Order and pay in a café

In this lesson you practise Everyday English for cafés: ordering, asking for prices, clarifying, and paying. You will also use Can I have…? and I’d like… in simple conversations.

Everyday English · Café phrases

Grammar · Can I have…? / I’d like…

Vocabulary · Drinks & snacks

Speaking · Role-plays

Objective: At the end of the lesson you can order food and drinks and pay in a café with confidence.

Warm-up · Café talk

Questions

Do you go to cafés?
What do you usually order?
Do you pay by cash or card?

Quick speaking:
Tell your partner 3 café sentences:
“I usually order…” · “I like…” · “I don’t like…”

Warm-up: imagine you are at the counter.

Vocabulary · Café menu

Match the items to the categories. Then practise pronunciation.

Menu items

espresso · latte · cappuccino · tea
water · orange juice · lemonade
sandwich · salad · soup
cake · cookie · croissant

Pronunciation tip: clap the syllables.
cap-pu-cci-no (4) · crois-sant (2) · es-pres-so (3)

Vocabulary: drinks and snacks.

Exercise 1 · Categorize

Write the items under the correct heading:

Hot drinks	Cold drinks	Food	Sweet snacks
______________	______________	______________	______________

Possible answers:
Hot drinks: espresso, latte, cappuccino, tea · Cold drinks: water, orange juice, lemonade · Food: sandwich, salad, soup · Sweet snacks: cake, cookie, croissant

Grammar · Ordering politely

Use these forms to order politely in a café.

Can I have…?

Can I have a latte, please?
Can I have a sandwich?
Can I have water?

I’d like…

I’d like a cappuccino, please.
I’d like a salad.
I’d like two cookies.

Exercise 2 · Make requests

Change the words to make a polite request.

1. (espresso) → _________________________________
2. (tea) → _________________________________
3. (two croissants) → _________________________________
4. (a sandwich) → _________________________________
5. (orange juice) → _________________________________

Sample answers:
Can I have an espresso, please?
I’d like tea, please.
Can I have two croissants, please? (etc.)

Everyday English · Prices and paying

Useful phrases

How much is it?
How much are they?
That’s (five) dollars.
Can I pay by card?
Cash or card?
Here you are.
Keep the change.
Receipt, please.

Everyday English: paying by card.

Exercise 3 · Complete the dialogue

Use the phrases: How much is it? · That’s… · Can I pay by card? · Here you are · Receipt

Customer Can I have a latte and a cookie, please?

Server Sure. Anything else?

Customer No, thanks. ____________________________

Server ____________________________ $6.50.

Customer ____________________________

Server Yes, of course.

Customer ____________________________

Server Thank you. ________________________, please?

Suggested answers:
How much is it? · That’s · Can I pay by card? · Here you are. · Receipt

Reading · Café receipt

Read the receipt and answer the questions.

Receipt

Item	Qty	Price
Latte	1	$4.00
Cookie	2	$3.00
Total		$7.00

Payment: Card

Reading: simple receipt practice.

Exercise 4 · Answer

1. How many cookies does the customer buy?
2. What is the total?
3. Does the customer pay by cash or card?

Answers: 1 2 · 2 $7.00 · 3 Card

Pronunciation · Polite intonation

Polite requests often have a friendly rising intonation. Repeat the sentences.

Can I have a latte, please? I’d like two cookies, please. Can I pay by card? Receipt, please.

Drill: Say each sentence 3 times: slow → normal → natural. Smile (it changes your voice).

Role-play 1 · Café menu (controlled)

Use this menu. Student A is the customer. Student B is the server.

Mini menu

Drinks	Price
Espresso	$2.50
Latte	$4.00
Tea	$2.00
Orange juice	$3.00

Food	Price
Sandwich	$5.00
Salad	$6.00
Cookie	$1.50
Croissant	$2.50

Role-play: ordering from a menu.

Script support

Customer Hello. Can I have ____________, please?

Server Sure. Anything else?

Customer Yes, I’d like ____________.

Server OK. That’s $_____. Cash or card?

Customer Card, please. / Cash, please.

Server Here you are. Thank you.

Customer Thank you. Bye.

Task: Do the role-play twice. Then change roles.

Role-play 2 · Real-life café situations

Choose 1 situation and act it out. Use polite phrases.

Situation A

You want a drink with no sugar.

“No sugar, please.”
“Just water, please.”

Situation B

You want two of the same item.

“Two cookies, please.”
“Two coffees, please.”

Situation C

You need the receipt.

“Receipt, please.”
“Can I have a receipt?”

Challenge: Do the role-play with NO notes (memory only).

Dialogue · Complete (A1)

Complete the dialogue with these words: latte · croissant · How much · card · please

Customer Hello. Can I have a ____________, ____________?

Server Sure. Anything else?

Customer Yes, I’d like a ____________.

Server OK. ____________ is it? It’s $6.50.

Customer Can I pay by ____________?

Server Yes, of course.

Answers: latte · please · croissant · How much · card

Mini Project · My café order (real practice)

Create your perfect café order. Then practise it with a partner.

Write your order

Greeting: “Hello.”
Order: “Can I have …, please?”
Extra: “And …, please.”
Price question: “How much is it?”
Payment: “Can I pay by card?”
Close: “Thank you. Bye.”

Model:
“Hello. Can I have a latte, please? And a croissant, please. How much is it? Can I pay by card? Thank you. Bye.”