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spanish restaurant vocabulary phrases

How To Order Food In Spanish: Common Phrases & Words

Traveling to Latin America or Spain? On today’s menu, we’re serving up a Spanish Restaurant and Food Guide so you can enjoy the local cuisine stress-free. Don’t go hungry because you don’t know how to order in Spanish!

Essential Spanish Restaurant Words to Know

Spain and Spanish-speaking Latin America are known for diverse, world-class cuisines shaped by Indigenous, European, African, Asian, and regional influences.

Let’s walk through an entire meal experience – we’ll cover how to order a meal in Spanish, helpful vocabulary, common Spanish restaurant phrases, and how to pay the bill.

When it comes to sounding like a local though, having the Pimsleur® app in your pocket is ideal. Pimsleur not only assists with ordering food in Spanish, but is also a great resource for practical, everyday conversations outside the restaurant.

So, before you proclaim buen provecho, familiarize yourself with a few formalities. Perfect your technique for ordering food in Spanish and you’ll be equally comfortable placing orders at Madrid’s Mercado de San Miguel as you are at a café in Cusco.

Table Settings and Restaurant Basics

These basic terms and phrases establish a good foundation for how to order food in Spanish.

  • the starter – el entrante/la entrada
  • the first course – el primer plato
  • the small dish(es) – la/s tapa/s
  • a half portion – una media ración 
  • a full portion – una ración
  • the main meal – el segundo plato/el plato principal
  • the mixed plate (main course and side dish together) – el plato combinado 
  • the dessert – el postre
  • the table – la mesa
  • the menu – el menú/la carta
  • the plate/dish – el plato
  • the fork – el tenedor
  • the spoon – la cuchara
  • the knife – el cuchillo
  • the napkin – la servilleta
  • the salt/the salt shaker – la sal/el salero
  • the pepper/the pepper shaker – la pimienta/el pimentero
  • the bill/the check – la cuenta
  • Yes, please. – Sí, por favor.
  • No, thank you. – No, gracias.
  • the waiter – el camarero/el mesero
  • the waitress – la camarera/la mesera

For different types of eateries, keep these words handy:

  • the restaurant – el restaurante
  • the bar – el bar
  • the tavern/small neighborhood bar – la tasca
  • the café – la cafetería
  • the rustic inn/traditional tavern – el mesón

On the Menu

If you’re headed to Spain or Latin America, you’re bound to encounter many delicious offerings on your trip. Each region has its own specialities, but it’s helpful to know some basic food terminology to get you started.

  • the tenderloin – el solomillo
  • the fillet – el filete
  • the fish – el pescado
  • the beef – la carne de res
  • the veal – la ternera
  • the steak – el bistec
  • the chicken – el pollo
  • the pork – la carne de cerdo
  • with sauce – con salsa
  • the soup – la sopa
  • the octopus – el pulpo
  • the potatoes – las patatas/las papas
  • the sandwich – el bocadillo/el sándwich
  • the snack – el tentempié/la merienda
  • the pastries – la bollería
  • the cake – el bizcocho/el pastel/la torta

Drinks and Beverages

Learning about food items is important, but you also have to learn the words for different drinks in Spanish. Like food, each region tends to have a drink (or a few!) that it’s known for, so here are the basics to get you started.

  • the still/sparkling water – el agua sin gas/con gas
  • a beer (bottle) – una cerveza
  • a beer (small draft) – una caña
  • the red/white wine – el vino tinto/blanco
  • the soft drink – el refresco
  • the tea – el té
  • the espresso – el café sólo/el espresso
  • the coffee with milk – el café con leche
  • the glass (for wine) – la copa
  • the glass (for water) – el vaso

Making a Reservation and Getting Seated

Imagine you’re in a Spanish-speaking destination and you’re hungry. Let’s get you seated and ready to place an order with these Spanish restaurant phrases. 

  • I would like to make a reservation for __ people. – Quisiera hacer una reserva para __ persona(s).
  • In whose name? – ¿A nombre de quién?
  • Could I sit at the bar? – ¿Podría sentarme en el bar?
  • Can I see the menu, please? – ¿Puedo ver el menú/la carta, por favor?
  • What is the typical dish of this region? – ¿Cuál es el plato típico de esta región?
  • What do you recommend? – ¿Qué me recomienda?

How to Order a Meal in Spanish: Key Phrases

Now, onto the main course! This list is a powerful starter pack on how to order a meal in Spanish. 

  • I’m vegetarian. – Soy vegetariano/vegetariana.
  • Do you have any vegetarian dishes? – ¿Tienen algún plato vegetariano?
  • I’m allergic to ____. – Tengo alérgia a ____.
  • I don’t eat ____. – No como ____.
  • One moment, please. – Un momento, por favor.
  • We need more time to decide. – Necesitamos más tiempo para decidir.
  • I am/We are ready to order. – Estoy/Estamos listos para ordenar/pedir.
  • I would like ___. – Quisiera _____.
  • well-done – bien cocido
  • medium – medio
  • rare – poco cocido
  • Can you bring me __? – ¿Puede traerme __?
  • What is the dish of the day? – ¿Cuál es el plato del día?
  • Is there a house specialty? – ¿Hay alguna especialidad de la casa?
  • What’s in this dish? – ¿Qué lleva este plato?
  • What’s included? – ¿Qué está incluido?
  • Does it come with salad? – ¿Viene con ensalada?
  • What is the soup of the day? – ¿Cuál es la sopa del día?

Spanish Restaurant Phrases You’ll Hear from the Waiter

Ordering food in Spanish is a two-way street. In order to properly use your new restaurant phrases, it helps to understand what your waiter or waitress is saying. Get familiar with the questions and phrases you’re likely to hear, and you’ll be engaging in restaurant small talk in no time.

  • What would you like to eat? – ¿Qué desea comer?
  • What would you like to drink? – ¿Qué desea beber?
  • Are you ready to order? – ¿Está listo para ordenar/pedir?
  • What would you like to order? – ¿Qué desea ordenar/pedir?
  • What do you want? – ¿Qué quiere?
  • Sorry, we don’t have____. – Lo siento/Lamento, no tenemos ____. 
  • How is everything? – ¿Cómo está todo?
  • Is everything okay? – ¿Todo está bien?
  • Enjoy your meal! – ¡Buen provecho!

Paying the Bill and Wrapping Up the Meal 

There is no better feeling than seeing your waiter approach your table with a tray of piping hot food. Put your Spanish restaurant dialogue to the test with these phrases that are guaranteed to get you through the meal and successfully pay for your service without getting lost in communication:

  • That was delicious! – ¡Estuvo delicioso!
  • This is not what I ordered. – Esto no es lo que pedí.
  • No thank you, I’m full. – No gracias, estoy llena/o.
  • Do you have a take-away box? – ¿Tienen un recipiente para llevar?
  • the tip – la propina
  • Is the tip included? – ¿La propina está incluida?
  • Can you bring us separate checks? – ¿Nos puede traer cuentas separadas?
  • the credit card – la tarjeta de crédito
  • Debit or credit? – ¿Débito o crédito?
  • in cash – en efectivo
  • Excuse me, can you bring me the bill, please? – Perdone, ¿me trae la cuenta, por favor?

Tips for Ordering Food in Spanish Like a Local

Nothing brings people together quite like a great meal. Food has a way of connecting different cultures and perspectives much better than practically anything else. One way to build friendly rapport with restaurant staff – especially your waiter or waitress – is to order food like a local would.

Here are a few pro tips for ordering a meal in Spanish:

  • Ask for a recommendation. You’re sure to get an in-depth description of ingredients, cooking techniques, and you just might learn some interesting history behind a restaurant’s most popular dishes.
  • Look at the menu beforehand. Find out what’s in season, scout out the specials, and learn a bit about the restaurant. At the very least, checking out the menu in advance can help you feel less pressured or rushed when it’s time to order.
  • Slow and steady is just fine. Unlike some dining experiences in the USA, a meal in many Latin American cultures tends to be an opportunity to relax and bond rather than a race to the finish. It’s OK to take your time ordering.
  • Research the regional cuisine. The foods and flavors found across Spanish-speaking Latin America and Spain are remarkably diverse. You’ll encounter distinctive specialties, from Mexico’s mole sauces to Spain’s jamón ibérico. Find out which dishes are popular and local to your restaurant of choice.

Don’t have a trip abroad planned? You don’t have to go overseas to use your restaurant Spanish! Have you heard of Calle Ocho (Southwest 8th Street) in Miami? You can practice your Spanish in the Latin American restaurants in Miami’s Little Havana. If that’s still too far, explore your own city’s Latin American neighborhood. Spanish is best learned over food!

Practice Spanish with Pimsleur 

These Spanish restaurant phrases certainly serve up plenty for you to chew on. Dining at a Spanish-speaking restaurant is an ideal place to practice the language in real time. But don’t stop at learning how to order food in Spanish; let that be your springboard into taking Latin American and/or Castilian Spanish courses with Pimsleur.

Ordering food in Spanish is one small piece of how much you’ll learn with Pimsleur. Whether you’re learning Spanish for personal or professional reasons, our top-rated audio lessons will get you speaking the language quickly…you’ll be able to speak basic words and phrases after your very first lesson.

Our proven Pimsleur Method™ will help expand your cultural literacy, well beyond your favorite Spanish-speaking eatery. Discover how fun and intuitive learning Spanish is with Pimsleur! Sign up today with a Latin American or Castilian (Spain) Spanish subscription, and you’ll soon be conversational at a café and everywhere else!