Learning a few Korean Restaurant Phrases can make eating out in Korea much easier, even if you are still a beginner.
You do not need advanced grammar to order food, ask for a recommendation, request more water, check whether something is spicy, order takeout, or pay for your meal.
The key is not memorizing dozens of unrelated sentences. It is learning a few reusable Korean patterns that you can combine with different vocabulary.
In this guide, you will learn practical Korean Restaurant Phrases for restaurants and cafés, understand common questions from staff, practice real conversations, and learn how Korean ordering patterns actually work.
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to handle many common restaurant and café situations using simple Korean.
Table of Contents
1. Essential Korean Restaurant Phrases and Sentence Patterns
Before learning an entire restaurant conversation, start with a few patterns that you can reuse again and again.
주세요 — The Most Useful Ordering Pattern
주세요 means “please give me” and is one of the most useful expressions for Korean beginners.
Put the item you want before 주세요.
🔊 Listen: 주세요
juseyo
Please give me.
🔊 Listen: 물 주세요
mul juseyo
Water, please.
🔊 Listen: 메뉴 주세요
menyu juseyo
Menu, please.
🔊 Listen: 커피 주세요
keopi juseyo
Coffee, please.
You do not need to translate a long English request word for word.
For example:
“Could I please have some water?”
can naturally become:
🔊 Listen: 물 주세요
mul juseyo
Water, please.
This short Korean sentence is already polite.
You may also hear 좀 added to a request.
🔊 Listen: 물 좀 주세요
mul jom juseyo
Could I have some water, please?
좀 literally means “a little,” but it can soften a request and make it sound more conversational.
있어요? — Asking If Something Is Available
Another extremely useful pattern is:
Noun + 있어요?
This can mean:
“Do you have ___?”
or:
“Is there ___?”
🔊 Listen: 채식 메뉴 있어요?
chaesik menyu isseoyo?
Do you have a vegetarian menu?
🔊 Listen: 디저트 있어요?
dijeoteu isseoyo?
Do you have dessert?
🔊 Listen: 와이파이 있어요?
waipai isseoyo?
Do you have Wi-Fi?
Once you understand this pattern, you can change only the noun.
Useful Customization Patterns
At restaurants and cafés, three patterns are particularly useful.
빼 주세요 means “please leave out” or “please remove.”
🔊 Listen: 얼음 빼 주세요
eoreum bbae juseyo
Please leave out the ice.
🔊 Listen: 시럽 빼 주세요
sireop bbae juseyo
Please leave out the syrup.
추가해 주세요 means “please add.”
🔊 Listen: 샷 하나 추가해 주세요
syat hana chugahae juseyo
Please add one extra shot.
And if you want less of something:
🔊 Listen: 덜 맵게 해 주세요
deol maepge hae juseyo
Please make it less spicy.
These patterns are more useful than memorizing one fixed sentence because you can create new expressions yourself.
2. Entering a Korean Restaurant
Your Korean starts before you even order.
A few expressions will help you understand what happens when you first enter a restaurant.
Getting a Table
Restaurant staff often greet customers with:
🔊 Listen: 어서 오세요
eoseo oseyo
Welcome.
You do not need a special reply. A simple greeting is fine.
🔊 Listen: 안녕하세요
annyeonghaseyo
Hello.
The staff may immediately ask:
🔊 Listen: 몇 분이세요?
myeot buniseyo?
How many people?
Here, 분 is a polite counter for people.
You can answer very simply.
🔊 Listen: 두 명이요
du myeongiyo
Two people.
🔊 Listen: 세 명이요
se myeongiyo
Three people.
🔊 Listen: 네 명이요
ne myeongiyo
Four people.
You do not need to say a complete sentence.
Short answers such as 두 명이요 are completely natural.
You can also ask whether a table is available.
🔊 Listen: 두 명 자리 있어요?
du myeong jari isseoyo?
Do you have a table for two?
자리 means a seat, space, or place depending on the context.
Reservations
Staff may ask:
🔊 Listen: 예약하셨어요?
yeyakhasyeosseoyo?
Did you make a reservation?
If you have a reservation:
🔊 Listen: 네, 예약했어요
ne, yeyakhaesseoyo
Yes, I made a reservation.
If you do not:
🔊 Listen: 아니요, 예약 안 했어요
aniyo, yeyak an haesseoyo
No, I didn’t make a reservation.
A useful keyword to remember is:
예약
yeyak
reservation
Even if you cannot understand the entire sentence, recognizing this word can help you understand what the staff is asking.
3. Ordering Food in Korean
This is where the most important Korean Restaurant Phrases become useful.
Asking for the Menu and Recommendations
To request the menu:
🔊 Listen: 메뉴 주세요
menyu juseyo
Menu, please.
If you are not sure what to order:
🔊 Listen: 추천해 주세요
chucheonhae juseyo
Please recommend something.
Another natural question is:
🔊 Listen: 뭐가 제일 맛있어요?
mwoga jeil masisseoyo?
What’s the best / most delicious thing here?
This is useful when visiting a restaurant for the first time.
When you are ready to order:
🔊 Listen: 주문할게요
jumunhalgeyo
I’d like to order.
The staff may ask:
🔊 Listen: 주문하시겠어요?
jumunhasigesseoyo?
Would you like to order?
Ordering a Menu Item
The easiest ordering structure is:
Food + 주세요
For example:
🔊 Listen: 비빔밥 주세요
bibimbap juseyo
Bibimbap, please.
🔊 Listen: 불고기 주세요
bulgogi juseyo
Bulgogi, please.
If you cannot read or pronounce the menu item, you can point to it.
🔊 Listen: 이거 주세요
igeo juseyo
This one, please.
For a beginner, this is one of the most practical Korean expressions you can learn.
You can also specify quantity.
🔊 Listen: 비빔밥 두 개 주세요
bibimbap du gae juseyo
Two bibimbaps, please.
개 is a common general counter for objects or items.
Ordering Korean BBQ
Korean BBQ restaurants frequently use 인분, meaning a serving or portion.
🔊 Listen: 삼겹살 2인분 주세요
samgyeopsal i inbun juseyo
Two servings of pork belly, please.
🔊 Listen: 삼겹살 3인분 주세요
samgyeopsal sam inbun juseyo
Three servings of pork belly, please.
There is an important number-system difference here.
People are commonly counted using native Korean forms:
한 명
두 명
세 명
네 명
Servings with 인분 commonly use Sino-Korean numbers:
1인분 — 일 인분
2인분 — 이 인분
3인분 — 삼 인분
4인분 — 사 인분
You do not need to master both number systems immediately, but recognizing this difference will make restaurant Korean much easier.
Want to learn Korean numbers and counters in more detail? Read our Native Korean Numbers Guide.
Button: Learn Korean Numbers →
Asking About Spiciness and Ingredients
One of the most useful questions in Korea is:
🔊 Listen: 매워요?
maewoyo?
Is it spicy?
If you want it less spicy:
🔊 Listen: 덜 맵게 해 주세요
deol maepge hae juseyo
Please make it less spicy.
You can use the same pattern with other adjectives.
🔊 Listen: 덜 짜게 해 주세요
deol jjage hae juseyo
Please make it less salty.
If you need to ask about ingredients:
🔊 Listen: 고기 들어가요?
gogi deureogayo?
Does it contain meat?
🔊 Listen: 돼지고기 들어가요?
dwaejigogi deureogayo?
Does it contain pork?
🔊 Listen: 우유 들어가요?
uyu deureogayo?
Does it contain milk?
The reusable pattern is:
[ingredient] + 들어가요?
Does it contain [ingredient]?
For a serious allergy, however, do not rely only on a beginner phrase. Make sure the specific allergen is clearly communicated and confirmed with restaurant staff.
4. Requests, Takeout, and Paying
Ordering is only one part of a restaurant visit.
These Korean Restaurant Phrases will help you during and after your meal.
Asking for Extra Items
To ask for more water:
🔊 Listen: 물 좀 더 주세요
mul jom deo juseyo
Please give me some more water.
The useful pattern is:
___ 좀 더 주세요
Please give me some more ___.
For side dishes:
🔊 Listen: 반찬 좀 더 주세요
banchan jom deo juseyo
Please give me some more side dishes.
반찬 means Korean side dishes.
Some restaurants provide refills of certain side dishes, but refill policies vary.
Other useful requests include:
🔊 Listen: 앞접시 좀 주세요
apjeopsi jom juseyo
Could I have a small plate?
🔊 Listen: 수저 좀 주세요
sujeo jom juseyo
Could I have a spoon and chopsticks?
🔊 Listen: 휴지 좀 주세요
hyuji jom juseyo
Could I have some tissues?
Notice how the same pattern keeps repeating:
item + 좀 주세요
Once you learn the structure, you only need to change the item.
Takeout
To request takeout:
🔊 Listen: 포장해 주세요
pojanghae juseyo
Please pack it to go.
Staff may ask:
🔊 Listen: 포장해 드릴까요?
pojanghae deurilkkayo?
Would you like it packed to go?
You can answer:
🔊 Listen: 네, 포장해 주세요
ne, pojanghae juseyo
Yes, please pack it to go.
The word 포장 is useful at restaurants, cafés, bakeries, and many other food shops.
Paying and Receipts
At many Korean restaurants, customers pay at the counter rather than waiting for a check at the table.
You can say:
🔊 Listen: 계산할게요
gyesanhalkkeyo
I’d like to pay.
A shorter expression is:
🔊 Listen: 계산이요
gyesan-iyo
The bill, please.
To ask whether cards are accepted:
🔊 Listen: 카드 돼요?
kadeu dwaeyo?
Do you accept cards?
If you are paying by card:
🔊 Listen: 카드로 할게요
kadeuro halgeyo
I’ll pay by card.
To request a receipt:
🔊 Listen: 영수증 주세요
yeongsujeung juseyo
Receipt, please.
The staff may ask:
🔊 Listen: 영수증 드릴까요?
yeongsujeung deurilkkayo?
Would you like a receipt?
When leaving, you can say:
🔊 Listen: 잘 먹었습니다
jal meogeotseumnida
Thank you for the meal. / I enjoyed the meal.
This expression does not have a perfect one-to-one English translation. It is commonly used to express appreciation after a meal.
5. Korean Cafe Phrases
Many of the same patterns used in Korean restaurants also work in cafés.
Ordering Drinks
To order an iced Americano:
🔊 Listen: 아이스 아메리카노 하나 주세요
aiseu amerikano hana juseyo
One iced Americano, please.
For a latte:
🔊 Listen: 라떼 하나 주세요
latte hana juseyo
One latte, please.
You may also hear the counter 잔 for cups or glasses.
🔊 Listen: 커피 한 잔 주세요
keopi han jan juseyo
One cup of coffee, please.
Common forms include:
한 잔 — one cup
두 잔 — two cups
세 잔 — three cups
Staff may ask whether you want the drink hot or iced.
🔊 Listen: 아이스로 드릴까요?
aiseuro deurilkkayo?
Would you like it iced?
You can answer:
🔊 Listen: 아이스로 주세요
aiseuro juseyo
Iced, please.
Or:
🔊 Listen: 따뜻한 걸로 주세요
ttatteutan geollo juseyo
Hot, please.
Customizing Your Drink
To add an espresso shot:
🔊 Listen: 샷 하나 추가해 주세요
syat hana chugahae juseyo
Please add one extra shot.
To make a drink less sweet:
🔊 Listen: 조금 덜 달게 해 주세요
jogeum deol dalge hae juseyo
Please make it a little less sweet.
To remove ice:
🔊 Listen: 얼음 빼 주세요
eoreum bbae juseyo
Please leave out the ice.
To remove syrup:
🔊 Listen: 시럽 빼 주세요
sireop bbae juseyo
Please leave out the syrup.
These examples show why learning patterns such as 빼 주세요 and 추가해 주세요 is more powerful than memorizing a single drink order.
Here or To Go
A very common café question is:
🔊 Listen: 드시고 가세요?
deusigo gaseyo?
Are you having it here?
If you are staying:
🔊 Listen: 여기서 마실게요
yeogiseo masilgeyo
I’ll drink it here.
For takeout:
🔊 Listen: 포장해 주세요
pojanghae juseyo
To go, please.
Other useful café requests include:
🔊 Listen: 빨대 좀 주세요
ppaldae jom juseyo
Could I have a straw, please?
🔊 Listen: 디저트 메뉴 있어요?
dijeoteu menyu isseoyo?
Do you have a dessert menu?
🔊 Listen: 케이크 한 조각 주세요
keikeu han jogak juseyo
One slice of cake, please.
🔊 Listen: 와이파이 비밀번호 뭐예요?
waipai bimilbeonho mwoyeyo?
What is the Wi-Fi password?
🔊 Listen: 여기 앉아도 돼요?
yeogi anjado dwaeyo?
Can I sit here?
The grammar pattern -아/어도 돼요? means “Can I…?” or “Is it okay if I…?” and can be used in many everyday situations.
Want to understand the grammar behind these expressions? Continue with our Korean Grammar for Beginners Complete Guide.👇
6. What Korean Restaurant Staff May Say
Good Korean Restaurant Phrases are not only about what you say.
You also need to understand common questions that staff may ask.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 몇 분이세요? | myeot buniseyo? | How many people? |
| 예약하셨어요? | yeyakhasyeosseoyo? | Did you make a reservation? |
| 주문하시겠어요? | jumunhasigesseoyo? | Would you like to order? |
| 음료는 뭐로 드릴까요? | eumnyoneun mworo deurilkkayo? | What would you like to drink? |
| 더 필요하신 거 있으세요? | deo piryohasin geo isseuseyo? | Do you need anything else? |
| 포장해 드릴까요? | pojanghae deurilkkayo? | Would you like it packed to go? |
| 영수증 드릴까요? | yeongsujeung deurilkkayo? | Would you like a receipt? |
| 좋은 하루 되세요 | joeun haru doeseyo | Have a nice day |
At beginner level, you do not always need to understand the entire sentence.
Focus on keywords.
예약 = reservation
주문 = order
음료 = drink
포장 = takeout
계산 = payment
영수증 = receipt
For example, if you hear 영수증 near the cash register, the staff is probably asking you something about the receipt.
This kind of contextual listening is an important real-world Korean skill.
7. Real Korean Restaurant and Cafe Conversations
Now let’s combine the expressions into complete conversations.
Restaurant Conversation
Staff:
🔊 Listen: 어서 오세요. 몇 분이세요?
eoseo oseyo. myeot buniseyo?
Welcome. How many people?
Customer:
🔊 Listen: 두 명이요
du myeongiyo
Two people.
Staff:
🔊 Listen: 주문하시겠어요?
jumunhasigesseoyo?
Would you like to order?
Customer:
🔊 Listen: 네. 삼겹살 2인분 주세요
ne. samgyeopsal i inbun juseyo
Yes. Two servings of pork belly, please.
Customer:
🔊 Listen: 그리고 물 좀 주세요
geurigo mul jom juseyo
And some water, please.
During the meal:
🔊 Listen: 반찬 좀 더 주세요
banchan jom deo juseyo
Please give us some more side dishes.
After eating:
🔊 Listen: 계산할게요
gyesanhalkkeyo
I’d like to pay.
Before leaving:
🔊 Listen: 잘 먹었습니다
jal meogeotseumnida
Thank you for the meal.
This short dialogue covers several of the most important Korean Restaurant Phrases a beginner can use.
Cafe Conversation
Staff:
🔊 Listen: 주문하시겠어요?
jumunhasigesseoyo?
Would you like to order?
Customer:
🔊 Listen: 아이스 아메리카노 하나 주세요
aiseu amerikano hana juseyo
One iced Americano, please.
Customer:
🔊 Listen: 샷 하나 추가해 주세요
syat hana chugahae juseyo
Please add one extra shot.
Staff:
🔊 Listen: 드시고 가세요?
deusigo gaseyo?
Are you having it here?
Customer:
🔊 Listen: 네, 여기서 마실게요
ne, yeogiseo masilgeyo
Yes, I’ll drink it here.
Later:
🔊 Listen: 와이파이 비밀번호 뭐예요?
waipai bimilbeonho mwoyeyo?
What is the Wi-Fi password?
Notice that the conversation uses the same basic patterns you learned earlier rather than completely new grammar.
That is the goal of this lesson.
8. Practice, Common Mistakes, and Final Review
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Translating English word for word
You do not need to translate:
“Could you please give me a glass of water?”
word by word.
A natural Korean request is simply:
🔊 Listen: 물 좀 주세요
mul jom juseyo
Could I have some water, please?
2. Using casual Korean with staff
Beginners should avoid using:
줘
jwo
Give me.
Instead, use:
🔊 Listen: 주세요
juseyo
Please give me.
주세요 is a much safer choice for restaurants, cafés, shops, and other service situations.
3. Depending only on romanization
Romanization can help at first, but your goal should be to recognize Korean directly.
Try to read:
물 좀 주세요
instead of always depending on:
mul jom juseyo
If Hangul still feels difficult, study the alphabet before memorizing large amounts of vocabulary.
New to Korean? Start with our Complete Hangul Beginner Guide.
Button: Learn Hangul →
4. Memorizing every phrase separately
Instead, remember these reusable structures:
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ___ 주세요 | Please give me ___ | 물 주세요 |
| ___ 좀 더 주세요 | Please give me more ___ | 반찬 좀 더 주세요 |
| ___ 있어요? | Do you have ___? | 채식 메뉴 있어요? |
| ___ 들어가요? | Does it contain ___? | 고기 들어가요? |
| ___ 빼 주세요 | Please leave out ___ | 얼음 빼 주세요 |
| ___ 추가해 주세요 | Please add ___ | 샷 추가해 주세요 |
| ___아/어도 돼요? | Can I ___? | 여기 앉아도 돼요? |
Seven patterns can create dozens of useful Korean sentences.
Quick Practice
How do you say “Water, please”?
🔊 Listen: 물 주세요
mul juseyo
Water, please.
How do you ask “Is it spicy?”
🔊 Listen: 매워요?
maewoyo?
Is it spicy?
How do you say “Please make it less spicy”?
🔊 Listen: 덜 맵게 해 주세요
deol maepge hae juseyo
Please make it less spicy.
How do you ask for takeout?
🔊 Listen: 포장해 주세요
pojanghae juseyo
Please pack it to go.
How do you say “I’d like to pay”?
🔊 Listen: 계산할게요
gyesanhalkkeyo
I’d like to pay.
How do you order one iced Americano?
🔊 Listen: 아이스 아메리카노 하나 주세요
aiseu amerikano hana juseyo
One iced Americano, please.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important Korean Restaurant Phrases for beginners?
Start with 주세요, 있어요?, 매워요?, 포장해 주세요, and 계산할게요. These expressions cover many common situations.
Is 주세요 polite?
Yes. 주세요 is a polite everyday expression appropriate for many restaurant, café, shopping, and service situations.
How do I ask for takeout in Korean?
🔊 Listen: 포장해 주세요
pojanghae juseyo
Please pack it to go.
How do I ask for the bill in Korean?
🔊 Listen: 계산할게요
gyesanhalkkeyo
I’d like to pay.
How do I ask if something is spicy?
🔊 Listen: 매워요?
maewoyo?
Is it spicy?
Do I need perfect Korean pronunciation to order food?
No. Clear pronunciation of important words and simple patterns can already help you handle many common situations.
Listening to Korean audio and repeating the expressions is much more useful than waiting until your pronunciation is perfect.
Final Review
The goal of studying Korean Restaurant Phrases is not to memorize every line in this guide.
Start with a few flexible patterns:
🔊 Listen: 주세요
juseyo
Please give me.
🔊 Listen: 있어요?
isseoyo?
Do you have it?
🔊 Listen: 포장해 주세요
pojanghae juseyo
Please pack it to go.
🔊 Listen: 계산할게요
gyesanhalkkeyo
I’d like to pay.
🔊 Listen: 잘 먹었습니다
jal meogeotseumnida
Thank you for the meal.
Then replace the vocabulary and make your own sentences.
That is how a small number of Korean patterns becomes useful in real life.
If you are studying Korean for an official proficiency exam, read our TOPIK Test 2026 Complete Guide.👇
