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A2 — IntermediateDay 17 of 60

At the
Restaurant

Eating out is one of the great pleasures of visiting Bulgaria. Today you get the full toolkit — reading menus, ordering confidently, asking questions about dishes, and handling the bill.

📅 Day 17⏳ ~60 minutes🎤 Audio on every section✅ Quiz at the end
🔊 Speed:

Section 1

Restaurant vocabulary

Every word you need from arrival to departure.

BulgarianRomanisedEnglish
ресторантrestorantrestaurant
менюmenyumenu
сервитьорservityorwaiter (male)
сервитьоркаservityor kawaitress
масаmasatable
столstolchair
чинияchiniyaplate
чашаchashaglass / cup
вилицаvilitsafork
ножnozhknife
лъжицаlazhitsaspoon
салфеткаsalfetkanapkin
предястиеpredyastiestarter
основно ястиеosnovno yastiemain course
десертdesertdessert
гарнитураgarnituraside dish
порцияportsiyaportion
сметкатаsmetkatathe bill
бакшишbakshishtip
касова бележкаkasova belezhkareceipt
🎤 Restaurant vocabulary

Section 2

Getting a table and ordering

The phrases from walking in to placing your order.

BulgarianRomanisedEnglishStage
Имате ли свободна маса?Imate li svobodna masa?Do you have a free table?Arriving
За двама / трима / четирима.Za dvama / trima / chetirima.For two / three / four.Arriving
Може ли менюто?Mozhe li menyuto?Could we have the menu?Seated
Готови ли сте да поръчате?Gotovi li ste da porachate?Are you ready to order?Waiter asks
Да, ще взема...Da, shte vzema...Yes, I will have...Ordering
Аз ще поръчам...Az shte poracham...I will order...Ordering
Какво препоръчвате?Kakvo preporachvate?What do you recommend?Asking
Какво съдържа това ястие?Kakvo sadarzha tova yastie?What does this dish contain?Asking
Без месо, моля.Bez meso, molya.Without meat, please.Dietary
Алергичен/а съм към...Alergichen/a sam kam...I am allergic to...Dietary
🎤 Ordering phrases

Section 3

Describing taste and texture

How to talk about food — compliments and complaints.

BulgarianRomanisedEnglish
вкусен / вкусна / вкусноvkusen / vkusna / vkusnotasty / delicious
прясноpryasnofresh
суровоsurovoraw
свареноsvarenoboiled
пърженоparzenofried
печеноpechenobaked / roasted
на скараna skaragrilled
лютоlyutospicy / hot
сладкоsladkosweet
соленоsolenosalty
киселоkiselosour / tangy
горчивоgorchivobitter
студеноstudenocold (temperature)
топлоtoplowarm
много вкусно!mnogo vkusno!very delicious!
🎤 Taste and texture

Section 4

Paying the bill

From asking for the bill to leaving a tip.

BulgarianRomanisedEnglish
Сметката, моля.Smetkata, molya.The bill, please.
Заедно или разделно?Zaedno ili razdelno?Together or separately?
Заедно, моля.Zaedno, molya.Together, please.
Разделно, моля.Razdelno, molya.Separately, please.
Приемате ли карти?Priemate li karti?Do you accept cards?
Само в брой.Samo v broy.Cash only.
Ресто не трябва.Resto ne tryabva.No need for change. (keep the tip)
Включено ли е обслужването?Vklyucheno li e obsluzhvaneto?Is service charge included?
🎤 Paying the bill

💡 Tipping in Bulgaria

Tipping is customary but not compulsory — typically 10% in restaurants. The simplest way is to tell the waiter Ресто не трябва (no need for change) when paying, or to say a round number: if the bill is 23 leva, hand over 25 and say двадесет и пет. Service charge (обслужване) is not usually included automatically.

Section 5

Dialogue — a full restaurant visit

From arrival to departure — all in Bulgarian.

💬 Dialogue — a complete restaurant visitRead aloud

— Добър вечер! Имате ли резервация?
— Не. Имате ли свободна маса за двама?
— Да, заповядайте. Ето менюто.
— Благодаря. Какво препоръчвате като основно ястие?
— Мусаката е много вкусна днес. Прясна е.
— Добре. Ще взема мусака. А за предястие — шопска салата.
— И за пиене?
— Едно червено вино и една минерална вода.
— (По-късно) Сметката, моля.
— Заедно или разделно?
— Заедно. Приемате ли карти?
— Да. Общо тридесет и два лева.
— Заповядайте. Ресто не трябва.
— Благодаря много! Приятна вечер!

— Dobar vecher! Imate li rezervatsiya?
— Ne. Imate li svobodna masa za dvama?
— Da, zapovyadayte. Eto menyuto.
— Blagodarya. Kakvo preporachvate kato osnovno yastie?
— Musakata e mnogo vkusna dnes. Pryasna e.
— Dobre. Shte vzema musaka. A za predyastie — shopska salata.
— I za piene?
— Edno cherveno vino i edna mineralna voda.
— (Po-kasno) Smetkata, molya.
— Zaedno ili razdelno?
— Zaedno. Priemate li karti?
— Da. Obshto tridesset i dva leva.
— Zapovyadayte. Resto ne tryabva.
— Blagodarya mnogo! Priyatna vecher!

— Good evening! Do you have a reservation?
— No. Do you have a free table for two?
— Yes, please come through. Here is the menu.
— Thank you. What do you recommend as a main course?
— The moussaka is very tasty today. It is fresh.
— Good. I'll have the moussaka. And for a starter — shopska salad.
— And to drink?
— One red wine and one mineral water.
— (Later) The bill, please.
— Together or separately?
— Together. Do you accept cards?
— Yes. Thirty-two leva in total.
— Here you are. No need for change.
— Thank you very much! Good evening!

🎤 Full dialogue

Section 6

Writing task

✏️ Writing task — Day 17

  1. Write a complete restaurant ordering exchange: arrive, ask for a table, order a starter and main, ask for the bill.
  2. Translate: "The soup is cold. Could you bring me another one, please?"
  3. You are vegetarian. Write what you say to the waiter.
  4. What does "Ресто не трябва" mean and when do you say it?
Show answers

1. Model: Имате ли свободна маса за...? Ще взема... за предястие и... за основно. Сметката, моля.

2. Чорбата е студена. Можете ли да ми донесете друга, моля?

3. Алергичен/а съм към месо. Имате ли вегетариански ястия? Без месо, моля.

4. "No need for change" — said when paying to indicate the change is a tip.

💡 Tip: Writing by hand in Cyrillic is the fastest way to lock in new vocabulary. Even five minutes of handwriting beats reading the same words ten times.
☕ Enjoying the course? It is completely free. If it is helping you, a coffee keeps the server running.
☕ Buy me a coffee
✏️

Day 17 Quiz

8 questions · score 6+ to mark day complete

Question 1 of 8

"The bill, please" in Bulgarian:

AМенюто, моля
BСметката, моля
CГарнитурата, моля
DРесто, моля

Question 2 of 8

"Do you have a free table for two?":

AИмате ли маса за двама?
BИмате ли места?
CМаса за двама ли имате?
DИмате ли резервация?

Question 3 of 8

"Grilled" in Bulgarian:

Aпържено
Bсварено
Cпечено
Dна скара

Question 4 of 8

"Separately" (paying) in Bulgarian:

Aзаедно
Bразделно
Cпоотделно
Dсамо

Question 5 of 8

What does "Ресто не трябва" mean?

AI don't have change
BKeep the change (tip)
CCash only
DNo service charge

Question 6 of 8

"I am allergic to..." in Bulgarian:

AНе обичам...
BАлергичен/а съм към...
CНямам...
DБез... моля

Question 7 of 8

"What do you recommend?" formally:

AКакво препоръчваш?
BКакво препоръчвате?
CКакво е добро?
DКакво обичате?

Question 8 of 8

The word for "starter" (first course):

Aдесерт
Bосновно ястие
Cгарнитура
Dпредястие
0/8

Day 17 Recap

Review before Day 18. Every point builds on the last.

TopicKey pointExample
Getting a tableИмате ли свободна маса? За двама/трима/четирима.Always say how many people
OrderingЩе взема... / Аз ще поръчам... · Какво препоръчвате?Ще взема = I will have (most natural)
Coursesпредястие · основно ястие · десерт · гарнитураKnow all four course names
Taste wordsвкусно · прясно · люто · сладко · солено · кисело · пържено · на скараUseful for describing and requesting
PayingСметката, моля · заедно/разделно · приемате ли карти? · само в бройРесто не трябва = keep the change
DietaryБез месо · алергичен/а съм към... · вегетариански ястияEssential for any dietary requirement
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