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Describe a restaurant where you had a good meal

Try the card on the exam timer first, then read the band-8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions that follow it.

Practice it like the exam

Part 2 · Candidate task card

Describe a restaurant where you had a good meal.

You should say:

  • where the restaurant is
  • who you went there with
  • what you ate

and explain why you enjoyed the meal.

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1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.

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Band 8 sample answer

245 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.

I would like to talk about a restaurant in Tashkent called Navat, where I had dinner last year to celebrate my father's fiftieth birthday. The whole family came, so there were about eight of us at a big table.

The restaurant is in an old house with a pleasant courtyard, and the dining room is decorated in a traditional style, with painted ceilings and colourful cushions. We had booked a table a week in advance because it is always full at weekends. For the starters we shared a selection of fresh salads, hot bread straight from the oven and some small pastries. Then everyone ordered a main course. I chose plov, which is our national dish, and my father had lamb ribs, which came with grilled vegetables. The portions were generous, and we could hardly find room for the dessert, though of course we did, because the honey cake was fantastic.

I enjoyed the meal for more reasons than the food alone. The waiters were polite and attentive, and they brought a small cake with a candle for my father without us even asking. That made him very happy. The atmosphere was also warm and relaxed, with gentle live music in the background that did not stop us from talking. Most importantly, it was a rare chance to have the whole family together, laughing and telling old stories. Good food always tastes better in good company, and that evening is a perfect example of that.

What to notice

  • It takes the points on the card in order, so the examiner can follow it.
  • Each point gets a specific detail or a short story, which is what keeps a talk going for two minutes.
  • The "explain" line at the end gets the most time, because that is where you give an opinion and show your range of language.

We wrote this answer for practice; it does not come from IELTS. Take its structure and phrases and tell your own story, because examiners notice memorised answers.

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Useful vocabulary

PhraseMeaning
a cosy atmospherea warm, comfortable feeling
mouth-wateringso delicious that it makes you hungry
a set menua meal with fixed courses at a fixed price
attentive servicestaff who carefully look after customers
a local specialitya dish typical of a particular area
book a tablereserve a place in advance

Plan it in one minute

Choose what to talk about in the first ten seconds, then write two or three key words for each point. Full sentences take too long to write and to read back.

Who or what you could talk about

  • A family celebration at a traditional restaurant
  • A small, unknown restaurant you discovered by accident while travelling
  • A meal at a new restaurant that your friends recommended

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swhere the restaurant is
  2. 25 swho you went there with
  3. 25 swhat you ate
  4. 45 sand explain why you enjoyed the meal.

Part 3 questions

In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Eating out. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.

  1. Why do people enjoy eating in restaurants?
  2. Do people in your country eat out more often than they did in the past?
  3. What are the differences between fast food and traditional food?
  4. Do you think restaurants should have to show how healthy their food is?
  5. Is it better to eat at home with family or to go out?
  6. How might eating habits change in the future?

Frequently asked questions

How should I describe a place in an IELTS cue card?

Choose a place you have actually been to. Give its location quickly, then describe it with your senses: what you saw, heard and did there. Close with how you felt or why you would go back. A real visit gives you details that sound natural.

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