Information

You must understand this

You are nor allowed to buy alcohol unless you are 18. You may only go into a British pub before you are 18, if you are with an adult. Pubs in Britain are not the same as pubs in your country. They are not cafes. If you are with a British friend who buys you a drink, you should offer to buy the next one. It is unusual for each person in a group to order his/her own drink individually. It is more common for one person to order for everyone.

Basic dialogue

Offer: What would you like to drink? Reply: Fll have (half a pint of bitter), please,

Note: What do you want to drink is more informal and can sound less friendly to someone you do not know very well.

Eating an d Drinking

• There are five common different kinds of draught beer:

Lager - a light coloured beer, similar to German or Scandinavian beer

Bitter - darker in colour, the most 'ordinary¹ English beer (called 'Heavy' in Scotland)

Mild - a darker sweeter beer, less popular than bitter

Guinness - the famous Irish beer, black in colour with a creamy 'head' to it, a kind of dark scout

Non-alcoholic or low-alcohol beer is usually sold by name. If you ask for a low-alcohol beer, the bar staff will tell you what they have.

• Most pub beer is sold on draught. You can see the names of each one available on the pumps at the bar. You order them by the pint or half-pint:

• There are also many beers which are sold in bottles. You ask for them by name:

A bottle of (Tetley/s, Ruddles), please.

• Here is how to ask for other alcoholic drinks:

a scotch a scotch and soda

a dry martini a campari soda

a glass of white/red wine

• Here are the commonest non-alcoholic drinks:

a low or non-alcoholic beer

an orange juice

a grapefruit juice

a ginger ale

a tonic water

a bottle of ginger beer

• You may also want to ask for the following:

A packet of peanuts

If you want potato crisps, ask for the following:

A packet of:

-cheese and onion

-roast chicken

-salt and vinegar

-plain

crisps, please.

• Some pubs serve coffee at lunchtime — others serve it all

Pub Lunch

Most pubs serve snacks at lunchtime. Some serve excellent hot meals. Some only serve sandwiches. There are no rules for this. Every pub is different.

Dialogues at the restaurant

GEORGE. Well, here we are, Tom. Let's take off our coats. ATTENDENT. Allow me to help you out of your coats, gentlemen? HEAD WAITER. Where would you like to sit, gentlemen? GEORGE. Over, therein .the corner, I suppose. TOM. It's a snug place, isn't it?

GEORGE. Yes, and quite out of the way of people. TOM. Let's see what they have. (He takes up themenu.) What about an omelette? GEORGE. I'd rather have some fish. TOM. And afterwards a nice beefsteak? GEORGE. Just so. TOM. Waiter!

WAITER. Directly, gentlemen. (He comes up to them.JWhat do you wish, gentlemen? TOM. Omelette for one, fish for one, and beefsteak for two. WAITER. Do you prefer, beefsteaks underdone or—? TOM. We don't mind provided they' are tender. WAITER. Will you have any dessert? TOM. What pastry have you? WAITER. We have apple-pie. GEORGE. Have you any pudding? WAITER. Yes, sir. Plum-pudding and rice-pudding. GEORGE (to Tom). What about plum-pudding. Torn? TOM. Yes. Two plates, please. WAITER. Yes, sir. Any cheese? TOM. No, cheese for me. What about you, George? GEORGE. I'll take a cup of coffee. Won't you have one also? TOM. Yes. Make it two. That'll be all, I suppose. GEORGE. A glass of fresh water for me, please. WAITER. Yes, sir. TOM. What have we to pay, waiter? WAITER, ...shillings and sixpence,- sir. TOM. Here you are. Have you change for a pound note? WAITER. Yes, sir. Here it is... shillings and sixpence. TOM. Forget the sixpence. WAITER. Thank you, gentlemen. Good-bye.