Order Food in German: Restaurant Phrases

Sitting down to eat is the single most useful conversation you’ll have on a trip to Germany, Austria, or Switzerland — and the good news is that a restaurant visit follows an almost fixed script. You arrive, you get a table, you read the menu, you order drinks, you order food, you eat, and you pay. Learn the phrases as a timeline of that one visit and you’ll always know what comes next, instead of scrambling for vocabulary mid-sentence.

German throws in a few twists English speakers don’t expect: politeness is built into the verb you choose, tap water isn’t a freebie, the bill never arrives on its own, and you tip out loud rather than leaving coins on the table. Walk through the meal step by step and none of it will catch you off guard.

The one rule: sound polite, not pushy

If you remember nothing else, remember this. In English you’d say “I want the soup” or “I’ll have a beer” without a second thought. Translate that literally and you get Ich will die Suppe — but wollen (“to want”) sounds blunt, even rude, when you’re ordering. Germans reach for a softer, subjunctive form instead.

German	English	Register
Ich hätte gern einen Kaffee.	I'd like a coffee.	most polite, most natural
Ich möchte ein Bier.	I'd like a beer.	polite, very common
Ich nehme das Schnitzel.	I'll have the schnitzel.	casual but fine

Ich hätte gern literally means “I would have gladly” — it’s the subjunctive of haben plus gern (“gladly”). Ich möchte is the polite subjunctive of mögen. Both are leagues better than will; if you want the full picture of why, the guide to German modal verbs explains how wollen and mögen differ. Add bitte (“please”) to almost anything and it stays courteous. One more habit: always use Sie (formal “you”) with restaurant staff — slipping into du sounds over-familiar, as the du vs. Sie guide lays out.

Step 1 — Getting a table

Lead with a greeting — Guten Tag! during the day, Guten Abend! after about 6 p.m. — then sort out seating.

German	English
Haben Sie einen Tisch frei?	Do you have a free table?
Einen Tisch für zwei, bitte.	A table for two, please.
Ich habe einen Tisch reserviert.	I have a table reserved.
Auf welchen Namen?	Under what name?

In a busy, casual spot you may seat yourself, and sharing a big table with strangers is normal — just ask Ist hier noch frei? (“Is this seat free?”).

Step 2 — Reading the menu (die Speisekarte)

The food menu is die Speisekarte (often just die Karte); the drinks list is die Getränkekarte. Ask for it with Könnte ich bitte die Speisekarte haben?, and if you need a beat, say Wir brauchen noch einen Moment (“We need another moment”). Stuck choosing? Was empfehlen Sie? means “What do you recommend?”

Menu sections, decoded

German menus split into predictable parts. The prefixes are a built-in hint: Vor- means “before,” Nach- means “after.”

German	English	What's there
die Vorspeise	starter / appetizer	soups, salads, small plates
das Hauptgericht	main course	schnitzel, sausages, roasts
die Beilage	side dish	fries, potatoes, vegetables
der Nachtisch	dessert	also called die Nachspeise

Step 3 — Ordering drinks (and the water question)

The server usually opens with Was möchten Sie trinken? (“What would you like to drink?”). Here’s the trap: water in Germany isn’t a free given. Order ein stilles Wasser (“a still water”) or sparkling, and expect to specify when asked Mit oder ohne Kohlensäure? (“With or without carbonation?”). Asking for free tap water — Leitungswasser — without buying anything can earn you a frown or a small charge.

German	English
Ich hätte gern ein stilles Wasser.	I'd like a still water.
Ein Wasser mit Kohlensäure, bitte.	A sparkling water, please.
Ein Bier vom Fass, bitte.	A draft beer, please.
Eine Apfelschorle, bitte.	An apple-juice spritzer, please.

Step 4 — Ordering your food

When you’re ready, signal it with Wir möchten bestellen (“We’d like to order”). The verb here is bestellen, the standard word for ordering food. Then it’s just your polite opener plus the dish.

German	English
Wir möchten bestellen.	We'd like to order.
Als Vorspeise nehme ich die Suppe.	As a starter I'll have the soup.
Für mich bitte das Schnitzel.	For me, the schnitzel, please.
Das war's, danke.	That's all, thanks.

Step 5 — Allergies, diets, and special requests

The one modifier word to memorize is ohne (“without”). Pair it with anything you’d rather skip.

German	English
Haben Sie vegetarische Gerichte?	Do you have vegetarian dishes?
Ich bin Vegetarier.	I'm vegetarian.
Kann ich das ohne Zwiebeln bekommen?	Can I get that without onions?
Ich habe eine Allergie gegen Nüsse.	I have an allergy to nuts.
Ist das scharf?	Is that spicy?

Before the food comes, you’ll often hear Guten Appetit! — “enjoy your meal,” said as everyone starts. To flag the server down later, a polite Entschuldigung! (“Excuse me!”) does the job.

Step 6 — “Die Rechnung, bitte” — paying and splitting

This is where travelers freeze, so rehearse it. The check will not appear on its own — you ask for it. The headline phrase is Die Rechnung, bitte, or just Wir möchten zahlen (“We’d like to pay”).

Then comes the very German follow-up: Zusammen oder getrennt? — “Together or separate?” Splitting the bill so each person pays their own is completely normal here, so have your answer ready.

German	English
Die Rechnung, bitte.	The bill, please.
Zusammen oder getrennt?	Together or separate?
Zusammen, bitte.	Together, please.
Getrennt, bitte.	Separately, please.
Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?	Can I pay by card?

Tipping out loud

Unlike in the US or UK, you don’t leave coins on the table — you tip verbally as you hand over money. A tip of roughly 5–10%, usually by rounding up, is customary. If the bill is €18.50, you might hand over €20 and say Stimmt so (“keep the change”), or state the rounded total: Machen Sie zwanzig (“make it twenty”). One last thing for reading prices: German uses a comma for decimals, so 5,60 € is read fünf Euro sechzig — the numbers 1–100 guide covers how to say them. For the full etiquette picture, see the tipping and etiquette guide for travelers.

The mistakes to skip

Three slips trip up almost everyone. First, ordering with Ich will — swap in Ich hätte gern. Second, waiting for a bill that never comes — say Die Rechnung, bitte. Third, leaving a tip on the table and walking out — tip out loud with Stimmt so instead.

You now have the whole script, from “Guten Tag” to “Stimmt so.” Pick one real meal, run through it in your head before you walk in, and you’ll order like you’ve done it a hundred times. Next time you’re hungry, treat the menu as your free reading practice — and order that second beer with confidence.