Cafe and restaurant in Russian
A table, the menu, what you cannot eat, and a compliment to the kitchen. Play the ten Russian 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 Russian phrases in this lesson
- Столик на двоихSTO-leek na dva-EEKH
- A table for two
- Меню, пожалуйстаmye-NYOO pa-ZHAL-sta
- The menu, please
- Что вы посоветуете?shto vy pa-sa-VYE-too-ye-tye
- What do you recommend?
- Я не ем...ya nye YEM
- I don't eat...
- У меня аллергия на...oo mye-NYA a-lyer-GEE-ya na
- I'm allergic to...
- МясоMYA-sa
- Meat
- КурицаKOO-ree-tsa
- Chicken
- РыбаRY-ba
- Fish
- Очень вкусноO-chen VKOOS-na
- It's delicious
- За здоровье!za zda-ROV-ye
- Cheers
Use this when entering a restaurant and waiting to be seated. In smaller cafes you may seat yourself; in larger restaurants a host will usually guide you.
Many Russian restaurants now have picture menus or English translations in tourist areas. In local spots, pointing and using Можно вот это? works well.
A genuine compliment that always pleases. Вкусно on its own means "tasty." Adding очень (very) makes it warmer. Staff and hosts will appreciate hearing it.
The classic Russian toast, meaning "to health." Eye contact during the toast matters. One warning worth knowing: "na zdorovye" (на здоровье) is NOT a toast, despite the movies. Russians use it to mean "you are welcome" after a meal, so raise your glass with za zdorovye instead.