Describe a restaurant you enjoyed going to.
You should say:
-Where the restaurant was
-Why you chose it
-What type of food you ate there
-And explain why you enjoyed eating there
Ideas:
This is not an official answer to this question. Instead, 5 different restaurants are described.
Restaurant 1: Boojum(Mexican)
“I’ll start off with a place called Boojum, which is a Mexican place. They specialise in tacos and actually the most popular thing on the menu is burritos. And to be honest with you, that’s what I normally go for because it’s really good value.. you can buy a pretty big burrito for like six pounds, which is quite good, and yeah, I normally go for like pulled pork or pulled beef and then get some like black beans in there some Mexican rice. I also like pickles in my Burrito, which might be a little bit weird.. but yeah.. it’s pretty tasty for me.. and yeah.. it’s really substantial, super good value, nice atmosphere, quick and easy, and there’s always a huge queue outside it so you know it’s good!
Restaurant 2: Italian restaurant
The next place I’ll mention is an unbelievable restaurant that I went to in Italy because I was visiting one of my mates.. I sort of took the opportunity to visit him and stay at his place and turn it into a holiday.. so yeah.. I didn’t have to pay for accommodation and it was a great way of catching up with him. He was an old housemate who was living there as an English teacher.. so anyway, one night I went out with him and his girlfriend to one of the best restaurants in the city, which was an authentic Italian restaurant. It was pretty insane because it was inside a cave, so you can imagine the atmosphere! As for the food, I played it safe and ordered a pizza.. I’m normally quite an adventurous eater.. but I had to go for pizza this time.. and it didn’t disappoint! I don’t think I’ve ever smiled as much eating a pizza in my life! We also tried some like special Italian liquor, which was quite strong.. but of course we had some wine.. and yeah… we just enjoyed each other’s company. It was just really luxurious and bougie you know.. you felt really fancy.. and it felt like a real dining experience.. so I’ll always remember that restaurant for the food and for the atmosphere and for the chat with those friends because it was really good banter as well!
Restaurant 3: Ox (Fine-dining restaurant)
Next up I’ll talk about Ox, which is a very upscale restaurant in Belfast. It’s pretty pricey.. and it’s quite beautifully located because it’s right beside the ocean.. and it’s a Michelin star restaurant, so you can imagine that the menu’s very extravagant and creative and pretty impressive. Most of the time when I’m eating the dishes, I don’t really know what they are… but they always taste unreal.. and they also have a great wine pairing menu.. So yeah.. I think that’s also nice as well.. it makes it more interesting.. but overall I love the atmosphere in that place… like it feels light and airy.. a little bit like Starbucks- lots of natural light coming in.. and yeah it just feels professional and you feel fancy.
Restaurant 4: Mayur Indian Restaurant
Ok the next one I’ll talk about is an Indian restaurant that I used to head to with my dad years ago. It’s an Indian restaurant that is located in the city centre. It’s quite simple and unassuming from the outside but when you get inside the decor is pretty welcoming and very pleasant.. and the staff are really friendly too. One of the guys always looked after us and he recognised us every time we went but what I loved the most was the food.. You know.. the quality was amazing.. I used to get like a chana masala or aloo gobi.. some kind of dish like that.. and I’d absolutely destroy it! And I would have some red wine with it of course!.. and it was cool as well because my dad really enjoyed it too. He loved the experience of dining out in general. I couldn’t praise the staff enough because they created that atmosphere.. and it was really reasonably priced too! So yeah.. love it.
Restaurant 5: El Grito (Mexican Restaurant)
The last spot I’ll mention is again another Mexican place in Dublin.. and I went there one day because I was trying to kill some time and I thought I would just grab a bite to eat.. so I looked up the best Mexican restaurants in the area and this one called El Grito was top of the list, so I read the reviews and it got me very excited because the reviews were unbelievable.. so yeah.. anyway.. I went there and had some tacos and they had all these different types of unreal sauces you know.. you could also mix different types of tacos together.. so you could have like maybe if you ordered three or four tacos.. you could do one chicken, one beef, one pork and they also had different vegetables and sauces in them.. so it kind of felt very creative and also the whole atmosphere in the restaurant was incredible.. it was very authentic and really well decorated and the vibe was really chill.. everybody was happy.. it just had a very laid back feel.. and yeah.. again, the staff were really friendly, attentive.. but not too attentive! And yeah.. I just sat back, enjoyed my tacos and listened to the music by myself. It was the perfect way to pass time waiting for one of my friends.”
Vocabulary:
Specialise in – Be really good at one thing. “That place specialises in sushi.”
Go for – Choose something. “I’d go for the steak.”
Good value – Worth the price. “Huge portions, definitely good value.”
Substantial – Big, filling. “That burger was substantial.”
Nice atmosphere – Pleasant vibe. “It had a really nice atmosphere.“
Quick and easy – Fast, simple. “Perfect for a quick and easy lunch.”
Unbelievable – Shockingly good. “That pizza was unbelievable.”
Catch up with – Talk with someone. “Great place to catch up with friends.”
Authentic – Real, traditional. “Tasted so authentic, like real Italian food.”
Pretty insane – Really amazing. “The flavours were pretty insane.”
Play it safe – Choose something familiar. “I played it safe with a burger.”
Adventurous eater – Someone who tries new foods. “I’m an adventurous eater, so I had the octopus.”
To not disappoint – Always good. “Their ramen never disappoints.”
Enjoyed each other’s company – Had a good time together. “We just ate, laughed, and enjoyed each other’s company.“
Luxurious – Fancy, high-end. “The hotel dinner felt so luxurious.”
Bougie – Fancy, a little extra. “That restaurant was so bougie.”
Good banter – Fun conversation. “The waiter had good banter.“
Fancy – Upscale, stylish. “A fancy dinner spot.”
Pretty pricey – Expensive. “Great food, but pretty pricey.”
Extravagant – Over-the-top fancy. “The décor was extravagant.”
Creative – Unique, artistic. “Their menu is super creative.”
Pretty impressive – Surprisingly good. “The cocktails were pretty impressive.”
Light and airy – Open, fresh feel.“The café was light and airy.“
Lots of natural light coming in – Bright with sunlight. “Huge windows, lots of natural light coming in.”
I’d absolutely destroy it – I’d eat it so fast. “That burger? I’d absolutely destroy it.”
Dining out – Eating at a restaurant. “I love dining out on weekends.”
I couldn’t praise the staff enough – The service was amazing. “So friendly, I couldn’t praise the staff enough.”
Grab a bite to eat – Get some food. “Let’s grab a bite to eat before the movie.”
Looked up – Searched for. “I looked up the best sushi spots.”
Read the reviews – Checked what others said. “I read the reviews before booking.”
The reviews were unbelievable – The ratings were amazing. “The reviews were unbelievable, so I had to try it.”
Unreal sauces – Amazing flavours. “The wings had unreal sauces.”
The vibe was really chill – Relaxed atmosphere. “Loved it, the vibe was really chill.“
It just had a very laid-back feel – Super casual. “Not too fancy, just a very laid-back feel.“
Attentive… but not too attentive – Good service, not overbearing. “The waiter was attentive… but not too attentive.”
Matching Exercise
Match the words (1-10) with their correct definitions (a-j):
- Go for
- Good value
- Authentic
- Bougie
- Fancy
- Pricy
- Dining out
- Attentive
- Vibe
- Laid back
a) Expensive.
b) Choose something.
c) The overall atmosphere or feeling of a place.
d) Worth the price.
e) Relaxed, casual.
f) Eating at a restaurant.
g) Good service, not overbearing.
h) Fancy, a little extra.
i) Upscale, stylish.
j) Real, traditional.
Answer
1 a) Choose something.
2 b) Worth the price.
3 c) Real, traditional.
4 d) Fancy, a little extra.
5 e) Upscale, stylish.
6 f) Expensive.
7 g) Eating at a restaurant.
8 h) Good service, not overbearing.
9 i) The overall atmosphere or feeling of a place.
10 j) Relaxed, casual.
Fill in the 15 gaps using the following vocabulary:
attentive/ looked up/ pretty pricey/ good banter/ did not disappoint/ good value/ authentic/ went for/ adventurous eater/ read the reviews/ fancy/ specialise in/ play it safe/ bougie/ destroyed
Emma: Hey, Sarah! So, how was that new restaurant you went to last night? Any good?!
Sarah: Oh, Emma, it was unreal! It’s this place that 1) _________ authentic Italian cuisine, like straight-from-Naples vibes. I 2)_________ the place beforehand and 3) _________, and let me tell you, it 4) _________!
Emma: Ooh, sounds 5) __________! What’d you order?
Sarah: Ha, you know I’m an 6) _________! I didn’t 7) ________—I 8) ________ this squid ink pasta with spicy calamari. It was a bit 9) _______, but totally worth it. I absolutely 10)________ it; the plate was clean!
Emma: That sounds incredible! Was it 11) ________, though? Those kinds of places can be pretty steep!
Sarah: Yeah, it was, but honestly, it was 12) ________ for the quality. The portions were decent, and everything was so 13) _______. Plus, the staff? I couldn’t praise the staff enough. They were so 14) ________, always checking in without being overbearing.
Emma: Love that! Did you get any 15) ________ with them?
Sarah: Oh, totally! Our waiter was cracking jokes and recommending dishes. It made the vibe so fun, not just some stiff, fancy experience. I’m already dying to go back!
Emma: Sounds like a winner. You’ve convinced me—I’m looking it up right now!
Answers
Emma: Hey, Sarah! So, how was that new restaurant you went to last night? Any good?!
Sarah: Oh, Emma, it was unreal! It’s this place that 1) specialises in authentic Italian cuisine, like straight-from-Naples vibes. I 2) looked up the place beforehand and 3) read the reviews, and let me tell you, it 4) did not disappoint!
Emma: Ooh, sounds 5) fancy! What’d you order?
Sarah: Ha, you know I’m an 6) adventurous eater! I didn’t 7) play it safe—I 8) went for this squid ink pasta with spicy calamari. It was a bit 9) bougie, but totally worth it. I absolutely 10) destroyed it; the plate was clean!
Emma: That sounds incredible! Was it 11) pretty pricey, though? Those kinds of places can be pretty steep!
Sarah: Yeah, it was, but honestly, it was 12) good value for the quality. The portions were decent, and everything was so 13) authentic. Plus, the staff? I couldn’t praise the staff enough. They were so 14) attentive, always checking in without being overbearing.
Emma: Love that! Did you get any 15) good banter with them?
Sarah: Oh, totally! Our waiter was cracking jokes and recommending dishes. It made the vibe so fun, not just some stiff, fancy experience. I’m already dying to go back!
Emma: Sounds like a winner. You’ve convinced me—I’m looking it up right now!
