Getting seated at a restaurant or bar
When you arrive inside a restaurant or bar, the staff will typically look at you and say one of the following phrases.
You may get lucky and manage with simple english.
Hand gestures are always a good idea, such as holding up three fingers for a party of three. How many people? (何名様ですか？
nanmei sama desuka?
One person （一人です。）
hitori desu
Two people (二人です。）
futari desu
X people
X nin desu.
See Basic Japanese language for how to count, then just say X nin desu. One person and two people have special pronuciation as shown above. Do you have a reservation? (ご予約ありますか？）
go yoyaku arimasuka?
I don't have a reservation. (予約はしていません。）
yoyaku wa shite imasen
Yes, it's for Smith. (はい、スミスです。）
hai, sumisu desu
Replace Smith with the name you used for the reservation.
Sorry, all seats are full. (ごめんなさい、満席です。）
gomen nasai, manseki desu
They may be literally full or all seats may be reserved.
Would you like to wait? (お待ちしていただけますか？）
o machi shite itadakemasuka?
You can say yes or no, and then...
How long is it likely to be (どれぐらいになりそうですか？）
dore gurai ni narisou desuka?
Listen for:
20 minutes
ni ju pun
30 minutes
san ju pun
1 hour
ichi ji kan