German Restaurant & Café Vocabulary for Beginners
Learn essential German restaurant and café vocabulary with this beginner-friendly word list. Whether you want to know how to say menu in German, what coffee in German sounds like, or how to ask for the bill in German, this page has you covered. You will find common German dining words for ordering food, talking to the waiter, and navigating a restaurant or café in Germany. This resource is designed for A1–A2 learners who want to build practical, real-world German vocabulary. Use the word list and interactive activities below to practice German restaurant vocabulary before your next trip.
39 nouns · 21 verbs
Nouns
die Gabeln
fork
“Die Gabel liegt auf dem Tisch.”
The fork is lying on the table.
die Löffel
spoon
“Der Löffel liegt auf dem Tisch.”
The spoon is lying on the table.
die Mittagessen
lunch
“Wir haben kein Mittagessen dabei.”
We have no lunch with us.
die Menüs
set menu
“Ich lese das Menü im Restaurant.”
I read the menu in the restaurant.
die Kellnerinnen
waitress
“Die Kellnerin ist freundlich.”
The waitress is friendly.
die Köche
cook, male chef
“Der Koch macht heute eine Suppe.”
The cook makes a soup today.
die Köchinnen
cook, female chef
“Die Köchin arbeitet in der Küche.”
The cook works in the kitchen.
die Vorspeisen
starter
“Die Vorspeise ist heute sehr lecker.”
The appetizer is very tasty today.
die Hauptgänge
main course
“Der Hauptgang ist sehr lecker.”
The main course is very tasty.
die Reservierungen
reservation
“Die Reservierung ist fertig.”
The reservation is ready.
die Rechnungen
bill
“Die Rechnung liegt auf dem Tisch.”
The bill is on the table.
die Speisekarten
menu
“Ich brauche die Speisekarte bitte.”
I need the menu, please.
die Gerichte
dish, court
“Das Gericht ist heute sehr lecker.”
The dish is very tasty today.
die Frühstücke
breakfast
“Ich esse das Frühstück um acht Uhr.”
I eat breakfast at eight o'clock.
Verbs
to serve
“Ich serviere das Frühstück jeden Morgen.”
I serve the breakfast every morning.
to be hungry
“Ich bin hungrig.”
I am hungry.
to reserve
“Ich reserviere einen Tisch.”
I reserve a table.
to ask for the bill
“Ich lasse meinen Freund das Essen bezahlen.”
I let my friend pay for the food.
to be satisfied
“Ich bin heute zufrieden.”
I am satisfied today.
to stand
“Ich stehe jeden Morgen um sieben Uhr auf.”
I get up every morning at seven o’clock.
to fetch, get
“Ich hole ein Glas Wasser.”
I get a glass of water.
to go
“Ich gehe jeden Morgen zur Schule.”
I go to school every morning.
to pay
“Ich bezahle den Kaffee.”
I pay for the coffee.
to stay
“Ich bleibe heute zu Hause.”
I am staying at home today.
to bring
“Ich bringe das Buch zur Schule.”
I bring the book to school.
to order
“Ich bestelle eine Pizza.”
I order a pizza.
to sit
“Sitzt du hier?”
Are you sitting here?
to taste
“Der Apfel schmeckt gut.”
The apple tastes good.
to recommend
“Ich empfehle das Buch.”
I recommend the book.
to eat
“Ich esse einen Apfel.”
I eat an apple.
to wait
“Ich warte vor dem Kino.”
I wait in front of the cinema.
to cook
“Ich koche heute eine Suppe.”
I am cooking a soup today.
to come
“Ich komme aus Deutschland.”
I come from Germany.
Practice with Games
Example Sentences
Kann ich bitte die Speisekarte haben?
Can I have the menu, please?
Ich möchte einen Kaffee bestellen.
I would like to order a coffee.
Ist dieser Tisch noch frei?
Is this table still free?
Die Rechnung, bitte.
The bill, please.
Der Kellner bringt uns das Essen.
The waiter is bringing us the food.