a table for two/four, book in advance — also: make a reservation |
| bill | noun — the piece of paper showing how much you must pay | Could we have the bill, please? We're ready to leave. | ask for the bill, pay the bill, split the bill |
| tip | noun / verb — extra money you leave for the waiter as thanks for good service | The service was excellent, so we left a generous tip. | leave a tip, give a tip, a good tip |
| take away | phrase / noun — food that you buy at a restaurant or shop and eat somewhere else | I didn't feel like cooking, so I ordered a takeaway. | order a takeaway, get a takeaway — written as takeaway (British) or takeout (American) |
| set menu | noun — a fixed selection of dishes at a fixed price | The set menu includes a starter, main course and dessert. | choose the set menu, the lunch set menu |
| reservation | noun — an arrangement made in advance to keep a table for you | I have a reservation under the name Smith for eight o'clock. | make a reservation, have a reservation, cancel a reservation |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
Collocations are words that naturally go together in English. Learning them helps you sound more natural when you speak or write. Here are the most important collocations for food, cooking and eating out.
Food Collocations
have + a meal
We had a lovely meal at the new Italian restaurant.
eat + out
Do you prefer to eat out or cook at home?
go + out for dinner / lunch
Let's go out for dinner this Friday evening.
a balanced + diet
It's important to eat a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables.
full of + flavour
This homemade curry is full of flavour!
Cooking Collocations
follow + a recipe
I followed the recipe carefully, and the cake turned out perfectly.
cook + from scratch
She cooked the pasta sauce from scratch using fresh tomatoes.
boil / fry / grill / roast + food
You can grill the chicken or roast it in the oven — both are delicious.
serve + with
The fish is served with roast potatoes and a green salad.
Eating Out Expressions
book / make + a reservation
I'll make a reservation for Saturday evening — is eight o'clock good for you?
ask for + the bill
We asked for the bill after finishing our dessert.
split + the bill
Shall we split the bill, or do you want to pay separately?
place + an order
The waiter came over and we placed our order.
Are you ready to order?
This is a very common question from a waiter in a restaurant.
I'd like + [dish], please.
I'd like the grilled salmon with vegetables, please.
What do you recommend?
Excuse me, what do you recommend from the menu?
Important Differences & Confusing Words
Cook vs Chef
Both words describe someone who prepares food, but they are used in different situations.
- A cook is a general word for anyone who prepares food — at home or at work.
My mum is an excellent cook. - A chef is a professional cook who works in a restaurant or hotel kitchen.
The chef at this restaurant trained in Paris.
You would not usually call a professional restaurant worker a "cook" — it sounds too informal. You would call them a "chef."
Dish vs Meal
- A meal refers to the whole eating occasion — breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
We had a three-course meal at the restaurant. - A dish refers to one specific type of food that is prepared.
Paella is a traditional Spanish dish.
Think of a meal as the whole event and a dish as one item within it.
Hungry vs Starving
- Hungry is the normal, neutral word to describe wanting to eat.
I'm a little hungry — can we have lunch soon? - Starving means extremely hungry (this is an informal expression and an exaggeration).
I'm absolutely starving! I haven't eaten anything all day.
Starving is used in everyday conversation but is informal. In a restaurant or professional context, use hungry.
Bill vs Menu
These two words are sometimes confused by learners.
- The menu shows you the food and drinks you can choose from — you look at it at the beginning of the meal.
Can I see the menu, please? - The bill shows you the total amount of money you need to pay — you ask for it at the end of the meal.
Could we have the bill, please?
Bake vs Roast
Both cooking methods use an oven, but they are used for different foods.
- Bake — used for bread, cakes, biscuits, and pastry.
She baked a birthday cake for her daughter. - Roast — used for meat and vegetables, usually with oil.
They roasted a leg of lamb for Sunday lunch.
Common Mistakes
❌ I want to make a reservation for Smith.
✅ I want to make a reservation under the name Smith.
When giving your name for a restaurant booking, use "under the name."
❌ Can I have the menu, please? (when you want to pay)
✅ Can I have the bill, please?
The menu is what you order from. The bill is what you pay at the end.
❌ I want to order a table for two.
✅ I want to book / reserve a table for two.
You "order" food, but you "book" or "reserve" a table.
❌ She cooked the eggs in the oven for thirty minutes.
✅ She baked the eggs in the oven for thirty minutes.
Use "bake" for food prepared in an oven. "Cook" is fine as a general word, but bake is more precise here.
❌ The waiter brought us the receipt to choose our food.
✅ The waiter brought us the menu to choose our food.
A "receipt" is proof of payment. A "menu" is the list of food you can order.
❌ I ate a lot of flavour in that dish.
✅ That dish had a lot of flavour. / That dish was full of flavour.
We do not "eat" flavour. Use "have a strong flavour" or "be full of flavour."
❌ Let's eat outside tonight — there's a nice restaurant nearby.
✅ Let's eat out tonight — there's a nice restaurant nearby.
"Eat outside" means eating in the open air (e.g. in a garden). "Eat out" means going to a restaurant.
Food, Cooking and Eating Out: Quick Summary & Review
In this lesson, you have learned essential vocabulary for talking about food, cooking and eating out in English. Here is a quick summary of the key areas covered:
- Types of food and meals: meal, dish, starter, main course, dessert, snack, portion, flavour
- Cooking verbs: boil, fry, bake, grill, roast, chop, mix, peel, serve, heat
- Eating out vocabulary: restaurant, menu, order, waiter, bill, tip, reservation, set menu, takeaway
- Key collocations: eat out, book a table, follow a recipe, ask for the bill, split the bill, full of flavour
- Confusing words: cook vs chef, dish vs meal, bake vs roast, menu vs bill
Remember these important phrases for your next visit to a restaurant:
"I'd like to book a table for two, please."
"What do you recommend?"
"Could we have the bill, please?"
Now practise your Food, Cooking and Eating Out vocabulary in the exercises below.
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