At the Restaurant in Arabic: Ordering Food

Dining out is a central part of Arab culture, from casual street food to elaborate restaurant meals. This lesson teaches you how to navigate menus, order food, handle dietary restrictions, and pay the bill with confidence. Whether you’re at a traditional Arabic restaurant or a modern café, these phrases will help you enjoy your meal.

Restaurant Vocabulary

Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning
مطعم	maṭ3am	restaurant
قائمة	qā’ima	menu
طلب	ṭalab	order
فاتورة	fātūra	bill / check
بقشيش	baqshīsh	tip / gratuity
جالس	jālis	sitting
واقف	wāqif	standing
حجز	ḥajz	reservation
طاولة	ṭāwila	table
كرسي	kursī	chair
ملعقة	mil’aqa	spoon
شوكة	shawka	fork
سكين	sakkīn	knife
صحن	ṣaḥn	plate
كوب	kūb	cup
كأس	ka’s	glass
سلة	salla	basket
منديل	mandīl	napkin
ملح	milḥ	salt
فلفل	filfil	pepper

Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning
مقبلات	muqabilāt	appetizers
سلطة	salaṭa	salad
شوربة	shūrba	soup
رز	ruzz	rice
لحم	lahm	meat
دجاج	dajāj	chicken
سمك	samak	fish
خضار	khuḍār	vegetables
خبز	khubz	bread
فواكه	fawākih	fruits
حلويات	ḥalawiyāt	desserts
مشروبات	mashrubāt	drinks
طعام	ṭa3ām	food
وجبة	wajba	meal
وجبة خفيفة	wajba khafīfa	light meal
وجبة كاملة	wajba kāmila	full meal
مأكولات بحرية	ma’kūlāt baḥriyya	seafood
مأكولات نباتية	ma’kūlāt nabātiyya	vegetarian food
شهي	shahī	delicious

Ordering Food

Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning
أنا جاهز للطلب	ana jāhiz lit-ṭalab	I’m ready to order
أريد…	urīdu…	I want…
أريد مقبلات أولاً	urīdu muqabilāt awwalan	I want appetizers first
أريد وجبة كاملة	urīdu wajba kāmila	I want a full meal
ما تنصحني؟	mā tanṣaḥnee?	what do you recommend?
ما هي تخصصات المطعم؟	mā hiya takhaṣṣuṣāt al-maṭ3am?	what are the restaurant’s specialties?
هل يوجد نباتيون؟	hal yūjad nabātiyyūn?	is there vegetarian?
هل يوجد بدون جلوتين؟	hal yūjad bidūn glūtīn?	is there gluten-free?
أريد بدون سكر	urīdu bidūn sukkar	I want without sugar
أريد بدون ملح	urīdu bidūn milḥ	I want without salt
أريد حاراً	urīdu ḥāran	I want it spicy
أريد غير حار	urīdu ghayr ḥār	I want it not spicy
كم يستغرق الطلب؟	kam yastaghriq aṭ-ṭalab?	how long does the order take?
ممكن القائمة؟	mumkin al-qā’ima?	can I have the menu?

Dietary Restrictions

Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning
أنا نباتي	ana nabātī	I am vegetarian
أنا نباتية	ana nabātiyya	I am vegetarian (female)
أنا لا أأكل اللحم	ana lā akulu l-laḥm	I don’t eat meat
أنا لا أأكل السمك	ana lā akulu s-samak	I don’t eat fish
أنا حساس من…	ana ḥāsas min…	I am allergic to…
حساسية من المكسرات	ḥasāsiyya min al-mukassarāt	allergy to nuts
حساسية من الحليب	ḥasāsiyya min al-ḥalīb	allergy to milk
حساسية من البيض	ḥasāsiyya min al-bayḍ	allergy to eggs
هل يوجد طعام بدون…؟	hal yūjad ṭa3ām bidūn…?	is there food without…?
أنا أتبع حمية	ana atba3 ḥimmiyya	I am on a diet
أنا أكل صحي	ana ākul ṣiḥḥī	I eat healthy

Asking About Food

Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning
ما هذا؟	mā haadha?	what is this?
ما مكوناته؟	mā mukawwinātuh?	what are its ingredients?
هل هذا حار؟	hal haadha ḥār?	is this spicy?
هل هذا طازج؟	hal haadha ṭāzij?	is this fresh?
هل يمكنني رؤية المطبخ؟	hal yumkinnee ru’yat al-maṭbakh?	can I see the kitchen?
كم سعر الوجبة؟	kam si’r al-wajba?	how much is the meal?
هل السعر شامل الضريبة؟	hal as-si’r shāmil aḍ-ḍarība?	is the price including tax?
هل تقبلون البطاقات؟	hal taqbalūn al-biṭāqāt?	do you accept cards?
أريد حساباً منفصلاً	urīdu ḥisāban minfaṣilan	I want a separate check

At the Restaurant Dialogue

Dining at a restaurant

A
ahlan wa sahlan, ḥajz bi-ism AḥmadWelcome, reservation under Ahmed
B
marhaban Aḥmad, tafaddal aṭ-ṭāwilaHello Ahmed, here's your table
A
shukran. hal yumkinnee ru'yat al-qā'ima?Thank you. Can I see the menu?
B
tafaddal, haadhihi qā'imat aṭ-ṭa3āmHere, this is the food menu
A
mā tanṣaḥnee bil-muqabilāt?What do you recommend for appetizer?
B
anṣaḥuk bil-ḥummuṣ wa l-fattaI recommend hummus and fattah
A
mumtāz. wa urīdu dajājan ma3 ruzzExcellent. And I want chicken with rice
B
hal turīdu salaṭatan aydan?Do you want salad too?
A
na3am, salaṭa yūnāniyyaYes, Greek salad
B
mā hiya mashrūbātuk?What are your drinks?
A
mā' min faḍlakWater please
B
ḥasanan, sa-aḥḍuru ṭalabak ḥālanOkay, I'll bring your order now

Paying the Bill

Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning
الحساب من فضلك	al-ḥisāb min faḍlak	the bill please
كم الحساب؟	kam al-ḥisāb?	how much is the bill?
هل السعر شامل الخدمة؟	hal as-si’r shāmil al-khidma?	is the price including service?
لا أريد بقشيش	lā urīdu baqshīsh	I don’t want tip
أريد إعطاء بقشيش	urīdu i3ṭā’ baqshīsh	I want to give tip
كم تريد إعطاء؟	kam turīdu i3ṭā’?	how much do you want to give?
أعطي خمسة بالمئة	a3ṭī khamsata bil-mi’a	I’ll give five percent
أعطي عشرة بالمئة	a3ṭī 3asharata bil-mi’a	I’ll give ten percent
البطاقة من فضلك	al-biṭāqa min faḍlak	card please
كاش	kāsh	cash
فاتورة	fātūra	receipt
شكراً على الطعام اللذيذ	shukran 3ala ṭ-ṭa3ām al-ladheeth	thank you for the delicious food
الطعام كان شهي	aṭ-ṭa3ām kāna shahī	the food was delicious

Paying Dialogue

Paying the bill

A
al-ḥisāb min faḍlakThe bill please
B
tafaddal, al-ḥisāb khamsa wa khamsūna riyālanHere, the bill is fifty-five riyals
A
hal as-si'r shāmil al-khidma?Is the price including service?
B
na3am, shāmil al-khidmaYes, including service
A
mumtāz. urīdu i3ṭā' baqshīshExcellent. I want to give a tip
B
shukran jazeelan, anta karīmThank you very much, you are generous
A
al-3afw, aṭ-ṭa3ām kāna ladheedh jiddanYou're welcome, the food was very delicious
B
shukran, narāka marratan ukhrāThank you, see you again

Restaurant Etiquette

It’s polite to greet the staff when entering and leaving
Tipping (بقشيش) is customary — 10-15% is standard
In some countries, service charge is included in the bill
Wait for the host to seat you — don’t sit at a reserved table
It’s okay to ask for recommendations — staff are usually proud of their food
In formal restaurants, wait for the host to pour your drink
Keep your voice low — loud conversations are considered rude
Say بالعافية (bon appétit) before eating
Thank the staff when leaving

Cultural Notes

Arabic hospitality is legendary — expect generous portions
الحمد لله is said after eating to express gratitude
In many Arab countries, eating with the right hand is traditional
Coffee or tea is often offered after the meal — it’s polite to accept
Many restaurants have separate sections for families and singles
During Ramadan, restaurants may be closed during the day
Street food is popular and often delicious — don’t be afraid to try it
Food sharing is common — dishes are often placed in the center for everyone

Practice

How do you ask for the bill in Arabic?

hint: Think of 'the account please'

What does 'شهي' mean?

hint: Used to describe tasty food

How do you say 'I am vegetarian' in Arabic?

hint: Use 'نباتي' for vegetarian

What is 'بقشيش' in English?

hint: Given to service staff

Match each pair — start with Arabic (left)

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Arabic

English

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Congratulations on completing the beginner lessons! You now have essential Arabic vocabulary for everyday situations. Browse all lessons.

At the Restaurant