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The cue card
Describe a restaurant or café you like. You should say:
- where it is
- what kind of food it serves
- how often you go there
- and explain why you like it
You have 1 minute to prepare and should speak for 1 to 2 minutes.
🎙 Practise this card with the examiner
Notes you could make in 1 minute
Write key words only, one line per bullet point:
- small Lebanese café near work
- wraps, coffee
- twice a week
- friendly owner, cheap
Band 7+ sample answer
The café I'd like to describe is a small Lebanese place just around the corner from my office in Parramatta. From the outside you'd hardly notice it, because it's squeezed between a phone shop and a dry cleaner, but it's a real hidden gem.
They serve fresh Lebanese food: falafel wraps, grilled chicken plates, salads with lots of parsley and lemon, and the best hummus I've ever eaten. They also make very good coffee, which isn't always the case with places that focus on food.
I go there about twice a week, usually at lunchtime with a couple of colleagues, and sometimes on a Saturday morning if I'm in the area. I've been going for so long that the owner, a very friendly man called Sami, starts making my usual order as soon as I walk in.
There are a few reasons I like it so much. First, the food is genuinely delicious and always fresh, and it's good value for money, especially compared with the expensive cafés in the city. Second, it has a really relaxed, cosy atmosphere. There's music playing, and Sami chats to everyone, so it feels more like visiting a friend's kitchen than going to a restaurant. And finally, it reminds me a little of the food my neighbours cooked when I was growing up. If friends visit me from overseas, it's one of the first places I take them.
About 234 words, or roughly 2 minutes at a natural speaking pace.
Useful vocabulary for this topic
- a hidden gem
- a cosy atmosphere
- value for money
- a regular
- mouth-watering
- to grab a bite to eat
Why this answer works: it covers every bullet point, tells a short story with specific details (names, places, numbers), uses a range of tenses, and finishes with the "explain" point, which is where you show your best vocabulary.
Follow-up and Part 3 questions
Examiner's follow-up (Part 2): Would you take visitors there?
Part 3 discussion questions:
- Why do people eat out more than they used to?
- Is fast food a problem in your country?
- Should restaurants show calorie information on menus?
- How have people's eating habits changed in recent years?
Answer Part 3 questions in 3–4 sentences: your view, a reason, an example, and the other side.
More cue cards
- Describe a time when you were late for something
- Describe a teacher who influenced you
- All 30 IELTS cue cards
Frequently asked questions
How long should my answer to 'Describe a restaurant or café you like' be?
Speak for up to 2 minutes; the examiner will stop you. That's roughly 220 to 280 words at a natural pace. The sample answer on this page is about 234 words.
Can I memorise this sample answer?
No. Examiners are trained to recognise memorised answers, and it can lower your score. Use the sample to see the structure and borrow a few phrases, then talk about your own experience.
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