Choose your food, order a drink, and ask for the bill.
Use formal Sie with the waiter.
The Linden café has a small practice menu. Prices are fictional; a drink means one serving. Choose what you would actually like.
This is a fictional practice situation. The dialogue below follows one example path; interactive practice lets you choose other meanings, complete the grammar and listen to German audio.
Ask for a table for your group.
Waiter
Guten Abend! Für wie viele Personen möchten Sie einen Tisch?
Good evening! For how many people would you like a table?
One possible reply
Für eine Person, bitte.
Für takes accusative. Person is feminine: eine Person. For two or more, use the number plus Personen.
Read the grammar guideChoose a drink and order it politely.
Waiter
Was möchten Sie trinken?
What would you like to drink?
One possible reply
Ich möchte einen Kaffee, bitte.
der Kaffee is masculine. The thing ordered is accusative: einen Kaffee. Size adjectives agree with this noun.
Read the grammar guideOrder a meal you would like.
Waiter
Sehr gern. Was möchten Sie essen?
Of course. What would you like to eat?
One possible reply
Ich möchte einen Salat, bitte.
der Salat is masculine. The thing ordered is accusative: einen Salat. Size adjectives agree with this noun.
Read the grammar guideSay you are finished and ask to pay.
Waiter
Hat es Ihnen geschmeckt? Möchten Sie noch etwas?
Did you enjoy it? Would you like anything else?
One possible reply
Es war sehr gut. Die Rechnung, bitte.
Die Rechnung, bitte is a natural short request. Ich möchte bitte bezahlen and Ich hätte gern die Rechnung are also polite, useful replies.
Read the grammar guideChoose how you want to pay.
Waiter
Möchten Sie bar oder mit Karte bezahlen?
Would you like to pay in cash or by card?
One possible reply
Ich möchte bar bezahlen.
Bar means in cash; mit Karte means by card. With möchte, the infinitive bezahlen goes at the end.
Read the grammar guideVielen Dank! Auf Wiedersehen!
Thank you very much! Goodbye!