Lesson 11 of 18 · Café & Bar
Clarify Drink Quantities and Service Location (Counter vs Table)
Clarify and confirm an order of exactly two drinks with service location (*al banco* vs *al tavolo*), ask the location question (*Al banco o al tavolo?*), and repeat back the complete verified order.
Learn these expressions
Al banco o al tavolo?
At the counter or at the table?
Clarifying service destination.
Al banco, per favore.
At the counter, please.
Counter service destination.
Al tavolo, grazie.
At the table, thank you.
Table service destination.
Un caffè e un cappuccino al banco.
One coffee and one cappuccino at the counter.
Combined order and location phrase.
Due caffè al tavolo.
Two coffees at the table.
Plural order with table service.
Confermo: due bevande al banco.
I confirm: two drinks at the counter.
Repeat-back confirmation formula.
New words
- il banco
- the bar counter / service bar (masculine singular noun)
- al banco
- at the counter (preposition a + masculine article il)
- al tavolo
- at the table
- o
- or (conjunction)
- le bevande
- the drinks / beverages (feminine plural noun; singular la bevanda)
- confermo
- I confirm
You may hear
- Ci sediamo al tavolo. = We are sitting at the table.
- Beviamo qui al banco. = We are drinking here at the counter.
- Preferisco al tavolo. = I prefer at the table.
Grammar tipsShow
Combining Prepositions (A + Il = Al):
In Italian, when the preposition a (at/to) meets the masculine article il, they merge into the combined word al:
a + il banco = al banco (at the counter)
a + il tavolo = al tavolo (at the table)
Asking the Destination Question:
If the customer doesn't say where, ask: Al banco o al tavolo? (At the counter or at the table?).
Full Order Repeat-Back Formula:
To prevent serving drinks in the wrong location, combine the drinks and the destination in your repeat-back:
Confermo: un caffè e un tè al tavolo. (I confirm: one coffee and one tea at the table.)
Listen to the conversation
Listen once without reading. Then step through the lines below, one turn at a time.
Listening practice
Listen, pick an answer, then reveal the spoken words to check. Practice only, not an exam.
Question 1
What drinks and service destination does the customer request?
Question 2
What items and destination are confirmed by the server?