Who doesn’t love eating out? Especially in foreign countries! If you love exploring exotic cuisines or simply have to eat out while in the Czech Republic, this list of Czech restaurant vocabulary and phrases will come in handy.
I have noticed how much people appreciate it when a foreigner tries to speak Czech. It’s a tough language (or so I’ve heard), and locals get genuinely excited when they realize my fiancé is a REAL American who says děkuju (“thank you”) and prosím (“you’re welcome” and “please”). In the Czech Republic, the staff tends to be much nicer. In Barcelona, we were getting free desserts and complementary wine. Austrian baristas smile if I order my coffee in German. Enough about cultural differences; if you want to know more about Czech traditions and culture, check out this article.
It goes without saying that being able to read the Czech food menu or ask your waiter about allergens in your dish of choice (or explain basic Czech foods) might save you a lot of headaches.
I once ordered “latté” in an Italian café. I spoke (poor) English, and the Italian owner seemed confused but obliged, as the customer’s wishes shall be fulfilled no matter what. Guess what. I got what I asked for: latté––milk. First of all, had I come prepared, I would have known the drink of my choice is actually called “latté macchiato,” plus I would have been able to understand what the Italian owner was saying (“You want just milk? Milk without coffee?”).
Let’s learn from my mistakes and dive into this article––a comprehensive cheat sheet––Czech vocabulary on how to order food in Czech and basic Czech phrases.
Číšník. – “Waiter.”
Table of Contents
- Restaurant Phrases in Czech: Getting There
- How to Order Food in Czech
- Czech Restaurant Phrases: After Dining
- How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way
1. Restaurant Phrases in Czech: Getting There
- Chtěl/a bych rezervovat stůl pro dva na sobotu, 7. května, V pět hodin. – “I’d like to book a table for two on Saturday, May 7th, at 5pm.”
- Stůl pro čtyři, prosím. – “A table for 4, please.”
- Máte volný stůl na zahrádce? – “Do you have a table on the patio?”
- Jak dlouho budeme muset počkat? – “How long do we need to wait?”
- Nabízíte vegetariánské/veganské jídlo? – Do you offer vegetarian/vegan food?
- Máme rezervaci na jméno [name].– “We have a reservation for the name [name].”
Stůl pro dva, prosím. – “Table for two, please.”
A- Conversation Example:
| Staff | You |
| Dobrý den, restaurace Grandezza, jak vám mohu pomoci? “Hello, “Grandezza” restaurant, how may I help you?” | Dobrý den, chci rezervovat stůl na zítra večer. “Hello, I would like to book a table for tomorrow evening.” |
| Jistě. Pro kolik lidí? “Certainly. For how many people?” | Pro čtyři. “For four people.” |
| Přejete si stůl uvnitř nebo na terase? “Would you like a table inside or on the terrace?” | Na terase, pokud je to možné. “On the terrace, if that’s possible.” |
| Dobře. Na kolik hodin? “Okay. What time would you like to book?” | Na půl devátou. “At 8:30 PM.” |
| Výborně. Máte rezervaci na zítra, 20:30, pro čtyři lidi. “Great. You have a reservation for tomorrow at 8:30 PM, for four people.” | Mockrát děkuju. Na shledanou. “Thank you very much! Goodbye.” |
| Na shledanou. “Goodbye.” | – |
2. How to Order Food in Czech
- Můžeme dostat jídelní lístek? – “May we get the menu, please?”
- Chtěli bychom si objednat. – We would like to order.
- Co nám doporučíte? – “What would you recommend?”
- Máte nějakou místní specialitu? – “Is there a local specialty?” (Literally, “Do you have a local specialty?”)
- Co je dnešní specialita? – “What’s today’s special?”
- Co je v tomhle jídle? – “What is in this dish?” (asking about ingredients)
- Mám alergii na [ingredient]. Je v tom [ingredient]? – I am allergic to [ingredient]. Is there [ingredient] in this?
- Bez sýra, prosím. – “Without the cheese, please.” (if you want to remove a certain ingredient)
- Víc/míň [ingredient], prosím. – “More of the [ingredient] please.” (asking for extras)
- Dám si řízek. – “I’ll have the schnitzel.”
- Chtěla bych maso mírně/středně/dobře propečené. – “I would like my meat rare/medium/well done.”
- Můžu dostat příbory, prosím? – “Can I get utensils, please?”
- Kde jsou toalety, prosím? – “Where is the restroom, please?”
- Můžu dostat víc ubrousků? – Can I get some more napkins?
- Ta polévka je trochu přesolená. – The soup is a little salty. (Literally, “The soup is a little oversalted.”)
- Bylo to vynikající. Moc nám chutnalo. – “It was delicious. We enjoyed it very much.” (literally “It tasted us very much.”)
- Mohlo to být lepší. – “It could have been better. (as in “It wasn’t anything special.”)
- Nebylo to dobré. – “It didn’t taste good.” (Literally “It wasn’t good”)
- Nechutnalo nám. – “We didn’t like it.” (Literally “Didn’t taste us.”)
- Moje jídlo je studené. – “My food is cold.”
- Moje pití není vychlazené. – “My drink is not chilled.”
- Můj drink chutná divně. – “My drink tastes strange.”
- Tohle není pořádně uvěřené. – “This isn’t properly cooked.”
- Objednali jsme si před půl hodinou. – “We ordered half an hour ago.”
- Tohle jsem si neobjednal. – “This isn’t what I ordered.”
I suggest you check out the list of basic Czech food vocabulary here.
Tohle jsem si neobjednal. – “This isn’t what I ordered.”
A- Conversation Example:
| Staff | You |
Co si dáte? “What will you have?” | Jako předkrm si dám salát. “As a starter, I will have the salad.” Jako hlavní chod si dám burger. “As an entrée, I will have the burger.” Jako dezert si dám čokoládový dort. “For dessert, I will have the chocolate cake.” |
| Co si dáte k pití? “What will you have to drink?” | Suché bílé víno. Máte Sauvignon? “Dry white wine. Do you have Sauvignon?” |
| Ano. Jedno deci? “Yes. One deciliter?” | Ano, děkuju. “Yes, thank you.” |
| During the meal: | |
| Je všechno v pořádku? Chutná vám? “Is everything alright? Do you like the food?” | Je to moc dobré, díky. “Yes, very good, thank you.” |
| – | Můžu dostat víc pečiva, prosím? “Can I have some more bread, please?” |
| – | Dám si ještě jedno víno, prosím. “I’d like another glass of wine, please.” (You’re asking for “another wine”, we typically don’t say “a glass of wine/beer, a cup of coffee”, just “another wine, beer, coffee”) |
| – | Můžu dostat kečup? “Can I get ketchup?” |
| Samozřejmě, hned to bude. “Of course, right away.” (Literally, “It will be right away.”) | Děkuju. “Thank you.” |
| Dáte si dezert? “Will you have some desserts?” | Dám si větrník, prosím. “I’d have the větrník, please.” |
Co si dáte? – “What will you have?”
3. Czech Restaurant Phrases: After Dining
Účet, prosím. Zaplatíme. – “Check, please. We’re going to pay.”
Můžeme zaplatit zvlášť? – “Can we pay separately?”
Zaplatím za všechny. – “I will pay for everyone.”
Můžeme mít dvě krabičky? – “Can we get two boxes?”
Zabalíte nám zbytek s sebou? – “Would you pack the rest to-go?”
Přijímáte/berete kreditní karty? – “Do you accept/take credit cards?”
Řekněte kuchaři, že to bylo vynikající! – “Tell the chef it was delicious.” (“Compliments to the chef.”)
Česká jídla jsou mastná. – “Czech meals are greasy.”
A- Conversation Example:
| Staff | You |
| – | Můžu zaplatit, prosím? “May I pay, please?” |
| Jistě, hned jsem u vás. “Sure, I’ll be with you right away.” | – |
| Hotově, nebo kartou? “Cash or card?” | Kartou, prosím. “Card, please.” |
| Dohromady, nebo zvlášť? “Together or separately?” | Dohromady, zaplatím za všechny. “Together, I will pay for all.” |
| Tisíc dvě stě jedna korun, prosím. “1.201 crowns, please.” | Nechte to na tisíc tři sta. “Keep it at 1.300.” (“Round it up to 1.300.”) |
| Děkuji, přeji hezký den. “Thank you, I wish you a nice day.” | Na shledanou. “Goodbye.” |
In the Czech Republic, service is always included.
B- Tipping in the Czech Republic
Customer service in the Czech Republic is very different from what you probably know from other countries––overly friendly and smiles are rare, and tipping is more about the actual service/food.
Bottom line: You do NOT have to tip.
If you decide to tip:
- ➢ You either tip a standard 10 percent or round up the check to the next hundred crowns––this is way more common here.
➢ If you’re paying by card or handing the waiter a larger note, always tell them how much you want to tip in advance.
➢ Using cash is becoming pretty rare.
➢ It’s not common to leave money (even if it’s just the tip) on the table.
➢ If you see a “Service is not included” note on your check, please remember that service is ALWAYS included (legally speaking), and you’re NOT obliged to tip if you don’t want to.
4. How CzechClass101.com Helps You Learn Czech in a Fun Way
That’s it, guys! I hope you enjoyed this article and maybe you even know how to say french fries in Czech (hranolky)! In case the location words and phrases listed in this article weren’t enough for you, and you want to keep learning, please check out our Basic Bootcamp – the very basic grammar and vocab in 5 compact lessons.
If you’re taking learning Czech seriously, and want to learn Czech fast, free and online, you might grab a Czech grammar book or learn online (which is way more convenient). Seriously, learning a new skill has never been easier. Just grab your phone and get to work!
CzechClass101.com will make learning Czech easy, exciting, and fun. With us, it’s not about endless memorizing or thick textbooks. Learn Czech the better way – with us you’ll make progress faster than you could imagine!
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Sign up now, it’s free!
One last thing: Let us know in the comments your funny restaurant stories (in Czech, of course). Which Czech phrase from this article will you use the most? We look forward to hearing your answers.
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