From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrestaurantres‧tau‧rant /ˈrestərɒnt $ -rənt, -rɑːnt/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable] DFa place where you can buy and eat a mealChinese/French/Mexican etc restaurant We went to a little Italian restaurant near Leicester Square. He took her out for a five-course dinner in a fancy restaurant. The company runs a chain of restaurants. A new restaurant has just opened across the road.COLLOCATIONSverbsgo to a restaurantWe went to a restaurant in the King’s Road.take somebody to a restaurantHe’s taking me to a Japanese restaurant in town.eat at/in a restaurant (also dine at/in a restaurant formal)Have you eaten in this restaurant before?a restaurant serves somethingThe restaurant serves lunch from midday until two thirty.a restaurant specializes in somethingRestaurants near the waterfront tend to specialize in seafood. ADJECTIVES/NOUN + restauranta Chinese/Italian etc restaurantWe booked a table at our local Italian restaurant.a fast-food restaurant (=where food that can be prepared quickly is served or available to take away)The High Street is full of fast-food restaurants.a fish/seafood restaurantI went to a seafood restaurant by the pier for lunch.an expensive/cheap restaurantHe took her out to an expensive restaurant.a trendy/fashionable restaurant (=one that is influenced by the most fashionable styles and ideas)The hotel is surrounded by elegant boutiques and trendy restaurants.a fancy restaurant informal (=expensive and fashionable)In some fancy restaurants, the chefs decorate the salads with flowers.a posh restaurant British English informal (=where richer people go)They all earn huge salaries and eat at posh restaurants.an upscale restaurant American English (=where richer people go)It's interesting that rabbit has become so popular at upscale restaurants.restaurant + NOUNa restaurant chain (=one that is owned or managed by the same company or person)Café Rouge is part of a large restaurant chain.a restaurant owner/managerHe worked as a restaurant manager at Mario's Pizzas for 10 years.restaurant mealsThere is a choice of bar snacks or restaurant meals.THESAURUScafe/coffee shop a place where you can get coffee and other non-alcoholic drinks, cakes, and small mealsfast food restaurant one where you can get meals such as hamburgers, french fries etcself-service restaurant one where you collect the food yourselfdiner American English a restaurant where you can eat cheap and simple foodbistro a small restaurant or bar, especially one serving French-style foodcafeteria (also canteen British English) a place at work or school where you can collect and eat meals
Examples from the Corpus
restaurant• Patrons parking there also would be near the shops and restaurants on Grand Avenue.• a Chinese restaurant• A licensed restaurant serves good food all day.• The scene inside the lobby restaurant of the studio did nothing to make me less self-conscious.• There are also new lounges for motorists, service restaurants, a play area, casino and cinemas.• The dish was popular with taste testers, but it was some time before it caught on in the restaurants.• There was no need for the accused to reach the restaurant door.• They kept going to this restaurant, and the proprietor took a liking to them.• Henderson's Salad Table Licensed wholefood restaurant with a remarkable selection of dishes.Origin restaurant (1800-1900) French restaurer “to restore”, from Latin restaurare; → RESTORE 