Whether drinking a coffee at a casual café, eating out at a fine restaurant, or having food to go in a Spanish-speaking country, ordering food is a basic skill.
| Disculpe, camarero. Excuse me, waiter. | Para beber… To drink | ¿Cuál es el plato del día? What’s the daily special? |
| La carta, por favor. The menu, please. | De postre… For dessert | ¿Tienen mesa para tres? Do you have a table for three? |
| Quisiera… I’d like | ¿Me puede traer…? Can I have…? | La cuenta, por favor. The check, please. |
| Voy a pedir… I’ll have | ¿Qué me recomienda? What do you recommend? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito? Can I pay with a credit card? |
—Buenas noches.¿Qué va a pedir?
Good evening. What would you like to order?
—Quisiera el lomo con puré.
I’d like the sirloin steak with mashed potato.
—¿Y qué desea para beber?
And what would you like to drink?
—Una copa de vino tinto, por favor.
A glass of red wine, please.
Quick tip: The Spanish word for “waiter” is mozo, camarero, or mesero, depending on the region or country.
- See also: Foods in Spanish
Arriving at a restaurant
Below are the most common Spanish phrases when arriving at a restaurant:
Buenas noches. Tengo una reserva a nombre de…
Good evening. I have a reservation under the name…Quisiera una mesa para tres personas.
I’d like a table for three people.¿Cuánto tiempo hay de demora?
How long is the wait?¿Tienen mesas afuera?
Do you have any tables outside?¿Podemos sentarnos cerca de la ventana?
Can we sit near the window?
—Buenas noches. Quisiera una mesa para tres personas.
Good evening. I’d like a table for three people.
—Por acá, por favor.
Please come this way.
—¿Tienen alguna mesa cerca de la ventana?
Do you have any tables near the window?
—Me temo que no. Pero si les gusta, hay una libre afuera.
I'm afraid not. But if you like, there is one available outside.
—Sí, perfecto entonces.
Yes, that’s perfect.
- See also: Greetings in Spanish
Ordering food and drinks in Spanish
The following are essential phrases for ordering food and drinks in a Spanish-speaking country arranged by categories.
General phrases
La carta, por favor.
The menu, please?¿Tiene una carta en inglés?
Do you have a menu in English?Voy a pedir la trucha.
I’ll have the trout.Quisiera el plato del día.
I would like to order the daily special.Me gustaría la fondue de queso.
I would like the cheese fondue.¿Qué me recomienda?
What do you recommend?¿Cuál es el plato del día?
What is the daily special?¿Qué tiene este plato?
What does this dish contain?
—Mozo, la carta por favor.
Waiter, the menu, please.
—Aquí tiene.
Here you are.
—Gracias.
Thank you.
Ordering food
Quisiera pollo con papas.
I would like chicken with potatoes.Voy a pedir pescado frito.
I’ll have fried fish.Me gustaría el pastel de papas.
I would like the cottage pie.¿Es picante este plato?
Is this dish spicy?¿Me puede traer pimienta?
Can I have some pepper?¿Puedo pedir mi plato sin sal?
Can I have my dish without salt?
—Para mí el cerdo con papas al horno.
I’ll have the pork with baked potatoes.
—¿Y usted, qué quisiera pedir?
And you? What would you like to order?
—Quisiera el plato de día, por favor.
The daily special for me, please.
Ordering drinks
Para beber, quisiera agua mineral.
To drink, I’d like mineral water.Quiero una copa de vino tinto.
I’ll have a glass of red wine.¿Qué refrescos tienen?
What sodas do you have?¿Me trae un jugo de naranja, por favor?
Can I have an orange juice, please?¿Tiene agua con gas?
Do you have sparkling water?Quisiera un café y un té.
I’d like a coffee and a tea.¿Me puede traer la carta de vinos, por favor?
Can I have the wine list, please?
—¿Qué desean beber?
What would you like to drink?
—Para mí una cerveza y para el niño un jugo de naranja.
A beer for me and orange juice for the boy.
—Por supuesto. Enseguida les traigo todo.
Sure. I’ll bring everything right away.
Expressing problems and other requests
Disculpe, mozo. La sopa está fría.
Excuse me, waiter. The soup is cold.Este plato no sabe bien.
This dish doesn’t taste good.El pescado no está fresco.
The fish isn’t fresh.Este cuchillo no corta.
This knife is blunt.¿Nos puede traer más pan, por favor?
Can we have some more bread, please?
—Disculpe, mozo. Este plato no sabe bien.
Excuse me, waiter. This dish doesn’t taste good.
—Lo siento. ¿Desea que se lo cambie?
I’m sorry. Would you like me to bring you another dish?
—Sí. Por favor.
Yes, please.
Ordering dessert
Quisiéramos ordenar el postre.
We’d like to order dessert.¿Me trae la carta de postres, por favor?
Can I have the dessert menu, please?Voy a pedir el pastel de fresa.
I’ll have the strawberry cake.¿Tienen helado?
Do you have ice cream?Quisiera el volcán de chocolate.
I’d like the chocolate volcano.¿Me puede recomendar algún postre?
Can you recommend a dessert?
—¿Qué postre me recomienda?
What dessert do you recommend?
—La especialidad de la casa es la natilla con caramelo.
The house specialty is the custard with caramel.
Ending the meal and asking for the check
La cena estuvo excelente.
The dinner was excellent.¿Quieren algo más?
Would you like anything else?¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?
Can I have the check, please?¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito?
Can I pay with a credit card?¿Aceptan Visa?
Do you take Visa?¿La propina está incluída?
Is service included?
—¡Mozo! La cuenta, por favor.
Waiter! The check, please.
—Aquí tiene.
Here you are.
—¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito?
Can I pay with a credit card?
—Por supuesto. Aceptamos crédito, débito y efectivo.
Of course. We accept credit, debit, and cash.
Some more typical restaurant conversations in Spanish
—¿Desean ver la carta?
Would you like to see the menu?
—Sí, por favor.
yes, please.
—¿Están listos para pedir?
Are you ready to order?
—No todavía. Necesitamos un minuto más, por favor.
Not yet. We need one more minute, please.
—Quisiera el guiso de lentejas.
I’d like the lentils stew.
—Lo siento. No nos queda.
I’m sorry. We don't have any left.
—¿Qué plato nos recomienda?
What dish do you recommend?
—Recomiendo el salmón.
I recommend the salmon.
—¿Cuál es el plato del día?
What’s the daily special?
—Hoy tenemos sopa de cebollas.
Today we have onion soup.
—¿Desean algo más?
Would you like anything else?
—No, gracias. Eso es todo. La cuenta, por favor.
No, thank you. That will be all. The check, please.
- See also: Spanish phrases
Food and drinks vocabulary
Among the most useful words for ordering food and drinks in Spanish are:
Foods
| pan bread | arroz rice | asado barbecue |
| queso cheese | papa, patata potato | milanesa breaded meat |
| pastas pasta | ajo garlic | paella paella |
| carne beef | cebolla onion | tortilla omelette |
| pollo chicken | pimiento pepper | empanada turnover, pie |
| pescado fish | ensalada salad | sal salt |
| cerdo pork | pizza pizza | pimienta pepper |
—¿De qué está hecha la paella?
What is paella made of?
—Está hecha de arroz, tomates y frutos de mar.
It is made of rice, tomatoes, and seafood.
| agua mineral mineral water | vino wine | jugo de naranja orange juice |
| agua con gas sparkling water | vino tinto red wine | té tea |
| refresco soda | vino blanco white wine | café coffee |
| cerveza beer | jugo, zumo juice | limonada lemonade |
—¿Tienen jugo de fruta natural?
Do you have fresh fruit juice?
—Sí. Tenemos jugo de frutilla, naranja y durazno.
Yes. We have strawberry, orange, and peach juice.
| tarta de frutillas strawberry pie | flan flan (caramelized custard) | gelatina jelly |
| helado de vainilla vanilla ice cream | mousse mousse | alfajor cookie sandwich |
| pastel de chocolate chocolate cake | natilla custard | churro churro |
—¿Con qué viene el flan?
What does the flan come with?
—Viene con crema y dulce de leche.
It comes with cream and caramel sauce.
Other useful vocabulary
| vaso glass | caliente hot | delicioso delicious |
| copa wineglass | frío cold | dulce sweet |
| tenedor fork | fresco fresh | salado salty |
| cuchillo knife | rancio stale | agrio sour |
| cuchara spoon | bien-cocido well–cooked | entrada appetizer |
| taza cup | a punto medium rare | plato principal main dish |
| servilleta napkin | picante spicy | postre dessert |
Quisiera el lomo a punto, por favor.
I’d like the sirloin medium rare, please.As a main course I’d like the pork.
Como plato principal quisiera el cerdo con ciruelas.
- See also: Spanish words
How to order food to go in Spanish
From asking about takeout options to confirming an order at a takeaway place, the following phrases are essential for ordering food to go in Spanish:
¿Tienen servicio de comida para llevar?
Do you have takeout service?
¿Puedo pedir una pizza para llevar?
Can I order a pizza to go?
Querría hacer un pedido para llevar.
I’d like to place an order to go.
¿Me puede preparar esto para llevar?
Can you prepare this to go?
¿Cuánto tiempo tardará?
How long will it take?
¿Cómo puedo pagar?
How can I pay?
—¿Desean comer acá o es para llevar?
Would you like to eat here or is it to go?
—Para llevar. ¿Cuánto tiempo tardará?
To go. How long will it take?
—Alrededor de diez minutos.
Around ten minutes.
You may also like:
Practice
References
- Wordreference.com, “empanada,” accessed December 9, 2024, https://www.wordreference.com/
- Oxford Spanish Dictionary, 3rd edition on CD-ROM, Oxford University Press.
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary, accessed December 9, 2024, under “paella,” https://www.merriam-webster.com/
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