Arabic Spoken Course – Lesson 9: Ordering Food in Arabic at a Restaurant

May 21, 2025
Free Arabic Spoken Course

Ever found yourself sitting in a Middle Eastern restaurant, staring at the menu, wondering how to say “I’ll have the grilled chicken” in Arabic?

Whether you’re visiting the Gulf region or just love Arabic culture and cuisine, ordering food in Arabic is one of the most rewarding (and delicious!) skills to learn.

In today’s Lesson 9 of our Free Arabic Spoken Course, we’ll walk you through a complete restaurant scenario in Gulf Arabic – from entering a restaurant to paying the bill – all explained in a fun, digestible, and beginner-friendly way.

Table of Contents

Why Learn to Ordering Food in Arabic?

Ordering food is more than just asking for a meal. It’s a doorway to experiencing Arab hospitality, tasting local flavors, and building confidence with real-world conversations.

In Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, people will genuinely appreciate your efforts to speak their language—even if it’s just ordering shawarma!

Essential Vocabulary – Ordering Food in Arabic (Gulf Dialect)

Here’s a comprehensive vocabulary list you might encounter when visiting a restaurant:

#	Arabic Script	Roman Arabic (Gulf Dialect)	English Meaning
1	مطعم	maṭʿam	Restaurant
2	قائمة الطعام	qā’imat al-ṭaʿām	Menu
3	نادل	nādil	Waiter
4	نادلة	nādila	Waitress
5	زبون	zabūn	Customer
6	أبي / أبغى	abī / abghā	I want
7	عيش	ʿaysh	Rice
8	دجاج	djāj	Chicken
9	لحم	laḥm	Meat
10	مشوي	mashwī	Grilled
11	مقلي	maqlī	Fried
12	شوربة	shūrba	Soup
13	سلطة	salāṭa	Salad
14	خبز	khubz	Bread
15	مشروب	mashrūb	Drink
16	ماء	māy	Water
17	عصير	ʿaṣīr	Juice
18	شاي	shāy	Tea
19	قهوة	qahwa	Coffee
20	فاتورة / حساب	fātūra / ḥisāb	Bill
21	لو سمحت	law samaḥt	Please (male)
22	لو سمحتي	law samaḥtī	Please (female)
23	شكراً	shukran	Thank you
24	ممتاز	mumtāz	Excellent
25	لذيذ	ladhīdh	Delicious
26	جاهز	jāhiz	Ready
27	نبي نطلب	nabī naṭlub	We want to order
28	عندكم…؟	ʿindakum…?	Do you have…?
29	شي ثاني؟	shay thānī?	Anything else?
30	لا، هذا يكفي	lā, hādhā yakfī	No, that’s enough

Grammar Tips – Gulf Arabic Sentence Structure in Restaurants

1. Verb Comes First (Often):
Arabic usually follows Verb + Subject + Object order.

أبغى عصير برتقال (abghā ʿaṣīr burtuqāl) = I want orange juice
→ Verb (abghā) + Object (juice)

2. Gender Agreement:
Use “لو سمحت” for a male, and “لو سمحتي” for a female.

3. Definite Article:
“ال” (al) = the
e.g. الطعام = the food

4. Negation:

“ما” before verbs negates them.
e.g. ما أبغى شاي = I don’t want tea

Conversations – Real-Life Gulf Arabic Restaurant Scenarios

Conversation 1: Greeting and Getting Seated

Ahmed:
Arabic: السّلام عليكم، في طاولة لشخص واحد؟
Roman: As-salāmu ʿalaykum, fī ṭāwilah li-shakhs wāḥid?
English: Peace be upon you, is there a table for one person?

Arabic	Roman Arabic	English
السّلام	as-salām	peace
عليكم	ʿalaykum	upon you
في	fī	is there
طاولة	ṭāwilah	table
لشخص	li-shakhs	for a person
واحد	wāḥid	one

Waiter:
Arabic: وعليكم السّلام، نعم اتفضل، هذه الطاولة فاضية.
Roman: Wa ʿalaykum as-salām, naʿam, itfaḍḍal, hādhī aṭ-ṭāwilah fāḍyah.
English: And peace be upon you, yes, please, this table is free.

Arabic	Roman Arabic	English
وعليكم	wa ʿalaykum	and upon you
السّلام	as-salām	peace
نعم	naʿam	yes
اتفضل	itfaḍḍal	please (sit)
هذه	hādhī	this
الطاولة	aṭ-ṭāwilah	the table
فاضية	fāḍyah	empty/free

Conversation 2: Looking at the Menu

Ahmed:
Arabic: ممكن أشوف المنيو؟
Roman: Mumkin ashūf al-menu?
English: Can I see the menu?

Arabic	Roman Arabic	Word Meaning
ممكن	mumkin	possible
أشوف	ashūf	I see
المنيو	al-menu	the menu

Waiter:
Arabic: أكيد، تفضل، هذا المنيو.
Roman: Akīd, tafaḍḍal, hādhā al-menu.
English: Of course, here you go, this is the menu.

Arabic	English	Word Meaning
أكيد	of course	sure
تفضل	here you go	please
هذا	this	this
المنيو	the menu	the menu

Conversation 3: Placing the Order

Ahmed:
Arabic: أبغي سلطة خضراء، شوربة عدس، و مشاوي مشكلة.
Roman: Abghī salaṭah khaḍrāʾ, shorbat ʿadas, w mashāwī mushakkalah.
English: I’d like a green salad, lentil soup, and mixed grill.

Arabic	English	Word Meaning
أبغي	I want	I want
سلطة	salad	salad
خضراء	green	green
شوربة	soup	soup
عدس	lentil	lentil
و	and	and
مشاوي	grill	grilled meats
مشكلة	mixed	mixed

Waiter:
Arabic: تحب تشرب شي مع الأكل؟
Roman: Tiḥibb tishrab shay maʿa al-akl?
English: Would you like to drink something with the food?

Arabic	Roman Arabic	Word Meaning
تحب	tiḥibb	you love/like
تشرب	tishrab	you drink
شي	shay	thing
مع	maʿa	with
الأكل	al-akl	the food

Ahmed:
Arabic: إيي، جبلي موية باردة و ليمون بالنعناع.
Roman: Īyy, jiblī māyah bārdah w laymūn bil-naʿnāʿ.
English: Yes, bring me cold water and lemon with mint.

Arabic	Roman Arabic	English
إيي	īyy	yes
جبلي	jiblī	bring me
موية	māyah	water
باردة	bārdah	cold
و	w	and
ليمون	laymūn	lemon
بالنعناع	bil-naʿnāʿ	with mint

Conversation 4: During the Meal

Waiter:
Arabic: كل شي تمام؟ تحتاج شي ثاني؟
Roman: Kil shay tamām? Tiḥtāj shay thānī?
English: Everything okay? Do you need anything else?

Arabic	Roman Arabic	English
كل	kil	every
شي	shay	thing
تمام	tamām	okay
تحتاج	tiḥtāj	you need
شي	shay	something
ثاني	thānī	else

Ahmed:
Arabic: الأكل لذيذ وايد، يعطيك العافية.
Roman: Al-akl ladhīdh wāyid, yaʿṭīk al-ʿāfiyah.
English: The food is very delicious, thank you.

Arabic	Roman Arabic	English
الأكل	al-akl	the food
لذيذ	ladhīdh	delicious
وايد	wāyid	very
يعطيك	yaʿṭīk	gives you
العافية	al-ʿāfiyah	wellness

Conversation 5: Asking for the Bill

Ahmed:
Arabic: ممكن الحساب لو سمحت؟
Roman: Mumkin al-ḥisāb law samaḥt?
English: Can I have the bill please?

Arabic	English	Word Meaning
ممكن	can I	possible
الحساب	the bill	the bill
لو	if	if
سمحت	you allow	you please

Waiter:
Arabic: أكيد، لحظة وحدة.
Roman: Akīd, laḥẓah waḥdah.
English: Sure, one moment.

Arabic	English	Word Meaning
أكيد	sure	of course
لحظة	moment	moment
وحدة	one	one

Ahmed (after paying):
Arabic: شكراً، الأكل كان ممتاز.
Roman: Shukran, al-akl kān mumtāz.
English: Thank you, the food was excellent.

Arabic	English	Word Meaning
شكراً	thank you	thanks
الأكل	the food	the food
كان	was	was
ممتاز	excellent	excellent

Waiter:
Arabic: العفو، شرفتنا.
Roman: Al-ʿafw, sharraftunā.
English: You’re welcome, you honored us.

Arabic	English	Word Meaning
العفو	you’re welcome	pardon
شرفتنا	you honored us	honored + us

Cultural Tips: Eating Out in the Gulf

Respect and politeness are key. Always say “law samaḥt” and “shukran.”
Gender separation may be observed in traditional places.
Sharing meals is common—especially Kabsa, Mandi, or large platters.
Arabic coffee and dates may be served free as hospitality.
Be patient—meals are often leisurely and social.

Practical Phrases to Memorize

Here’s a handy list you can practice daily:

Arabic Script	Roman Arabic	English
أبغى هذا	abghā hādhā	I want this
ما عندي نقد	mā ʿindī naqd	I don’t have cash
فينك توصّي؟	fēnak tuwaṣṣī?	Can you recommend?
الأكل بارد	al-akl bārid	The food is cold
أبغى ماي	abghā māy	I want water

Bonus Insight: Why “ʿAysh” for Rice?

In Gulf Arabic, “ʿaysh” (عيش) means rice, while in other Arabic regions, it may mean life or bread.

This is a great reminder of how regional dialects shift meanings. That’s why we focus on Gulf Arabic, so you’re prepared for what locals actually say.

How This Helps You in Real Life

Practicing ordering food in Arabic trains you in:

Sentence structure (e.g., subject + verb + object)
Real-world vocabulary (food, numbers, politeness phrases)
Cultural fluency and confidence

You’re not just learning words—you’re learning how to connect.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the essential Arabic phrases for ordering food in a restaurant?

When visiting an Arabic-speaking country, knowing a few key phrases helps a lot: من فضلك، القائمة – Min faḍlik, al-qā’ima – “Please, the menu.” أريد هذا – Urīd hādhā – “I want this.” هل عندكم توصية؟ – Hal ʿindakum tawṣiyah? – “Do you have a recommendation?” الحساب من فضلك – Al-ḥisāb min faḍlik – “The bill, please.” These polite phrases show respect and make your dining smoother.

How do I ask for vegetarian or vegan food in Arabic?

Many restaurants in Gulf countries offer vegetarian meals. You can say: هل هذا الطبق نباتي؟ – Hal hādhā al-ṭabaq nabātī? – “Is this dish vegetarian?” أنا نباتي / نباتية – Ana nabātī / nabātiyyah – “I am vegetarian” (male/female). بدون لحم، من فضلك – Bidūn laḥm, min faḍlik – “Without meat, please.” It’s a good idea to double-check ingredients.

How do I politely ask for the bill in Arabic?

Ending your meal? Here are two polite and commonly used phrases: الحساب من فضلك – Al-ḥisāb min faḍlik – “The bill, please.” ممكن الفاتورة؟ – Mumkin al-fātūrah? – “Can I have the invoice?” Make eye contact with the waiter and smile. Hospitality is valued highly, and a polite tone goes a long way.

What are the Arabic phrases to compliment the food?

If you enjoyed your meal, show appreciation! Try: الطعام لذيذ جداً! – Al-ṭaʿām ladhīdh jiddan! – “The food is very delicious!” شكراً على الأكل الرائع – Shukran ʿala al-akl al-rāʾiʿ – “Thank you for the wonderful food.” Complimenting the chef or host is considered very polite in Arab culture.

What dining etiquette should I follow in Arab countries?

Arab hospitality is generous and warm. Keep these tips in mind: Always eat with your right hand. Wait for the host to invite you to start. It’s respectful to accept food or drinks offered. Say بسم الله (Bismillah – “In the name of God”) before eating and الحمد لله (Al-ḥamdu lillāh – “Praise be to God”) afterward. These customs are simple but go a long way in creating a positive cultural experience.