Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: ordering food at a restaurant
Amara Orders Lunch at the Café
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Amara walks into a small café near her apartment. The café is warm and quiet. There are a few tables by the window. Amara looks around and smiles. She finds a table near the window and sits down. A server comes to her table. The server's name is Leo. Leo smiles and says, "Good afternoon! Welcome to the café." Amara says, "Thank you. It's very nice here." Leo gives her a menu. Amara takes the menu and opens it. There are many things to choose from. She sees sandwiches, soups, and salads.
She also sees drinks like juice, coffee, and tea. Amara is hungry, so she reads the menu carefully. Leo comes back to the table after a few minutes. He asks, "Are you ready to order?" Amara says, "Yes, I think so." She points to the menu and says, "I would like the tomato soup, please." Leo writes it down. Then he asks, "Would you like anything to drink?" Amara thinks for a moment. She says, "Do you have orange juice?" Leo says, "Yes, we do." Amara smiles and says, "Great, I'll have that, please." Leo asks, "Would you like anything else?" Amara looks at the menu again. She sees a cheese sandwich. She says, "Yes, I'll have the cheese sandwich too, please." Leo writes everything down and says, "Of course. I'll bring that out soon." Amara waits at her table. She looks out the window. She can see people walking on the sidewalk. After a short time, Leo comes back with her food.
He puts the soup, the sandwich, and the juice on the table. He says, "Here you go! Enjoy your meal." Amara says, "Thank you so much. It looks wonderful." She tries the tomato soup first. It is hot and very good. Then she eats the cheese sandwich. It is fresh and tasty. She drinks her orange juice slowly. The café is a very nice place. Amara feels happy and relaxed. When she finishes, she calls Leo over. She says, "Excuse me, can I have the check, please?" Leo brings the check and Amara pays. She says goodbye and leaves the café feeling full and satisfied.
Key vocabulary
| menu (noun) | a list of food and drinks available in a restaurant or café“The server gave Amara a menu so she could choose her food.” |
| order (verb) | to ask for food or a drink in a restaurant“Amara was ready to order her lunch.” |
| server (noun) | a person who brings food and drinks to customers in a restaurant“The server came to Amara's table with a big smile.” |
| check (noun) | the piece of paper that shows how much you need to pay at a restaurant“Amara asked for the check when she finished eating.” |
| hungry (adjective) | feeling that you need to eat food“Amara was hungry, so she read the menu carefully.” |
| fresh (adjective) | recently made and of good quality“The cheese sandwich was fresh and very tasty.” |
| satisfied (adjective) | pleased because you have had enough of something“Amara left the café feeling full and satisfied.” |
| choose (verb) | to decide which thing you want from a group of options“There were many things to choose from on the menu.” |
Useful phrases
- Are you ready to order? — a question a server asks when they want to take your food or drink request“Leo came back to the table and asked, "Are you ready to order?"”
- I would like... — a polite way to say what you want to eat or drink“Amara said, "I would like the tomato soup, please."”
- Do you have...? — a question used to ask if something is available“Amara asked, "Do you have orange juice?"”
- I'll have that, please. — a polite phrase used to confirm your choice of food or drink“When Leo said they had orange juice, Amara said, "I'll have that, please."”
- Enjoy your meal. — something a server says when they bring your food, wishing you a pleasant eating experience“Leo placed the food on the table and said, "Enjoy your meal."”
- Can I have the check, please? — a polite way to ask for the bill at a restaurant“When Amara finished eating, she said, "Excuse me, can I have the check, please?"”
- Would you like anything else? — a question a server asks to find out if you want more food or drinks“After writing down her order, Leo asked, "Would you like anything else?"”
- I'll bring that out soon. — what a server says to let you know your food or drink is coming“Leo smiled and said, "I'll bring that out soon."”
Word search
Find all 8 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P | N | S | A | T | I | S | F | I | E | D |
| 2 | B | N | G | W | I | U | D | N | O | G | R |
| 3 | V | V | Z | K | X | U | G | R | X | E | V |
| 4 | F | S | R | Q | X | N | D | C | V | N | T |
| 5 | Y | K | O | X | Q | E | F | R | F | L | N |
| 6 | R | F | C | P | R | M | E | K | X | A | K |
| 7 | G | Z | V | Z | H | S | E | R | F | C | Q |
| 8 | N | O | J | Z | H | X | I | M | E | M | K |
| 9 | U | G | Q | E | S | O | O | H | C | F | I |
| 10 | H | F | B | O | M | S | C | V | X | N | O |
| 11 | X | Y | N | Q | T | U | X | D | K | Y | Q |
Comprehension quiz
Where does Amara go at the beginning of the story?
- A) Her apartment
- B) A large restaurant
- C) A small café
- D) A food market
What is the name of the server at the café?
- A) Marco
- B) Amara
- C) Sam
- D) Leo
What does Amara order to eat? Choose the best answer.
- A) Tomato soup and a cheese sandwich
- B) A sandwich and coffee
- C) A salad and a sandwich
- D) Tomato soup and a salad
What does Amara order to drink?
- A) Orange juice
- B) Water
- C) Tea
- D) Coffee
What does the word 'menu' mean?
- A) A list of food and drinks available
- B) The name of the server
- C) A piece of paper showing the check
- D) A type of soup
Which phrase does Amara use to ask for her food politely?
- A) Give me the soup.
- B) I want soup.
- C) Can I eat the soup?
- D) I would like the tomato soup, please.
Amara sits at a table near the door. True or False?
- A) Not stated
- B) True
- C) False
- D) Not mentioned
What does 'satisfied' mean in this story?
- A) Feeling tired after a long walk
- B) Feeling worried about something
- C) Feeling pleased because you have had enough
- D) Feeling hungry and ready to eat
What does Amara do when she finishes her meal?
- A) She walks to the counter.
- B) She asks for the check.
- C) She calls a friend.
- D) She orders more food.
The café is described as warm and quiet. True or False?
- A) Not stated
- B) Not mentioned
- C) False
- D) True
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. C 2. D 3. A 4. A 5. A 6. D 7. C 8. C 9. B 10. D
Word search answer key (A2 (Elementary))
Columns are lettered from the left, rows numbered from the top. The arrow shows the reading direction from the word's first letter.
check: G10 ↗ · choose: I9 ← · fresh: I7 ← · hungry: A10 ↑ · menu: F6 ↑ · order: I2 ↙ · satisfied: C1 → · server: F7 ↗