Cafe and restaurant in Romanian
A table, the menu, what you cannot eat, and a compliment to the kitchen. Play the ten Romanian 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 Romanian phrases in this lesson
- O masă pentru doioh MAH-suh PEN-troo doy
- A table for two
- Meniul, vă rogmeh-NYOOL vuh ROG
- The menu, please
- Ce ne recomandați?cheh neh reh-koh-man-DATS
- What do you recommend?
- Nu mănânc...noo muh-NUNK
- I don't eat...
- Sunt alergic la...soont ah-LER-jeek lah
- I'm allergic to...
- CarneKAR-neh
- Meat
- PuiPOO-ee
- Chicken
- PeștePESH-teh
- Fish
- E deliciosyeh deh-lee-CHYOS
- It's delicious
- Noroc!noh-ROK
- Cheers
Masă means both table and meal. For a larger group, change doi to the relevant number. Restaurants are social and unhurried; settling in for a long meal is expected.
Meniu with the definite article attached becomes meniul. Many restaurants in tourist areas have English menus; asking for one is fine, but trying Romanian first earns goodwill.
A woman says alergică.
Saying this to a Romanian cook or host is a guaranteed hit. You may also hear e foarte bun (yeh FWAHR-teh BOON), it is very good, which is equally warm.
Literally "good luck". Eye contact on the clink is expected. A more formal alternative is în sănătatea voastră (een suh-nuh-TAH-tee-ah VWAS-truh), to your health, used at toasts.