A place where people pay to sit and eat meals that are prepared and served by staff.

Countable noun. Plural: restaurants. Note the pronunciation — the middle 't' is often not strongly pronounced: /ˈrɛs.tər.ɒnt/. Common collocations: go to a restaurant, book a restaurant, restaurant menu, fast food restaurant.

The word 'restaurant' comes from French. British restaurants may add a service charge (tip) to the bill automatically. In the UK, it is common to tip 10-15% for good service. 'Takeaway' (UK) or 'takeout' (US) is food you order from a restaurant to eat at home.