You recently had a meal at a restaurant to celebrate a special occasion, but the service was very poor. Write a letter to the restaurant manager.
A full IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 letter complaining about restaurant service at Band 6.0, 7.0 and 8.5, with the structure, register and language it needs, and why each version scores what it does.
The question
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You recently had a meal at a restaurant to celebrate a special occasion, but the service was very poor. Write a letter to the restaurant manager.
In your letter,
explain when you visited and what the occasion was
describe what went wrong with the service
say what you would like the manager to do
You do not need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,
Write at least 150 words.
What this letter needs
The trap in this topic is letting a list of small annoyances read as petty rather than genuinely disappointing. The letter needs to sequence those details efficiently, then spend real weight on why the occasion made them matter more than usual, before asking for one specific, proportionate gesture rather than an oversized demand.
Structure
Salutation — Dear Sir or Madam, — unless you were dealing with a named manager on the night, keep the impersonal opening rather than inventing a name.
Opening — Name the date and the occasion in the same sentence, so the manager understands immediately why the visit mattered to you.
Body 1 — List the service problems in the order they happened, using specific detail rather than general complaint.
Body 2 — Add one sentence on how the poor service affected the occasion itself, since that is what makes this complaint more than a routine one.
Body 3 — Ask for one specific gesture — an apology, a partial refund, a future discount — rather than a vague 'better service'.
Closing — Close politely, noting you would otherwise have been happy to recommend the restaurant, then sign off formally.
Model answers
Band 6.0 model answer
161 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to complain about the service at your restaurant on 12 June, when my family and I came to celebrate my parents' 30th wedding anniversary.
We had booked a table for 7 pm, but we were not seated until 7:30 pm, even though the restaurant was not full. After we ordered, we waited almost an hour for our food, and when it arrived, two of the dishes were cold. The waiter also brought the wrong drink for my mother and did not come back to check on us.
Because of these problems, the evening was not special the way we had hoped, and my parents were disappointed on their important day.
I would like an apology from the restaurant, and I think a partial refund would also be fair, since the food and service were not good enough for the price we paid.
I hope you will take this complaint seriously.
Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 6.0
Lists problems in order but plainly: 'we waited almost an hour for our food, and when it arrived, two of the dishes were cold'
Simple vocabulary throughout: 'I would like an apology... I think a partial refund would also be fair'
The emotional point is stated directly but briefly: 'my parents were disappointed on their important day'
Sentences are accurate but short and mostly joined with 'and' or 'but'
Band 7.0 model answer
184 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to complain about the standard of service my family and I received at your restaurant on 12 June, when we visited to celebrate my parents' 30th wedding anniversary.
Although our table had been booked for 7 pm, we were not seated until 7:30 pm despite the restaurant being far from full. Our food then took almost an hour to arrive, by which point two of the dishes were served cold. In addition, the waiter brought the wrong drink for my mother and did not return to our table to check whether everything was satisfactory.
Given the significance of the occasion, these repeated problems left my parents feeling that their anniversary had not been marked as it should have been.
I would appreciate a formal apology, and I believe a partial refund would be reasonable, given that the standard of both food and service fell well short of what we had paid for.
I would otherwise have been happy to recommend your restaurant, and I hope this experience does not reflect your usual standards.
Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 7.0
'despite the restaurant being far from full' uses a formal contrast structure accurately
'left my parents feeling that their anniversary had not been marked as it should have been' shows a more developed, controlled complex sentence
'I believe a partial refund would be reasonable, given that...' links request and justification formally
The closing 'I would otherwise have been happy to recommend your restaurant' is a well-judged, less common formal phrase
Band 8.5 model answer
194 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to express my disappointment with the service my family and I received at your restaurant on 12 June, when we visited specifically to celebrate my parents' 30th wedding anniversary.
Although our table had been booked for 7 pm, we were not seated until half past, despite the restaurant being only half full. The food itself then took almost an hour to arrive, and two of the dishes were served lukewarm at best. To compound matters, the waiter brought the wrong drink for my mother and did not once return to our table thereafter to check whether everything was in order.
For an occasion we had looked forward to for months, what should have been a memorable evening was instead marked by a series of avoidable lapses.
I would welcome a formal apology, and I believe a partial refund is only fair, given that neither the food nor the service came close to the standard implied by the price.
Under different circumstances I would have been glad to recommend your restaurant, and I hope this letter is taken as constructive rather than merely critical.
Yours faithfully, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 8.5
'To compound matters' is a precise, idiomatic connector rarely used accurately below Band 8
'lukewarm at best' is natural, understated native-level phrasing
'what should have been a memorable evening was instead marked by a series of avoidable lapses' is a flexible, well-controlled complex sentence with appropriate emphasis on the emotional cost
The closing 'I hope this letter is taken as constructive rather than merely critical' shows a subtle, perfectly judged register few candidates attempt
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.
This is a formal letter question. The answers above show you what each band looks like when it is finished. What they cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in twenty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the letter is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Answers checked here may be published on this page, without your name, to help other learners. Nothing else about you is stored.
Common questions
Is it appropriate to mention how much we paid?
You don't need an exact bill total, but referring generally to 'the price we paid' when asking for a refund is useful, as it justifies the request without listing every item.
Should I list every single thing that went wrong?
List the two or three clearest problems in the order they happened — a long list of minor annoyances weakens the letter more than it strengthens it.
Can I say I won't come back, or is that too aggressive?
It's more effective, and more IELTS-appropriate, to note you would otherwise have recommended the restaurant — it implies the same thing without sounding like a threat.
How do I make the 'special occasion' detail matter rather than feel tacked on?
Refer back to it once in the body, briefly explaining how the poor service affected that specific occasion, rather than only mentioning it in the opening sentence.
