Japanese Restaurant: Complete Phrase List

Every phrase you’ll hear and every phrase you can say at a Japanese restaurant, grouped by when you’ll actually need it. Find your situation and get the exact line in seconds.

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Arriving & Seating:

• Entering & Waiting to Be Seated
• Party Size & Seating Preferences

Ordering Food & Drinks:

• Asking About the Menu
• Dietary Restrictions & Allergies
• Placing Your Order
• Ordering via Tablet or Touch Panel
• Drinks

During the Meal:

• Getting Staff’s Attention
• Asking for Something Extra
• Problems With Your Order

Paying & Leaving:

• Asking for the Bill
• Payment
• Leaving

Bonus Vocabulary

FAQ

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Arriving & Seating

Before you even look at a menu, there’s a short exchange about your party size and where you’ll sit. These are the phrases for the first minute or two after you walk in.

• Entering & Waiting to Be Seated
• Party Size & Seating Preferences

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Entering & Waiting to Be Seated

Staff greet you the moment you walk in, then ask how many people are in your group.

Staff might say:

You can say:

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Party Size & Seating Preferences

Some restaurants will ask about seating type once they know your group size, especially at izakaya or restaurants with tatami rooms.

Staff might say:

You can say:

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Ordering Food & Drinks

This is the core of the interaction: what’s on the menu, what you can and can’t eat, and how to actually place your order.

• Asking About the Menu
• Dietary Restrictions & Allergies
• Placing Your Order
• Ordering via Tablet or Touch Panel
• Drinks

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Asking About the Menu

If you’re unsure what something is or need a recommendation, these are the most useful questions to ask before ordering.

Staff might say:

You can say:

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Dietary Restrictions & Allergies

Whether you have allergies, dietary restrictions, or simply don’t eat certain ingredients, these phrases will help you ask before you order.

Staff might say:

You can say:

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Placing Your Order

Once you’ve decided what you want, these are the most common phrases used to place your order and confirm your meal.

Staff might say:

You can say:

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Ordering via Tablet or Touch Panel

Many family restaurants and izakaya now take orders through a tablet at the table instead of a server, so it helps to know the sequence.

Step 1: Find Your Dish

The tablet’s menu usually mirrors the paper one, sorted by category.

Screen might say:

You can say:

Step 2: Confirm Quantity & Send

Screen might say:

You can say:

Step 3: Order Confirmation

Screen might say:

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Drinks

Whether you’re ordering your first drink or asking for another later, these are the phrases you’ll hear and use throughout your meal.

Staff might say:

You can say:

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During the Meal

Once the food arrives, most of what you’ll say is either getting a server’s attention or asking for something extra.

• Getting Staff’s Attention
• Asking for Something Extra
• Problems With Your Order

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Getting Staff’s Attention

Unlike in some countries, it’s perfectly normal to call a server over in Japan. These are the most common ways to get someone’s attention politely.

Staff might say:

You can say:

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Asking for Something Extra

Need another drink, extra napkins, or another spoon? These are the phrases to ask for the little things during your meal.

Staff might say:

You can say:

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Problems With Your Order

If something isn’t quite right, these polite phrases will help you explain the problem and ask for assistance.

Staff might say:

You can say:

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Paying & Leaving

Your meal isn’t quite over once you’ve finished eating. Before you leave, you’ll need to ask for the bill, pay, and exchange a few final phrases with the staff. Here are the most common expressions you’ll hear and the ones you’ll need to say before heading out.

• Asking for the Bill
• Payment
• Leaving

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Asking for the Bill

When you’re ready to leave, these are the phrases you’ll use to ask for the bill and finish your meal.

Staff might say:

You can say:

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Payment

Whether you’re paying by cash, card, or splitting the bill, these are the phrases you’ll hear at the register and the ones you’ll need to answer.

Staff might say:

You can say:

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Leaving

As your meal comes to an end, these are the polite expressions you’ll hear from the staff and the ones you can say before heading out.

Staff might say:

You can say:

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Bonus Vocabulary

Here are some of the most useful restaurant vocabulary words to know. While many appear throughout the phrase list above, having them all in one place makes them easy to review whenever you need a quick refresher.

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FAQ

Do I need to tip at a restaurant in Japan? No. Tipping isn’t customary and can even cause confusion, since good service is already the standard.

What is otoshi, and can I refuse it? 『お通し (otoshi)』 is a small starter dish many izakaya serve automatically as a seated-cover charge. It’s rarely optional, so it’s best treated as a normal part of the bill rather than something to decline.

Can I ask for an English menu? Many restaurants in tourist areas have one. Asking 『英語のメニューはありますか？ (Eigo no menyuu wa arimasu ka?)』, meaning do you have an English menu, is a normal and polite question.

Do I pay at the table or at the register? It depends on the restaurant. Casual places and izakaya often use 『レジにてお願いします (Reji nite onegaishimasu)』, meaning please pay at the register, while sit-down restaurants may bring the bill to your table instead.

Can I split the bill with my group? Sometimes. Asking 『別々に払えますか？ (Betsubetsu ni haraemasu ka?)』, meaning can we pay separately, works at many casual restaurants, though some smaller places only accept one combined payment.

What if I have a food allergy? Say 『〜アレルギーがあります (~ arerugii ga arimasu)』, filling in the allergen, as early as possible, ideally before ordering. Not every kitchen can guarantee no cross-contact, so it’s worth asking directly with 『これに〜は入っていますか？ (Kore ni ~ wa haitte imasu ka?)』.

Is it normal to call out to staff instead of waiting to be noticed? Yes. Saying 『すみません (sumimasen)』 loudly enough to be heard across the restaurant is completely normal in Japan and is how most tables get a server’s attention.

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Related Phrase Lists

• Japanese Convenience Store Phrase List
  Shopping, paying, using the ATM, buying tickets, and every other konbini situation.
• Japanese Taxi Phrase List
  Hailing a taxi, telling the driver where to go, paying the fare, and everything in between.
• Japanese Airport Phrase List
  Arriving, immigration, finding your way, checking in, boarding, and every other airport situation.
• Japanese Hotel Phrase List
  Checking in, requesting amenities, solving room problems, checking out, and every other hotel situation.
• Japanese Shopping Phrase List
  Browsing stores, asking about sizes and prices, paying, tax-free shopping, and every other shopping situation.
• Japanese Train Phrase List
  Buying tickets, using IC cards, finding your platform, riding the train, making transfers, and every other train travel situation.

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Japanese restaurants may seem a little unfamiliar at first, but once you know the common phrases, ordering, asking questions, and paying becomes much more comfortable. Save this page for your next meal in Japan, and enjoy trying everything from ramen shops and sushi restaurants to cozy izakaya.

Gochisousama deshita!
ごちそうさまでした！
Alex 🍣✨