Dutch · A2 (Elementary)
Food in Dutch: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Dutch words for food are het restaurant (the restaurant), bestellen (to order) and het menu (the menu). The full Dutch food phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Dutch vocabulary for food, with example sentences and English translations. This is A2 (Elementary) material — exactly the kind of practical language you need when you're learning Dutch to live, work, or settle abroad.
Source: Language Lab's Dutch curriculum (vocabulary & example sentences). · Join the beta →
Key food vocabulary
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| het restaurant | the restaurant |
| bestellen | to order |
| het menu | the menu |
| vegetarisch | vegetarian |
| de rekening | the bill |
| de fooi | the tip |
| het dagmenu | the dish of the day |
| het hoofdgerecht | the main course |
| het voorgerecht | the starter |
| het nagerecht | the dessert |
Example sentences
We eten vanavond in het restaurant.
We are eating at the restaurant tonight.
Ik wil graag bestellen, alsjeblieft.
I would like to order, please.
Heeft u vegetarische gerechten?
Do you have vegetarian dishes?
De rekening, alsjeblieft!
The bill, please!
Wat is het dagmenu?
What is the dish of the day?
Ik laat een fooi.
I leave a tip.
How to actually learn these
Reading a vocabulary list is not the same as being able to use the words when it counts. Research on adult language acquisition consistently shows that vocabulary retained through contextual use — hearing a word, producing it under mild pressure, and being corrected when you get it wrong — transfers to real speech far more effectively than passive list review. The fastest way to make vocabulary like this stick is to practise it in the actual conversations where it comes up: not drills, but a real back-and-forth where you have to retrieve the word and say it aloud. Language Lab turns vocabulary like this into voiced, real-life scenarios with Sonia, a live AI language tutor who holds real conversations, corrects you in context, and remembers the specific words you keep getting wrong across sessions. The vocabulary stops being something you read and becomes something you say — automatically, under pressure, when you actually need it.
Practice Dutch that actually sticks.
Language Lab teaches the Dutch you need to live abroad — with a live AI tutor. Coming soon.
Join the beta →