Cafe and restaurant in Dutch
A table, the menu, what you cannot eat, and a compliment to the kitchen. Play the ten Dutch words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Dutch phrases in this lesson
- Een tafel voor tweeun TAH-ful vor tvay
- A table for two
- De menukaart alsjeblieftduh muh-NOO-kaart ALS-yuh-bleeft
- The menu, please
- Wat raadt u aan?vat raat oo AAN
- What do you recommend?
- Ik eet geen...ik ayt khayn
- I don't eat...
- Ik ben allergisch voor...ik ben ah-LER-khees vor
- I'm allergic to...
- Vleesflays
- Meat
- Kipkip
- Chicken
- Visvis
- Fish
- Het is heerlijkhut is HAYR-luk
- It's delicious
- Proostproast
- Cheers
Standard opener when arriving at a restaurant. In the Netherlands it is common to seat yourself in cafes, so look for a free table and then catch the server's eye.
Menukaart is the physical menu. Many Dutch restaurants post menus outside, and digital menus via QR code are now common.
"Ik eet geen vlees", I don't eat meat.
Raw herring with onions, haring, is eaten standing at a street stall.
A warm compliment to a chef or host. Lekker (LEK-ur), meaning tasty or nice, is the ultra-versatile Dutch word used for everything enjoyable.
The Dutch toast before drinking. Make eye contact when clinking glasses. It is considered rude to look away during the toast.