Restaurant & food phrases in Hindi

Q: How do I say I'm vegetarian in Hindi?

A man says मैं शाकाहारी हूँ (main shaakaahaari hoon) and a woman says the same phrase, since शाकाहारी does not change form. To be sure, add क्या इसमें मांस है? (is there meat in this?).

Q: How do I ask for less spicy food in Hindi?

Say कम तीखा (kam teekha), meaning less spicy. For not spicy at all, say तीखा मत डालिए (don't add chilli). Spice tolerance varies, so it's worth saying clearly when you order.

Q: How do I ask for the bill in Hindi?

Say बिल लाइए (bill laaiye), meaning please bring the bill. A common spoken alternative is बिल दे दीजिए (bill de dijiye). You can also catch the waiter's eye and say बिल.

Q: How do I order food in Hindi?

Use the pattern एक प्लेट … लाइए (ek plate … laaiye), as in एक प्लेट दाल लाइए (one plate of dal, please). For drinks, … लाइए also works, e.g. दो चाय लाइए (two teas, please).

Q: How do I say the food was delicious in Hindi?

Say खाना बहुत स्वादिष्ट था (khaana bahut swaadisht tha), meaning the food was very delicious. A simpler compliment is बहुत बढ़िया (bahut badhiya), very nice.

Order with confidence in any Indian eatery — from getting a table to ordering, flagging dietary needs like vegetarian and less-spicy, asking for the bill and complimenting the cook — with Devanagari and pronunciation throughout.

Eating out is where a little Hindi pays off most deliciously. Whether you're in a busy ढाबा (dhaba, roadside eatery) or a sit-down restaurant, a few well-placed phrases let you order exactly what you want, signal that you're vegetarian, dial the chilli up or down, and settle the bill without confusion. The phrases below follow the arc of a meal, from being seated to thanking the kitchen.

Ordering in Hindi leans on two simple patterns. एक प्लेट … लाइए (ek plate … laaiye, “one plate of …, please”) covers most dishes, and मुझे … चाहिए (mujhe … chahiye, “I want …”) covers the rest. Keep the polite -इए ending (laaiye, dijiye) and you'll sound courteous to any waiter.

Getting a table

On arrival — asking for seating and the menu.

Being seated and starting your meal.
English	Hindi	Pronunciation
A table for two, please	दो लोगों के लिए मेज़	do logon ke liye mez
Is a table free?	क्या मेज़ खाली है?	kya mez khaali hai?
The menu, please	मेन्यू दीजिए	menu dijiye
What do you recommend?	आप क्या सुझाएँगे?	aap kya sujhaayenge?
What is the speciality here?	यहाँ की खासियत क्या है?	yahaan ki khaasiyat kya hai?
Please bring water	पानी लाइए	paani laaiye

Ordering food

The core pattern: एक प्लेट … लाइए. Drop any dish name into the gap.

Placing your order.
English	Hindi	Pronunciation
One plate of dal, please	एक प्लेट दाल लाइए	ek plate daal laaiye
Two rotis, please	दो रोटी लाइए	do roti laaiye
I want rice	मुझे चावल चाहिए	mujhe chaawal chahiye
Two teas, please	दो चाय लाइए	do chai laaiye
The same again	वही फिर से	vahi phir se
That's all, thank you	बस, धन्यवाद	bas, dhanyavaad
A little more, please	थोड़ा और दीजिए	thoda aur dijiye

Dietary needs

The phrases that matter most — vegetarian, allergies, and spice level.

Telling the kitchen what you can and can't eat.
English	Hindi	Pronunciation
I'm vegetarian	मैं शाकाहारी हूँ	main shaakaahaari hoon
I'm non-vegetarian	मैं मांसाहारी हूँ	main maansaahaari hoon
Is there meat in this?	क्या इसमें मांस है?	kya ismein maans hai?
Less spicy	कम तीखा	kam teekha
Don't add chilli	तीखा मत डालिए	teekha mat daaliye
No onion or garlic	प्याज़-लहसुन नहीं	pyaaz-lahsun nahin
I'm allergic to peanuts	मुझे मूंगफली से एलर्जी है	mujhe moongphali se allergy hai
No sugar in the tea	चाय में चीनी नहीं	chai mein cheeni nahin

Asking for the bill

When you're done — calling for the bill and paying.

Settling up at the end of the meal.
English	Hindi	Pronunciation
The bill, please	बिल लाइए	bill laaiye
Please bring the bill	बिल दे दीजिए	bill de dijiye
How much is it altogether?	कुल कितना हुआ?	kul kitna hua?
Can I pay by card?	क्या कार्ड चलेगा?	kya card chalega?
Is the tip included?	क्या टिप शामिल है?	kya tip shaamil hai?
Keep the change	बाकी रख लीजिए	baaki rakh lijiye

Compliments

A kind word for the cook goes a long way — these are always welcome.

Praising the food and the meal.
English	Hindi	Pronunciation
The food was delicious	खाना बहुत स्वादिष्ट था	khaana bahut swaadisht tha
Very nice!	बहुत बढ़िया!	bahut badhiya!
I really enjoyed it	मुझे बहुत मज़ा आया	mujhe bahut maza aaya
The tea is excellent	चाय बहुत अच्छी है	chai bahut achchhi hai
Compliments to the cook	रसोइए को बधाई	rasoiye ko badhaai

Spice and the vegetarian line. Indian food can be far hotter than menus suggest, so say कम तीखा (less spicy) up front rather than after the first bite. On vegetarian food, the line is taken seriously almost everywhere — a green dot marks veg dishes and a brown dot non-veg — so मैं शाकाहारी हूँ will be respected; still, asking क्या इसमें मांस है? for a specific dish removes any doubt.

A note on dining etiquette. It's normal to eat with your right hand for breads like roti and naan; the left hand is traditionally kept off the food. Sharing dishes family-style is common, so ordering a few plates for the table works well. Tipping isn't obligatory at casual places but is appreciated at sit-down restaurants — rounding up or leaving about ten percent is a friendly gesture.

Translate your own order

Want a dish, an ingredient, or a special request that isn't here? Type it in English below and get the Hindi to show your waiter.

Frequently asked

How do I say I'm vegetarian in Hindi?

A man says मैं शाकाहारी हूँ (main shaakaahaari hoon) and a woman says the same phrase, since शाकाहारी does not change form. To be sure, add क्या इसमें मांस है? (is there meat in this?).

How do I ask for less spicy food in Hindi?

Say कम तीखा (kam teekha), meaning less spicy. For not spicy at all, say तीखा मत डालिए (don't add chilli). Spice tolerance varies, so it's worth saying clearly when you order.

How do I ask for the bill in Hindi?

Say बिल लाइए (bill laaiye), meaning please bring the bill. A common spoken alternative is बिल दे दीजिए (bill de dijiye). You can also catch the waiter's eye and say बिल.

How do I order food in Hindi?

Use the pattern एक प्लेट … लाइए (ek plate … laaiye), as in एक प्लेट दाल लाइए (one plate of dal, please). For drinks, … लाइए also works, e.g. दो चाय लाइए (two teas, please).

How do I say the food was delicious in Hindi?

Say खाना बहुत स्वादिष्ट था (khaana bahut swaadisht tha), meaning the food was very delicious. A simpler compliment is बहुत बढ़िया (bahut badhiya), very nice.