Eating Places

With our increasingly busy lifestyle many families are choosing to eat out more often. While it may be rather expensive, for some it is the only logical choice. And eating out, especially on special occasions, can be fun. In all large cities there are plenty of restaurants, cafés, cafeterias, self-service dining-rooms, etc. To be on the safe side, it is better to book a table in advance. Typically, customers sit at tables, their orders are taken by a waiter, who brings the food when it is ready, and the customers pay the bill before leaving.

You can have breakfast, dinner, lunch or supper at any restaurant. Every restaurant offers you dinners ”table d’hôte”. These meals are known as regular dinners. It means that you are served with meals of several courses, at a fixed price. “Table d’hôte” is cheaper than “table à la carte”. “Table à la carte” means such meals which are ordered course by course, from the menu card, each dish separately. There are the following parts of the menu: Starters or Appetizers; Soups; Main Courses (meat, fish, vegetarian); Desserts; Beverages (coffee etc.); Wine or Drinks List. When you finish your meal, the waiter brings you a bill to pay. It is a tradition to leave some tips for the waiter but usually no more than ten per cent out of the sum of the bill.

In the evening you can see several people dancing at the far end of the room, near the orchestra. One of the waiters is standing near the table where there are cold dishes of various kinds. He is holding a tray with two wineglasses on it. He has put the bottle of wine into the ice-bucket to keep it cool.

In summer, when it is very hot, you can also order cold, refreshing beverages, such as: soda water, juice, lemonade or beer.

Take-away restaurants are very popular. It is cheaper than eating in the restaurant and you can even order by phone and have all the food brought to your home. You choose the dishes you like and then the personnel pack them for your convenience to take the food with you or to deliver your order home.

The pub or Public House is a part of the British tradition. It is a place where you can meet people, chat, listen to music, play darts and, of course, have a drink. The most common drink served is beer (called ale, bitter, stout or lager), but you can also choose wine, cocktails, spirits or soft (non-alcoholic) drinks. Most pubs serve food, too. Children under 14 are not allowed into pubs but they can stay in the garden (when the weather is fine!). Teenagers between 14 and 18 can enter but cannot drink alcohol (not even beer). The law is very strict and Landlord (the manager of the pub) can refuse entry if he prefers.

The traditional Fish and Chip Shop is still popular. There you can order fried fish and chips packed in one bag together and enjoy your meal outside. But there are more and more Pizza Shops and Burger Bars visited by many people with great pleasure, too.

1. Why do many people prefer eating out nowadays?

2. Is it cheap or expensive to eat out?

3. Why is it preferable to book a table at the restaurant in advance?

4. Who usually serves customers at the restaurant?

5. What is the difference between “table d’hôte”and “table à la carte”?

6. What does the waiter bring for the customers to choose the dishes from?

7. What do usually customers leave the waiter while paying the bill?

8. Why are take-away restaurants very popular?

9. How can you spend your time at the pub?

10. Are teenagers allowed to drink beer at the pubs?

11. What are the other popular places of catering?

Vocabulary and Speech Exercises

Дата добавления: 2015-10-21