Guide · What you will hear
Your First 90 Seconds at a Japanese Restaurant
8 situations · updated
The first ninety seconds inside a Japanese restaurant are the busiest part of the meal for a visitor. Several things are asked in a row, before you’ve even opened the menu, and each answer settles something — where you sit, what arrives first, and what ends up on the bill.
Nearly all of it can be answered with your fingers, a point, or a single word.
Here is each one, roughly in the order you’ll meet it.
At a glance
How many of you?
What you hear
何名様ですか
nanmei-sama desu ka
How many people?
何名様でしょうか
nanmei-sama deshou ka
お二人様ですか
ofutari-sama desu ka
Two of you?
What it means
They’re asking how many people are in your group.
What you need to notice
It’s the first thing after the greeting, and staff usually glance past you to see who else is with you. 何 (nan) = how many.
What to do
- Hold up that many fingers.
- That’s the whole answer — you don’t need to say it out loud.
Do you need to reply?
They can’t seat you until they know, but holding up fingers counts as your answer.
一人です
hitori desu
“Just me.”
二人です
futari desu
“Two people.”
If you missed it
Hold up fingers anyway — at the door, this is most likely what you’re being asked.
Counter or table?
What you hear
カウンター席とテーブル席、どちらがよろしいですか
kauntaa-seki to teeburu-seki, dochira ga yoroshii desu ka
Counter seat or table seat — which would you prefer?
お席はどちらになさいますか
oseki wa dochira ni nasaimasu ka
What it means
They’re offering you a choice of seat.
What you need to notice
Two nouns joined by と (to) and then どちら (dochira, “which”) means you’re being offered a choice rather than asked a yes/no question.
What to do
- Point at the kind of seat you want.
- Or repeat one of the two words back.
Do you need to reply?
They’re waiting for your answer before they walk you to a seat.
テーブルで
teeburu de
“A table, please.”
カウンターで
kauntaa de
“The counter, please.”
どちらでもいいです
dochira demo ii desu
“Either is fine.”
If you missed it
Say dochira demo ii desu — “either is fine”. That ends the question safely.
Varies / context
This only comes up where both kinds of seat exist.
Smoking or non-smoking?
What you hear
喫煙席と禁煙席、どちらがよろしいですか
kitsuen-seki to kin’en-seki, dochira ga yoroshii desu ka
Smoking or non-smoking seat — which would you prefer?
お煙草は吸われますか
otabako wa suwaremasu ka
Do you smoke?
What it means
Whether you want a smoking or a non-smoking seat.
What you need to notice
喫煙 (kitsuen) = smoking, 禁煙 (kin’en) = non-smoking. 煙草 (tabako) is the other word to listen for.
What to do
- Say kin’en de for non-smoking.
- Waving a hand once also comes across as no.
Do you need to reply?
It decides which part of the room they seat you in.
禁煙で
kin’en de
“Non-smoking, please.”
If you missed it
Say kin’en de — if you don’t smoke, that’s the answer you want.
Varies / context
Not every restaurant has smoking seats, so you may not be asked at all. Some places still do ask.
The small dish you didn’t order
What you hear
お通しです
otooshi desu
This is the otooshi.
お通しになります
otooshi ni narimasu
What it means
A small dish put in front of you shortly after you sit down, which you didn’t order. It often comes with a small per-person charge.
What you need to notice
It arrives before anything you ordered, unasked, and is announced with the word お通し (otooshi).
What to do
- Accept it — it isn’t a mistake.
- Expect a small per-person charge to appear on the bill.
Do you need to reply?
It’s a statement made as the dish is set down. You don’t need to reply.
If you missed it
If a small dish you didn’t order appears, this is what it was.
Varies / context
This is mainly an izakaya custom rather than something you’ll meet in every restaurant. Whether it can be declined depends on the shop, so don’t assume it can be.
Drinks before food
What you hear
お飲み物はいかがですか
onomimono wa ikaga desu ka
How about something to drink?
お飲み物は何になさいますか
onomimono wa nani ni nasaimasu ka
What will you have to drink?
What it means
They want your drink order first, before food.
What you need to notice
飲み物 (nomimono) = drink. It often comes while you’re still holding an unopened menu.
What to do
- Point at a drink on the menu.
- Or use one of the lines below.
Do you need to reply?
They’re standing at the table waiting, but asking for a moment is a perfectly good answer.
お水で大丈夫です
omizu de daijoubu desu
“Water is fine.”
少し待ってください
sukoshi matte kudasai
“Could you give me a moment?”
If you missed it
Point at anything in the drinks section of the menu.
Varies / context
Tap water is usually brought to the table free, so omizu de daijoubu desu covers you if you don’t want anything else.
Are you ready to order?
What you hear
ご注文はお決まりですか
gochuumon wa okimari desu ka
Has your order been decided?
お決まりでしょうか
okimari deshou ka
What it means
They’re asking whether you’re ready to order.
What you need to notice
注文 (chuumon) = order, 決まり (kimari) = decided. The question comes with a notepad in their hand.
What to do
- If you’re ready, point at each item and say kore o onegai shimasu.
- If you’re not, say mada desu.
Do you need to reply?
Either answer is fine, but they’ll wait at the table until you give one.
まだです
mada desu
“Not yet.”
これをお願いします
kore o onegai shimasu
“This one, please.”
If you missed it
mada desu buys you time. You can order whenever you’re ready.
Is that everything?
What you hear
以上でよろしいですか
ijou de yoroshii desu ka
Is that all?
ご注文は以上でしょうか
gochuumon wa ijou deshou ka
What it means
They’ve read your order back and are checking that nothing else is coming.
What you need to notice
It comes right after your order is read back to you. 以上 (ijou) = “that’s all”.
What to do
- Nod if you’re done.
- Point at the next item if you’re not.
Do you need to reply?
A nod closes the order. You can order more later.
はい、以上です
hai, ijou desu
“Yes, that’s all.”
If you missed it
Nod. You can call them back and order more later.
When the food arrives
What you hear
お待たせしました
omatase shimashita
Sorry to have kept you waiting.
失礼します
shitsurei shimasu
Excuse me.
What it means
Said as a dish is set on your table.
What you need to notice
You’ll hear it as someone reaches in with a plate, from beside or behind you.
What to do
- Move anything that’s in the way so the dish can go down.
Do you need to reply?
You don’t need to say anything. A short thank-you is fine if you’d like to.
ありがとうございます
arigatou gozaimasu
“Thank you.”
If you missed it
Nothing is required of you here.
After the first ninety seconds the pressure drops away. Once you’re seated with a drink ordered, you can take as long as you like over the menu.