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Appearance

Café & Restaurant ​

From "what would you like?" to "keep the change."

Waiters address you with Sie, and you use Sie back. In Germany you usually pay at the table, not at a counter, and you tell the waiter the total you want to pay (tip included).

Ordering ​

Formal (Sie) — the waiter takes your order.
Kellner
Guten Tag! Was möchten Sie trinken?
Hello! What would you like to drink?
Gast
Einen Kaffee, bitte.
A coffee, please.
Kellner
Gerne. Und zum Essen?
Sure. And to eat?
Gast
Ich nehme ein Käsebrötchen.
I'll have a cheese roll.
Good to know: the two polite ways to order are Ich möchte … (I would like…) and Ich nehme … (I'll take…). Both need the Akkusativ: einen Kaffee (maskulin), ein Wasser (neutrum), eine Cola (feminin).

Paying ​

Formal (Sie) — asking for the bill.
Gast
Die Rechnung, bitte.
The bill, please.
Kellner
Zusammen oder getrennt?
Together or separately?
Gast
Zusammen, bitte. Was macht das?
Together, please. How much is it?
Kellner
Das macht neun Euro fünfzig.
That's nine euros fifty.
Gast
Zehn Euro. Stimmt so.
Ten euros. Keep the change.
Good to know: zusammen (together) vs getrennt (separately) — the waiter almost always asks. "Stimmt so" means "keep the change" (literally "that's right like that"). To leave a tip you round up and say the total you want to pay.