Japanese Phrases for Ordering Food at a Restaurant

Japanese phrases for ordering food at a restaurant are easiest to use as a simple flow: enter, answer the staff, order clearly, check ingredients, pay, and leave politely.

Your five most useful phrases are:

• すみません (sumimasen) — Excuse me; sorry.
• これをください (kore o kudasai) — I’ll have this, please.
• 英語のメニューはありますか (Eigo no menyū wa arimasu ka) — Do you have an English menu?
• アレルギーがあります (arerugī ga arimasu) — I have an allergy.
• お会計お願いします (okaikei onegaishimasu) — Check, please.

Restaurant Japanese does not need to be long or perfect. Short, polite, clear phrases work best.

Complete Restaurant Phrase Table

Use this table as your core toolkit for a restaurant visit in Japan. It includes what you may need to say and common phrases staff may say to you.

Entering the Restaurant

Answer the first staff questions with your party size, reservation status, and dine-in or takeout choice.

When staff say いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase), meaning “Welcome,” you do not need to answer. If they ask 何名様ですか (nan-mei-sama desu ka), meaning “How many people?”, reply with ひとりです (hitori desu), meaning “One person,” ふたりです (futari desu), meaning “Two people,” or さんにんです (san-nin desu), meaning “Three people.”

If you booked ahead, say 予約しています (yoyaku shiteimasu), meaning “I have a reservation.” If you did not, 予約していません (yoyaku shiteimasen), meaning “I do not have a reservation,” is clear and polite.

For casual restaurants and takeout counters, listen for 店内ですか、お持ち帰りですか (tennai desu ka, omochikaeri desu ka), meaning “For here or to go?” Answer 店内でお願いします (tennai de onegaishimasu), meaning “For here, please,” or 持ち帰りでお願いします (mochikaeri de onegaishimasu), meaning “To go, please.”

If you are preparing for a longer stay, restaurant Japanese is one part of daily survival language. This guide on how much Japanese you need to study in Japan gives a broader view of what to learn before arrival.

Ordering Food and Drinks

Pointing at the menu and saying これをください (kore o kudasai), meaning “I’ll have this, please,” is natural and useful in Japan.

For quantity, add a counter. これを一つください (kore o hitotsu kudasai), meaning “One of this, please,” works for one item. これを二つください (kore o futatsu kudasai), meaning “Two of this, please,” works for two. For drinks, 一杯 (ippai) means “one glass” or “one serving,” so ビールを一杯お願いします (bīru o ippai onegaishimasu) means “One beer, please.”

When staff ask ご注文はお決まりですか (gochūmon wa okimari desu ka), meaning “Are you ready to order?”, answer with your order if ready. If you need time, say 少し待っていただけますか (sukoshi matte itadakemasu ka), meaning “Could you give me a moment?” This is a polite request expression using humble いただく (itadaku), meaning “to receive,” and it sounds smooth from a customer to staff.

For ramen shops, you may only need a few words: 食券 (shokken), meaning “meal ticket,” 注文 (chūmon), meaning “order,” and おすすめは何ですか (osusume wa nan desu ka), meaning “What do you recommend?” For sushi or conveyor-belt sushi, you may order from a screen, take plates from the belt, or ask これはありますか (kore wa arimasu ka), meaning “Is this available?” At izakaya, people often share dishes, so confirm with your group before ordering extra plates.

Ticket Machines, Tablets, and QR Ordering

For modern ordering systems, focus on the buttons for order, confirmation, additional order, and payment.

At ramen shops and casual restaurants, you may see 食券 (shokken), meaning “meal ticket.” Usually, you choose the dish, pay first, take the ticket, and give it to staff. If the machine is confusing, point and use これをください (kore o kudasai), meaning “I’ll have this, please,” or ask おすすめは何ですか (osusume wa nan desu ka), meaning “What do you recommend?”

On tablets and QR menus, look for 注文 (chūmon), meaning “order,” 確認 (kakunin), meaning “confirmation,” 追加注文 (tsuika chūmon), meaning “additional order,” and 支払い (shiharai), meaning “payment.” Payment screens may show 現金 (genkin), meaning “cash,” and クレジットカード (kurejitto kādo), meaning “credit card.”

If staff speak quickly, use もう一度お願いします (mō ichido onegaishimasu), meaning “Once more, please.” This phrase is short, polite, and useful far beyond restaurants. If you want more small-talk ability for meals with friends, review Japanese self-introduction phrases and Japanese hobby phrases for conversation outside the ordering moment.

Allergies and Dietary Needs

State allergies before ordering and check hidden ingredients directly.

Start with アレルギーがあります (arerugī ga arimasu), meaning “I have an allergy.” Then name the ingredient, as in えびアレルギーがあります (ebi arerugī ga arimasu), meaning “I have a shrimp allergy.” For foods you cannot eat, use the pattern ingredient plus は食べられません (wa taberaremasen), meaning “I cannot eat.” For example, 豚肉は食べられません (butaniku wa taberaremasen) means “I cannot eat pork.”

To check ingredients, use が入っていますか (ga haitteimasu ka), meaning “Is it in this?” or “Does this have it in it?” しょうゆが入っていますか (shōyu ga haitteimasu ka) means “Does this have soy sauce in it?” だしが入っていますか (dashi ga haitteimasu ka) means “Does this have dashi in it?” These matter because soups, sauces, simmered dishes, ramen broth, and sushi toppings can include hidden ingredients.

For severe allergies, carry written Japanese information and show it before ordering. Spoken phrases help, but small kitchens may not be able to guarantee no cross-contact. For fried food, 同じ油を使っていますか (onaji abura o tsukatteimasu ka), meaning “Do you use the same oil?”, is especially useful.

Full Restaurant Script and Examples

This compact script shows the full restaurant flow from entering to payment.

Role-play script

Staff: いらっしゃいませ。何名様ですか。
Irasshaimase. Nan-mei-sama desu ka.
Welcome. How many people?

Customer: ふたりです。
Futari desu.
Two people.

Staff: ご注文はお決まりですか。
Gochūmon wa okimari desu ka.
Are you ready to order?

Customer: 少し待っていただけますか。
Sukoshi matte itadakemasu ka.
Could you give me a moment?

Customer: すみません、これを二つください。
Sumimasen, kore o futatsu kudasai.
Excuse me, two of these, please.

Customer: お会計お願いします。カードは使えますか。
Okaikei onegaishimasu. Kādo wa tsukaemasu ka.
Check, please. Can I use a card?

Main example sentences

1. すみません、英語のメニューはありますか。
   Sumimasen, Eigo no menyū wa arimasu ka.
   Excuse me, do you have an English menu?
2. これを一つください。
   Kore o hitotsu kudasai.
   One of this, please.
3. えびアレルギーがあります。これは食べられますか。
   Ebi arerugī ga arimasu. Kore wa taberaremasu ka.
   I have a shrimp allergy. Can I eat this?
4. しょうゆが入っていますか。
   Shōyu ga haitteimasu ka.
   Does this have soy sauce in it?
5. ごちそうさまでした。
   Gochisōsama deshita.
   Thank you for the meal.

You can practise this exact restaurant role-play one-on-one with a teacher over LINE, Zoom, or Google Meet in a 25-minute Free Trial Japanese lesson.

Common Mistakes and Practice Quiz

Learners often prepare only their own order, but restaurant success also depends on understanding staff questions.

Common learner error: repeating いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase), meaning “Welcome.” Customers do not say this back. A nod or smile is enough.

Common learner error: using allergy language too softly. If it is an allergy, say アレルギーがあります (arerugī ga arimasu), meaning “I have an allergy,” not only “I do not like it.”

Common learner error: overusing formal apology language. In a restaurant, すみません (sumimasen), meaning “excuse me” or “sorry,” is usually enough. Formal workplace apologies are different; study them separately in the guide to apologizing in business Japanese.

Practice quiz

1. How do you say “One person”?
2. How do you ask “Do you have an English menu?”
3. How do you say “Without egg, please?”
4. How do you ask “Can we pay separately?”
5. What should you say when you need a moment before ordering?

Answers

1. ひとりです (hitori desu) — One person.
2. 英語のメニューはありますか (Eigo no menyū wa arimasu ka) — Do you have an English menu?
3. 卵抜きでお願いします (tamago nuki de onegaishimasu) — Without egg, please.
4. 別々にできますか (betsubetsu ni dekimasu ka) — Can we pay separately?
5. 少し待っていただけますか (sukoshi matte itadakemasu ka) — Could you give me a moment?

FAQ

What is the easiest Japanese phrase for ordering food?

The easiest phrase is これをください (kore o kudasai), meaning “I’ll have this, please.” It works when you can point to a menu item, photo, display case, or ticket-machine button. Add a quantity when needed, such as これを一つください (kore o hitotsu kudasai), meaning “One of this, please.”

How do I call restaurant staff politely in Japan?

Use すみません (sumimasen), meaning “excuse me.” Say it clearly when staff are nearby, and raise your hand slightly if needed. Do not say いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase), meaning “Welcome,” because that is what staff say to customers when they enter.

What should I say if I have a food allergy?

Say アレルギーがあります (arerugī ga arimasu), meaning “I have an allergy,” before ordering. Then name the ingredient, such as えびアレルギーがあります (ebi arerugī ga arimasu), meaning “I have a shrimp allergy.” For severe allergies, show written Japanese information so staff can check more carefully.

Can I pay separately at Japanese restaurants?

Ask 別々にできますか (betsubetsu ni dekimasu ka), meaning “Can we pay separately?” Some casual restaurants allow separate payment, but others prefer one payment per table. Ask before paying, and be ready to pay together if the restaurant cannot split the bill.

This standalone restaurant phrase guide is part of the Kind Japanese beginner curriculum for practical speaking situations outside the classroom.