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to try a restaurant

to try a restaurant

1.5
To visit and eat at a restaurant to see what it is like
  • phrasal verb
: probar un restaurante
  • We decided to try a restaurant we'd never visited before for our anniversary.

Examples

  • Let's try a restaurant tonight!

  • Whenever I travel, I like to try a restaurant recommended by locals.

  • They are always eager to try a restaurant that just opened downtown.

  • Why don't we try a restaurant for lunch?

  • We decided to try a restaurant we heard great things about for dinner.

  • On my birthday, I want to try a restaurant that serves exotic cuisine.

  • She was excited to try a restaurant known for its famous pasta dishes.

Synonyms

to eat out
vsto try a restaurant
35 1.3

To have a meal at a restaurant instead of at home

visits to sample a place's food or service rather than merely eating
to go out for dinner
vsto try a restaurant
16 1.1

Leave home to eat dinner at a restaurant

is used to visit and sample food and service rather than just eat
to dine out
vsto try a restaurant
8 2.3

To eat a meal at a restaurant or someone else's home instead of your own home

focuses on visiting to sample food and service, not only eating away from home

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening

Surface Forms

try a restaurant infinitive
trying a restaurant present participle
tries a restaurant third person singular
tried a restaurant past participle

Morphology

try + a + restaurant

The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'try' in the sense of 'test/experience' combined with 'restaurant' straightforwardly yields 'visit and eat at a restaurant to see what it is like.' This combination follows ordinary verb + noun composition and similar patterns exist in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The phrase try a restaurant comes from the simple idea that try means 'to taste or test' and restaurant is the place to eat. When you go to a new place to taste the food and see what it is like, you are literally 'trying' the restaurant, so the phrase means to visit and eat there to experience it.