Come again?

Sometimes I feel like Americans and Brits don't actually speak the same language. It can be so confusing here. An example...we ate at a restaurant that was in a strip mall (of course, it was old and historic and charming -- not cheap-looking and run down like the strip malls in the US). Directly outside/in front of the restaurants and shops was a brick area/sidewalk that was about 5 feet wide. Beyond that, there was curb and then asphalt. The sign on the building said 'No parking on the pavement. Walk way only.' Huh? Wouldn't that be confusing if you were driving? To me, that says 'Please park on our sidewalk, not in the parking/asphalt area.' Apparently, they call a sidewalk a 'pavement'...but then what do they call pavement? So much to learn!