Describe a Restaurant You Enjoyed Going To
Cambridge IELTS Speaking Book 8 Test Answers
IELTS Speaking Cue Card TopicDescribe a restaurant that you enjoyed going to.
You should say:
- Where the restaurant was
- Why you chose this restaurant
- What type of food you ate in this restaurant
and explain why you enjoyed eating in this restaurant.
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IELTS Speaking Part 2
Cue Card Sample Answer/Model Answer
Describe a restaurant you enjoyed going to
I'd like to describe a restaurant I enjoyed about a year ago. I was invited by a friend of mine to go for lunch at a local restaurant.
He actually chose the restaurant, not me, but it was very good. It wasn't a cheap restaurant but it was one of the best that Ive ever eaten in.
We really enjoyed going to that restaurant because everything was excellent, the service, the ambiance, the food, and obviously good company as well, so it was a perfect afternoon we spent together when we ate in this restaurant.
It's a popular restaurant and is maybe about 5km outside of the city where we live.
The name of the restaurant is Carlo & Charlie's and it's a great place for family and friends to eat together.
They specialize in the type of food that most people like; simple, traditional but delicious dishes.
It was different from my favourite restaurant, which is more of a gourmet place that offers many up-market food choices.
Anyway, the restaurant my friend took me to was in the country and situated next to a lake with a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside.
But it wasn't difficult to get to it.
Like I said, it was actually my friend who chose the restaurant. I didnt even know about it, although I had heard several people mention its name before and say it was popular.
It truly was a spectacular location, quite breathtaking in fact. Maybe thats why so many people are enthusiastic about the place and flock there every weekend.
Not just for the delicious food they have, but because of the really amazing view too!
The food they offer is what would be classed as traditional food or home cooking but its of a very high standard and the dishes are superb quality.
The menu is varied and includes something for everyone. There are traditional meat dishes, a seafood platter with different types of fish and they cater for vegetarians too with plenty of variety available on the menu for those who dont want to eat meat or fish.
I decided to try one of the local salmon, which is supposedly caught from the lake in front of the restaurant.
My friend had a steak, he likes his red meat! The food was excellent; I couldnt fault it for anything.
It was served quickly and was delicious. Its a place I will definitely be recommending to other people now that Ive been and tried it for myself.
The whole experience in the restaurant was very good, all the delicious food, the scenery and of course, having an opportunity to catch up with my friend and have a long talk.
So there were many reasons why this was a restaurant I enjoyed going to, and it was actually better than I thought it would be which is always a nice surprise!
I would describe the entire restaurant as a perfect place to take your family for a great meal and enjoy eating something they are bound to love.
Part 3
How would you answer these IELTS cue card questions?
How would you describe a restaurant?
Think about the important things that define the restaurant. There are usually some things that you will remember about a restaurant you enjoyed going to - the atmospheres, the music, the food, or maybe the service provided by the servers.
What aspects of a restaurant you enjoyed stick in your mind the most? Which adjectives would you use to explain the experience, and how you felt.
When you went there - what was the first thing that struck you [made an impression on you]?
How do you talk to a restaurant?
The popular ways to talk to a restaurant include email, text, social media, or maybe a booking form on their website.
You can search for local restaurants or even search for a specific food in your local area easily.
Almost all restaurant websites have easy navigation options to book a table or make a reservation online in a couple of minutes.
You can also follow many restaurants on social media and see anything they post for special promos and offers.
That way you can get notifications of posts offering special deals for the best time to go or organize something like a special event for your friends or family at the restaurant.
You can also say which way you prefer to organize a night out at a restaurant. Booking by phone, online, email, etc.
How would you describe your favorite restaurant?
This is probably the most common example of the IELTS cue cards about restaurants.
It appears time and time again, almost every year.
You can talk about a restaurant and explain it in general terms: the furniture, lighting, food, atmosphere, music, etc.
But what makes it your favourite restaurant? Maybe it's something like you love the different foods they serve, or they have a special meat or fish dish you can't find anywhere else.
Or you enjoy the people that go to the restaurant. Or they let you take whatever you don't finish home with you.
Maybe you used to go there as a child. Is that why it's a special place for you?
Maybe the part of the city where the restaurant is located is amazingly beautiful at night.
You can also say something about the history of the restaurant if it is famous in the city or has an interesting story about the owners.
Is the owner a celebrity chef? A well-known personality in the community?
Or maybe it's a family-run restaurant where you can eat homemade foods and has been there for generations and is part of the local history.
There are many IELTS speaking test cue cards on the topic of restaurants, so you should practice several possible sample answer options for the speaking test.
TIP: when you are speaking on the topic, include as much detail as possible in your answers and give reasons why you like/dislike something.
Most of the cue card questions are about the topic of restaurants, but some ask about a specific meal or what was special about the food you ate at a restaurant you enjoyed eating at or going to.
The next time you go to a restaurant to eat, try to observe everything that is happening and all the different things that you could talk about in your answers.
You may like to take notes or pictures of the important details you like. Then you can create your own sample answers for an IELTS cue card question about restaurants.
Remember, you have a maximum of two minutes in the IELTS Speaking Test Part 2 to respond to one of the cue cards the examiner will give you.
The IELTS cue cards used in the exam have the full question and the bullet points as in the example cue card used on this page.
So you don't need to worry about remembering all the points!
You also get one minute to plan and make notes before you speak, so use the time well and think about what you want to say. Make the most of the preparation time!
Good luck with your IELTS speaking test!