Flat whites, takeaway cups and polite questions: order like a local. In this short guide you learn how to order food and drinks politely.
This article is the reading companion to the free Mondosol lesson 🇬🇧 English A2: Ordering at a Café (Can I Have…?), part of the English course. Read it, watch the videos, or press play and listen first, then practise in the lesson.
Free: create your free Mondosol account to practise this lesson and track your progress.
In this article
Ordering at a café: the phrases you need
These are the polite phrases you hear and use at a café counter.
| Phrase | What it means |
|---|---|
| Can I have a coffee? | a polite way to order — Could I have…? is even more polite |
| A flat white | a coffee with steamed milk and thin foam — popular in Australia, New Zealand and the UK |
| Large, please | size + please — small, medium or large |
| Anything else? | asking if you want more — the staff ask it after your order |
| Eat in or take away? | stay or leave with it — Americans say for here or to go |
| How much is it? | asking the price — you can also say How much is that? |
| Card or cash? | how will you pay — answer Card, please or Cash |
| That’s all, thanks | nothing more, please — a polite way to finish your order |
Check yourself
Try each question before you open the answer.
You want a coffee. Which sentence is the most polite?
Options: Give me coffee / Could I have a coffee, please? / I want coffee. Answer: Could I have a coffee, please?
‘Eat in or take away?’ You want to leave with your drink. You say:
Options: Take away, please / Eat in, please / That’s all, thanks. Answer: Take away, please
‘Anything else?’ You are finished. You say:
Options: Yes, finished / No, I am anything / That’s all, thanks. Answer: That’s all, thanks
You want to know the price. You ask:
Options: How many is it? / How much is it? / What is the cost you?. Answer: How much is it?
Watch: ordering at a café in English
Two short videos from other teachers show the same idea in a different voice. Watch one, then come back to the lesson.
Video: “English Conversation at a Café (Coffee Shop) | Useful Phrases”, on YouTube.
Video: “Ordering Coffee & Food in English – Easy Conversation Practice at a Cafe!”, on YouTube.
Take it further
Order a drink and a snack out loud, as politely as you can. Practise the whole order out loud, from hello to thank you.
Frequently asked questions
What will I learn in this lesson?
You learn 8 key phrases, such as Can I have a coffee?, A flat white, Large, please, and how to use them in real sentences.
What level is this lesson?
It is an A2 (elementary) lesson in the Mondosol English course.
Is the lesson free?
Yes. Create a free Mondosol account to practise this lesson and track your progress.
How do I practise after reading?
Open the lesson and work through the exercises. Order a drink and a snack out loud, as politely as you can.
Keep learning
- Practise it: 🇬🇧 English A2: Ordering at a Café (Can I Have…?)
- Full course: Learn to speak English
- Related reading: The English verb “to be” and English likes and dislikes
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