IELTS Speaking · Part 1

    Food & eating: IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions

    Last updated 2 September 2026

    In short

    Food & eating is one of the familiar-topic areas the examiner draws on in the first four to five minutes of IELTS Speaking. This page collects 12 real Part 1 questions across 3 topics in this area (food, cooking, eating out), each with the opener the examiner typically starts from.

    Food

    The examiner usually opens with something like: "What kind of food do you enjoy eating?"

    • Is there any food you don't like?

    • Do you prefer eating at home or eating out?

    • Has your taste in food changed over the years?

    • What is a popular dish where you come from?

    Cooking

    The examiner usually opens with something like: "Do you enjoy cooking?"

    • Who does most of the cooking in your home?

    • Can you cook well, or would you like to learn more?

    • Do you prefer following a recipe or improvising?

    • Did you learn to cook from anyone in particular?

    Eating out

    The examiner usually opens with something like: "How often do you eat out at restaurants or cafés?"

    • What kind of places do you like to go to?

    • Do you prefer eating out or having a meal at home?

    • Who do you usually eat out with?

    • What makes a restaurant a good one, in your view?

    Phrases for food & eating answers

    • If I had to pick a favourite, it would be ...

      Choosing a favourite dish or cuisine

    • I'm quite fond of ..., especially when ...

      Expressing a food preference with detail

    • I'd say I'm a fairly ... cook.

      Describing your own cooking ability

    • Back home, we tend to eat ...

      Bringing in cultural or home context

    Explore more IELTS Speaking practice

    Next step

    Answer these food & eating questions out loud

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