Japanese Restaurant Phrases 2026: 50 Must-Know Sentences from Seating to Paying
Restaurant Japanese is the most essential travel skill. This guide covers the complete flow from being seated to paying, with 50 useful phrases, menu kanji quick reference, and special vocabulary for different restaurant types (sushi, ramen, izakaya).
📝 NTJ Editorial Guide · Official Sources Verified
30-Second Summary
- Three lines get you through: to order, これをください ("this one, please"); to call staff, すみません ("excuse me"); to pay, お会計をお願いします ("check, please"). Everything else is a bonus.
- Don't over-do keigo: "〇〇 kudasai" is already polite enough in a restaurant; long honorifics just trip you up.
- No tipping in Japan — the bill is the full amount; don't leave cash on the table.
- The ordering method depends on the shop: ramen/gyudon usually use a ticket machine at the door (pay first); conveyor sushi and family restaurants use a tablet/button at the table; izakaya and set-meal shops usually mean raising your hand and saying すみません.
- Payment: small shops are often 現金のみ (cash only); transit IC cards (Suica/PASMO/ICOCA) and QR pay (PayPay etc.) are spreading, but carry enough cash.
- Best for: travellers with zero Japanese who want stress-free ordering.
Getting Seated
| Scenario | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| How many people | 何名様ですか？ | "How many in your party?" (staff asking) |
| Two people | 二人です。 | "Two people." |
| You have a reservation | 予約しています。〇〇です。 | "I have a reservation under 〇〇." |
| Requesting a smoking seat | 喫煙席をお願いします。 | "A smoking seat, please." |
| Requesting a non-smoking seat | 禁煙席をお願いします。 | "A non-smoking seat, please." |
| Asking for terrace seating | テラス席はありますか？ | "Do you have terrace seating?" |
🗣️ Reservations & Waiting for a Table
- 予約なしでも大丈夫ですか？（よやくなしでもだいじょうぶですか）— Is it okay without a reservation?
- 満席の場合、どのくらい待ちますか？（まんせきのばあい、どのくらいまちますか）— If you're full, how long is the wait?
- 一休で予約しました。〇〇です。（いっきゅうでよやくしました。〇〇です）— I booked through Ikkyu, under the name 〇〇.
- 名前を書いておきます。（なまえをかいておきます）— I'll put my name on the waiting list.
👉 Hear these and practice at Travel Japanese — Restaurants.
Ordering
| Scenario | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Asking for a menu | メニューをください。 | "Menu, please." |
| Need more time | もう少し時間をください。 | "I need a bit more time." |
| Pointing at an item | これをください。 or これをお願いします。 | "I'll have this." |
| Asking what something is | これはなんですか？ | "What is this?" |
| Asking for a recommendation | おすすめは何ですか？ | "What do you recommend?" |
| Calling the server over | すみません！ | "Excuse me!" (raise your hand to get their attention) |
| Asking if something is spicy | これは辛いですか？ | "Is this spicy?" |
| Declaring an allergy | 〇〇アレルギーがあります。 | "I'm allergic to 〇〇." |
| Asking to leave out peanuts/nuts | ナッツ抜きでお願いします。 | "No nuts, please." |
| Asking for something not spicy | 辛くないものをください。 | "Something not spicy, please." |
Ticket Machines & Meal Tickets (most common at ramen, gyudon, soba)
Many ramen, gyudon and stand-and-eat soba shops use a meal-ticket (食券 shokken) system with a fixed flow:
- The machine is usually by the door — don't sit down first.
- Pay first, then press the button (先払い sakibarai): insert cash or tap your IC card, then press the button for what you want; your change and the ticket come out together.
- Hand the ticket to staff or place it on the table — once seated, just pass over the ticket; usually no need to order out loud.
- Extras go through the machine too — e.g. kaedama (an extra portion of noodles) usually needs its own ticket.
Useful lines
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| これは食券ですか？ | kore wa shokken desu ka | "Do I buy a meal ticket for this?" |
| 食券を買ってからでいいですか？ | shokken o katte kara de ii desu ka | "Should I buy the ticket first?" |
| 使い方を教えてください。 | tsukaikata o oshiete kudasai | "Could you show me how to use it?" |
Many machines now offer English/Chinese and touch screens and increasingly take IC/QR, but cash-only machines still exist — keep ¥1,000 notes and coins handy.
🗣️ Customizing: Allergies, Vegetarian & Spice
- ベジタリアンなので、肉と魚を抜いてもらえますか？（べじたりあんなので、にくとさかなをぬいてもらえますか）— I'm vegetarian — could you leave out the meat and fish?
- 出汁は魚を使っていますか？（だしはさかなをつかっていますか）— Is the broth made with fish?
- 辛さは控えめにできますか？（からさはひかえめにできますか）— Could you make it less spicy?
- パクチー抜きでお願いします。（ぱくちーぬきでおねがいします）— No cilantro, please.
👉 Hear these and practice at Travel Japanese — Restaurants.
Key Kanji on Japanese Menus
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 定食 | teishoku | Set meal (main dish + rice + miso soup) |
| 日替わり | higawari | Daily special |
| 本日のおすすめ | honjitsu no osusume | Today's recommendation |
| 並（なみ） | nami | Regular portion |
| 大盛（おおもり） | oomori | Extra-large portion |
| 少なめ（すくなめ） | sukuname | Smaller portion |
| ぬき / 抜き | nuki | "Without" something (e.g., たまねぎ抜き = no onions) |
| 辛口 | karakuchi | Spicy / "dry" flavor |
| 甘口 | amakuchi | Mild / sweet flavor (not spicy) |
| セット | setto | Combo/set meal |
| ドリンクバー | dorinku baa | Drink bar (unlimited soft drink refills) |
Customizing Your Order (leave out, spice level, "same as them")
The menu word 抜き (nuki) means "without," but saying it out loud is more flexible:
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 〇〇抜きでできますか？ | 〇〇 nuki de dekimasu ka | "Can you make it without 〇〇?" |
| 辛さ控えめでお願いします。 | karasa hikaeme de onegai shimasu | "Mild on the spice, please." |
| 〇〇と同じものをください。 | 〇〇 to onaji mono o kudasai | "I'll have the same as them." |
| 少なめでお願いします。 | sukuname de onegai shimasu | "A smaller portion, please." |
| もう一度お願いします。 | mou ichido onegai shimasu | "Could you say that again?" |
| ゆっくり話してください。 | yukkuri hanashite kudasai | "Please speak slowly." |
Note: most shops will adjust spice or leave out an ingredient, but a pre-made broth or sauce often can't be changed — a polite "no" is normal, so don't push.
Ordering Drinks
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| お水をください。 | "Water, please." |
| お茶をください。 | "Tea, please." |
| ビールを一つ。 | "One beer, please." |
| 生ビールをください。 | "Draft beer, please." |
| ソフトドリンクは何がありますか？ | "What soft drinks do you have?" |
| コーラをください。 | "A cola, please." |
Vegetarian, Vegan, Halal & Allergies (the dashi & soy-sauce traps)
Many "vegetable" dishes in Japan still contain fish stock (だし dashi), so vegan and halal travellers must double-check.
Key words first
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 豚肉 | butaniku | pork |
| 牛肉 | gyuuniku | beef |
| 鶏肉 | toriniku | chicken |
| 魚 | sakana | fish |
| エビ | ebi | shrimp/prawn |
| 卵 | tamago | egg |
| 乳 | nyuu | dairy |
| だし | dashi | stock (often bonito / dried sardine) |
Useful lines
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| ベジタリアンメニューはありますか？ | bejitarian menyuu wa arimasu ka | "Do you have a vegetarian menu?" |
| 肉と魚が食べられません。 | niku to sakana ga taberaremasen | "I can't eat meat or fish." |
| だし（魚のだし）は入っていますか？ | dashi (sakana no dashi) wa haitte imasu ka | "Does it contain (fish) stock?" |
| 〇〇アレルギーがあります。 | 〇〇 arerugii ga arimasu | "I'm allergic to 〇〇." |
Honest warnings (important)
- Miso soup, noodle broth, tempura dipping sauce and dishes like ohitashi look vegetable-based but usually contain bonito or dried-sardine dashi.
- Soy sauce (醤油) normally contains wheat, so it's not gluten-free; standard Japanese soup-stock powder often contains fish too.
- For a reliable vegan meal, look for places advertising Vegan or shojin-ryori (Buddhist temple cuisine).
- For serious allergies, confirm in writing (a translation app works) rather than verbally — spoken exchanges are easy to misunderstand.
During the Meal
| Scenario | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| It's delicious | おいしいです！ | "This is delicious!" |
| Asking for a rice refill | ご飯のおかわりをください。 | "Could I get a rice refill, please?" |
| Not enough yet | まだです。 | "Not yet." (telling the server you're not done) |
| Asking for separate checks | 別々でお願いします。 | "Separate checks, please." |
| Asking to pay together | 一緒にお願いします。 | "Together, please." |
Reservations (popular yakiniku & sushi often need booking)
Popular yakiniku, sushi and buzzy restaurants fill up, so book ahead when you can.
Phone booking lines
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 〇時に〇名で予約したいのですが。 | 〇 ji ni 〇 mei de yoyaku shitai no desu ga | "I'd like to book for 〇 people at 〇 o'clock." |
| 今晩、空いていますか？ | konban, aite imasu ka | "Do you have space tonight?" |
| 予約している〇〇です。 | yoyaku shite iru 〇〇 desu | "I have a booking under 〇〇." |
Online booking platforms
- Tabelog (食べログ): reviews plus booking, the widest coverage.
- Ikyu.com Restaurant (一休.comレストラン): leans toward higher-end and hotel restaurants.
Some shops only take phone or Japanese-only bookings; if unsure, ask your hotel front desk or a Japanese-speaking friend to help. Chains and conveyor-belt sushi usually need no reservation.
🗣️ Extra Requests During the Meal
- 取り皿をもらえますか？（とりざらをもらえますか）— Could I get some small plates for sharing?
- お手洗いはどこですか？（おてあらいはどこですか）— Where's the restroom?
- これ、まだ来ていません。（これ、まだきていません）— This dish hasn't come out yet.
- すみません、少し辛すぎました。（すみません、すこしからすぎました）— Excuse me, this is a little too spicy.
👉 Hear these and practice at Travel Japanese — Restaurants.
Paying the Bill
| Scenario | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Asking for the bill | お会計をお願いします。 | "Check, please." |
| Asking how much it costs | いくらですか？ | "How much is it?" |
| Asking if cards are accepted | カードで払えますか？ | "Can I pay by card?" |
| Asking if Suica works | Suicaで払えますか？ | "Can I pay with Suica?" |
| Asking for a receipt | レシートをください。 | "Receipt, please." |
| Thanking for the meal | ごちそうさまでした。 | "Thank you for the meal" (said on your way out) |
Paying: Cash, IC or QR — and How to Ask
Japan is going cashless fast, but small shops, old-school places and some ramen ticket machines are still 現金のみ (cash only), so carrying enough cash is safest.
| Method | What it is | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash (現金) | Yen notes & coins | Safest at small shops; keep some coins |
| Transit IC | Suica / PASMO / ICOCA, etc. | Nationwide interoperable — tap to pay; you can't ride across card areas, but shop payments work nationwide (per JR East) |
| Credit card | VISA / Master / JCB, etc. | Common at mid-to-large shops and chains |
| QR mobile pay | PayPay, d-barai, Rakuten Pay, etc. | Spreading, but acceptance varies by shop |
Useful lines
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| カードは使えますか？ | kaado wa tsukaemasu ka | "Do you take cards?" |
| PayPayは使えますか？ | peipei wa tsukaemasu ka | "Can I pay with PayPay?" |
| 現金だけですか？ | genkin dake desu ka | "Is it cash only?" |
| Suicaで払えますか？ | suika de haraemasu ka | "Can I pay with Suica?" |
🗣️ Payment: Cash, IC & QR Codes
- 支払いは現金だけですか？（しはらいはげんきんだけですか）— Is it cash only?
- PayPayは使えますか？（ぺいぺいはつかえますか）— Can I pay with PayPay?
- 別々に払いたいのですが。（べつべつにはらいたいのですが）— We'd like to pay separately.
- 領収書をください。宛名は〇〇で。（りょうしゅうしょをください。あてなは〇〇で）— Could I get an official receipt made out to 〇〇?
👉 Hear these and practice at Travel Japanese — Restaurants.
Special Terms by Restaurant Type
Ramen Shops
- 硬さ（硬め・普通・柔らかめ）(katasa): Noodle firmness — firm / regular / soft
- 濃さ（濃い目・普通・薄め）(kosa): Broth richness — rich / regular / light
- 脂（多め・普通・少なめ）(abura): Amount of oil/fat — more / regular / less
- 替え玉（かえだま）(kaedama): An extra serving of noodles added to your remaining broth (usually ¥100–200)
Common Mistakes & Cultural Tips
- Don't pile on keigo: 〇〇 kudasai and お願いします are already courteous; forcing 〇〇をいただけますでしょうか just sounds stiff.
- Most places seat you: if there's a 少々お待ちください sign or staff greet you, wait to be seated; chains, conveyor sushi and some ramen shops let you seat yourself.
- Call staff with a raised hand and a quiet すみません — don't shout or snap your fingers; many tables have a call button you can press.
- Politely declining alcohol — if you don't drink or have had enough:
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| もう十分いただきました。 | mou juubun itadakimashita | "I've had plenty, thank you." |
| お酒は控えています。 | osake wa hikaete imasu | "I'm cutting back on alcohol." |
| ソフトドリンクにします。 | sofuto dorinku ni shimasu | "I'll switch to a soft drink." |
- Say ごちそうさまでした when you finish — as you leave your seat or the shop; it's the natural courtesy.
- Don't leave a tip — as above, staff may even chase after you to return it.
🗣️ Ordering at a Ramen Ticket Machine
- 券売機の使い方を教えてください。（けんばいきのつかいかたをおしえてください）— Could you show me how to use the ticket machine?
- 食券を買ってから座ればいいですか？（しょっけんをかってからすわればいいですか）— Do I buy the meal ticket first, then sit down?
- 麺は硬めでお願いします。（めんはかためでおねがいします）— Firm noodles, please.
- 替え玉、お願いします。（かえだま、おねがいします）— An extra serving of noodles, please.
👉 Hear these and practice at Travel Japanese — Restaurants.
Conveyor-Belt Sushi (Kaiten-zushi)
- 注文ボタン（ちゅうもんぼたん）(chuumon botan): The order button at your table, for ordering dishes made fresh and sent directly to you
- 本日のネタ（ほんじつのねた）(honjitsu no neta): Today's fresh catch/ingredients
- お持ち帰り（おもちかえり）(omochikaeri): Takeout
Takeout (テイクアウト / 持ち帰り) & the Tax Rate
To get your food to go:
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 持ち帰りできますか？ | mochikaeri dekimasu ka | "Can I get this to go?" |
| テイクアウトでお願いします。 | teikuauto de onegai shimasu | "Takeout, please." |
| 店内でお召し上がりですか？ | tennai de omeshiagari desu ka | "Is this for here?" (staff asking you) |
Tax note (reduced tax rate): since October 2019, Japan charges 10% for eating in and 8% for takeout; which rate applies is decided by staff confirming your intent ("for here or to go?") before you pay (National Tax Agency). So the same dish is usually a touch cheaper to go.
🗣️ Takeout & Leftovers
- これ、持ち帰りできますか？（これ、もちかえりできますか）— Can I get this to go?
- 残りを包んでもらえますか？（のこりをつつんでもらえますか）— Could you pack up the leftovers for me?
- 温かいままでお願いします。（あたたかいままでおねがいします）— Keep it warm, please.
👉 Hear these and practice at Travel Japanese — Restaurants.
Izakaya (Japanese Pubs)
- とりあえずビール (toriaezu biiru): "Beer first, for now" — the classic opening line when a group sits down in Japan
- おとおし (otoshi): A small appetizer automatically brought to your table (charged, usually around ¥300–500) — this is standard izakaya practice, not a scam
- 締め（しめ）(shime): The "closing" dish at the end of a meal, typically a light ramen or ochazuke (rice in tea/broth)
Restaurant Charges & Etiquette (quick facts)
| Fact | What it means | Note |
|---|---|---|
| No tipping | Japanese restaurants generally don't take or expect tips | The bill is the full amount; staff may chase you to return money left behind |
| Otoshi (お通し / tsukidashi) | A small appetizer served automatically at izakaya; effectively a seat charge, ~¥300–500 | Non-refusable and not a scam — it applies once you sit; to check, ask お通しはありますか？ |
| Charge / seat fee (チャージ／席料) | Some bars and small pubs add a seat fee, ~¥500–1000 (varies; go by the posted notice) | To confirm before sitting, ask チャージはありますか？ |
| Service charge | Some upscale or hotel restaurants add a 10% service fee | Menus often note サービス料10% |
Useful lines
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| お通しはありますか？ | otooshi wa arimasu ka | "Is there a (paid) table appetizer?" |
| チャージはありますか？ | chaaji wa arimasu ka | "Is there a seat charge?" |
🗣️ Politely Declining Alcohol
- お酒は飲めないので、ウーロン茶をください。（おさけはのめないので、うーろんちゃをください）— I can't drink alcohol, so oolong tea, please.
- ノンアルコールはありますか？（のんあるこーるはありますか）— Do you have any non-alcoholic drinks?
- 今日は運転なので、飲めません。（きょうはうんてんなので、のめません）— I'm driving today, so I can't drink.
- ソフトドリンクで大丈夫です。（そふとどりんくでだいじょうぶです）— Soft drinks are fine for me.
👉 Hear these and practice at Travel Japanese — Restaurants.
Next Step: The Travel-Japanese Learning Pack
Drill these lines until they come out without thinking, and the trip gets easier:
- Full restaurant scenario practice → Restaurant Japanese lesson: practise the seating-to-paying lines scene by scene.
- Practise conversation while you play → Grammar Challenge, a gamified way to review common travel phrases.
Last verified: 2026-06-17 (dynamic facts such as the reduced consumption-tax rate and nationwide IC interoperability checked against the National Tax Agency and JR East; prices and accepted payment methods follow each shop's posted notice). Spotted an error? See our corrections log.