In this intermediate Business English Podcast we look at business meals and the language of ordering food in a restaurant, describing dishes and paying the bill.

In the listening, we continue to follow Mario and Francesca, who represent the Italian fashion company Viva, on their visit to the U.S. As planned, they are having dinner in Las Vegas with their distributor Adriana, who works at the American company Foxtrot. Bill, one of their new customers, has also joined them.

When the dialog begins, the group has already made some small talk and looked at the menu. Now they are ready to order.

Listening Questions

1) Why doesn’t Francesca want to try the “steak tartare?”

Francesca says that she would prefer to try something “lighter” than the steak tartare, which is a heavy, rich meat dish.

2) How does Francesca signal that she’s ready to go back to the hotel?

When Bill offers Francesca more wine, she says, “Thanks, I’d better not. I’m still jet-lagged.” This starts a ‘leaving dialog’, in which Adriana says, “We’d better let you get back to the hotel.”

3) Who pays for the meal?

Adriana and Bill want to pay for dinner, but Mario protests because he had offered to pay earlier (in BEP 89 – Arranging a Visit). However, he and Francesca agree to let Adriana and Bill pick up the tab (that is, pay for dinner) as long as they get to pay for the next one.

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		Business Meals & Dining Out – Useful Phrases
	Study Notes	Business Meals & Dining Out – Proposing a Toast
		Business Meals & Dining Out – Leaving at the End of a Meal
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