Restaurant Review for a Student Magazine
Review a café or restaurant you know for a student magazine: the place, the food, the service, the price and your recommendation.
- Time
- 30 min
- Length
- 120-150 words
Writadia · B1 · Reviews
NameClassDate
The situation
Your college magazine has a section called "Cheap Eats". Students review cafés and restaurants where you can eat well for a small budget.
Your task
Write a review of a café or restaurant you know. Describe the place, the food and the service, say if it's good value, and say who you would recommend it to.
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Give your review a short title.
- Start with the name, location and first impression.
- Write a paragraph about the food: one dish in detail.
- Mention service and price.
- Finish with a clear recommendation.
Useful phrases
Opening
Food
Service and price
Recommending
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- value for money
- good quality for the priceThe lunch menu is great value for money.
- cosy
- small, warm and comfortableIt's a cosy café with old armchairs.
- portion
- the amount of food you getThe portions are huge.
- staff
- the people who work in a placeThe staff were very helpful.
- atmosphere
- the feeling a place hasIt has a relaxed atmosphere.
Model answer (139 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Lezzet Corner: Small Café, Big Portions
Lezzet Corner is a tiny café behind the bus station, and it's easy to walk past it. Don't!1 Inside, there are only six tables, old photos on the walls and the smell of fresh bread.
The highlight of the menu is the lentil soup. It's thick, a little spicy and comes with as much bread as you want. I also tried the chicken wrap, which was tasty but a bit too salty for me.
The staff were friendly and fast, even at lunchtime when every table was full. A soup, a wrap and a tea cost me less than a cinema ticket, so it's excellent value for money.2
I'd definitely recommend it to students who want a warm, filling lunch. It's not the best choice if you want somewhere quiet to study, though.3
- An opening that speaks directly to the reader.
- A comparison makes the price clear to any reader.
- Balanced recommendation: who it's for and who it isn't.
Teacher notes
Balance: good reviews are believable because they include a small negative. Ask: "What would make this review sound fake?"
Exam link: reviews appear in B2 First Part 2. This B1 version prepares students for the format.
Extra challenge
Rewrite the last paragraph for a different reader: parents looking for a family restaurant.
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: value for money, cosy, portion, staff, atmosphere.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Tucked away behind the station, ... is easy to miss.”, “From the moment you walk in, ...”, “The highlight of the menu is ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (120-150 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | All points covered in detail; purpose and reader clear. | All points there, one is thin. | One point missing or some off-topic content. | Task mostly not met. | |
| Organisation and flow | Clear paragraphs; varied linking words. | Paragraphs present; linkers repetitive. | No paragraphs or jumpy flow. | Ideas scattered. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic-specific, varied vocabulary. | Adequate; some repetition. | Limited; some wrong word choices. | Very limited. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Range of structures, few errors. | Some errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors affect meaning. | Errors block understanding. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- My review has a title.
- I described the place, food, service and price.
- I made a clear recommendation.
- I mentioned at least one negative point.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- My review has a title.
- I described the place, food, service and price.
- I made a clear recommendation.
- I mentioned at least one negative point.
Writadia · B1 · Reviews
Assessment rubric: Restaurant Review for a Student Magazine
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | All points covered in detail; purpose and reader clear. | All points there, one is thin. | One point missing or some off-topic content. | Task mostly not met. | |
| Organisation and flow | Clear paragraphs; varied linking words. | Paragraphs present; linkers repetitive. | No paragraphs or jumpy flow. | Ideas scattered. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic-specific, varied vocabulary. | Adequate; some repetition. | Limited; some wrong word choices. | Very limited. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Range of structures, few errors. | Some errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors affect meaning. | Errors block understanding. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- My review has a title.
- I described the place, food, service and price.
- I made a clear recommendation.
- I mentioned at least one negative point.
Teacher comment
Writadia · B1 · Reviews
Peer-review sheet: Restaurant Review for a Student Magazine
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| My review has a title. | |||
| I described the place, food, service and price. | |||
| I made a clear recommendation. | |||
| I mentioned at least one negative point. |
Questions
- Does the text cover every point in the task?
- Are there paragraphs? What is each one about?
- Write two linking words the writer used.
- Is there a sentence you had to read twice?
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
★ Another thing I liked
→ One suggestion
Writadia · B1 · Reviews
Lesson plan: Restaurant Review for a Student Magazine
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: value for money, cosy, portion, staff, atmosphere.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Tucked away behind the station, ... is easy to miss.”, “From the moment you walk in, ...”, “The highlight of the menu is ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (120-150 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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