How to order food in Spanish like a pro

Whether you are planning a week-long vacation, a six-month homestay, or a permanent move, you will quickly discover that you need to know how to order food in Spanish. This post will teach you how to order food in Spanish using over 60+ must-know phrases and cultural insights.

Common Spanish phrases for ordering food

1. Ordering Food in Spanish

Before we get into the many useful Spanish phrases for eating out, let’s go over the basics:

Spanish	English
Me da…	Can you get me..
Me gustaría…	I’d like…
Para mí / para él / para ella…	I’ll have, he’ll/she’ll have…
¿Puede traer el menú, por favor?	Could you please bring the menu?
Eso es todo, gracias	That will be all, thanks

While there are several ways to begin your order in Spanish, you can simply state what you want when the waiter indicates that they are ready to take your order. In English, we usually begin with “Could I have…” or “May I please order…” but this is not necessary in Spanish. For example, you could simply say: El pollo asado, por favour (Please, the roast chicken).

2. Spanish phrases for arriving at the restaurant

The moment you walk into a restaurant is often the most stressful but also the most manageable. Simply learn a few Spanish greetings. Make use of the phrases listed below to get the conversation started:

Spanish	English
Buenos días  / Buenas tardes  / Buenas noches	Good morning / Good afternoon / Good evening
Una mesa para dos, por favor	A table for two, please
Tenemos una reserva a nombre de  [your name]	We have a reservation under the name [your name]
¿Tienen alguna mesa libre?	Do you have any free tables?
Mi [novio, esposo, amigo] no ha llegado todavía	My [boyfriend, husband, friend] hasn’t arrived yet
¿Tienen alguna mesa con vistas a …?	Do you have any table with a view to…?
¿Podemos sentarnos en la terraza?	Can we sit on the terrace?

The responses you might hear:

Spanish	English
Bienvenidos a…	Welcome to…
Sí, claro	Yes, sure
Por aquí, por favor	This way, please
Lo siento. No encuentro su nombre en la lista	I’m sorry, I can’t find your name on the list
Lo siento, no nos queda ninguna mesa libre	I’m sorry, we don’t have any free tables left
Lo siento, no nos queda ninguna mesa libre en la terraza	I’m sorry, we don’t have any free tables on the terrace
Lo siento, la cocina ya está cerrada	I’m sorry, the kitchen is already closed
Disculpe las molestias	Sorry for the inconvenience
Siéntese donde quiera	Sit wherever you want
¿Para comer o solo para beber?	Are you going to eat, or just drink? Lit. To eat or just to drink?
Debe esperar unos … minutos	You have to wait around … minutes
¿Tienen una reserva?	Do you have a reservation?
Puede esperar en la barra	You can wait at the bar

You can also keep a Spanish translation app to avoid any moment of confusion and frustration. The translation app will help you understand the conversation if you feel stuck somewhere.

Remember that different Spanish-speaking countries may have different breakfast, lunch, dinner, and supper times. For example, Spaniards eat dinner around 10-11 p.m., while Venezuelans eat dinner around 7-8 p.m. To avoid unpleasant surprises, get to know the locals’ eating habits and meal times beforehand.

3. Most common foods and drinks in Spanish

When you finally arrive at the Spanish restaurant, you will need to be familiar with the most common food and drink options, so let’s go over a few items that will almost certainly be on the menu.

Spanish	English
La carne	Meat
El pollo	Chicken
La carne de vaca	Beef
El cerdo	Pork
Los mariscos	Seafood
El camarón	Shrimp
El arroz	Rice
Los frijoles	Beans
El agua	Water
El té	Tea
El jugo	Juice
La gaseosa	Soft drink
El vino	Wine
El alcohol	Alcohol

4. Ordering your food and drinks in Spanish

What you can say:

Spanish	English
¿Qué vino recomienda?	Which wine do you recommend/suggest?
¿Cuál es la sopa del día?	What’s the soup of the day?
¿Tiene menú del día?	Do you have a set meal?
¿El pescado es fresco o congelado?	Is the fish fresh or frozen?
¿Lleva … este plato?	Does this dish contain any [ingredient]?
¿Tiene…	Do you have any…
Agua con / sin gas	Sparkling/still water (Lit. with/without gas.)
Jugo / zumo de  [fruit]	[Fruit] juice
Cerveza sin alcohol	Alcohol-free beer
Batido / batida / merengada	Milkshake
¿Tiene algo…	Do you have anything…?
Para vegetarianos / veganos	For vegetarians/vegans
Para diabéticos	For diabetics
Para celíacos	For celiacs
Para intolerantes a la lactosa	For lactose intolerant people
Sin azúcar	Without sugar
Sin carbohidratos	Without carbs
Sin gluten	Without gluten
Sin lactosa	Without lactose
¿Puede repetir, por favor?	Could you repeat, please?
Lo siento, no entiendo	I’m sorry, I don’t understand
Ahora entiendo	I understand now
Una botella / copa / vaso de…	A bottle/glass of…
Nada más, gracias	That’s all, thanks (lit: nothing else)
Poco hecho  / Poco cocido	Rare (when talking about the cooked level of meat)

The responses you might hear:

Spanish	English
¿Qué van a tomar?	What are you having?
¿Les pongo algo para beber?	Shall I bring anything to drink?
¿Están listos para pedir?	Are you ready to order?
¿Les traigo el menú / la carta?	Shall I bring the menu?
¿Quieren ver el menú / la carta?	Do you want to see the menu?
Vuelvo en unos minutos	I’ll be back in a few minutes
Ahora mismo se lo traigo	Right away (lit: I’ll bring it to you right now)
Le recomiendo…	I recommend…
Hoy tenemos…	Today we have…
Todo el pescado es fresco	All the fish is fresh
Lo siento, solo nos queda pescado congelado	I’m sorry, we only have frozen fish left
¿Cómo quiere  …?	How do you want [meat] cooked?
Este plato tiene / lleva…	This dish has…
Lo siento, no tenemos nada para vegetarianos / veganos	I’m sorry. We don’t have anything for vegetarians/vegans
Voy a ver / mirar si nos queda	I’ll go check, if we have any left
Aún nos queda	We have some left
Lo siento, no nos queda	I’m sorry, we don’t have any left
¿Algo más?	Anything else?

5. Spanish phrases to use during the meal

What you can say:

Spanish	English
Está delicioso / riquísimo	It’s delicious/very tasty
Todo está perfecto	Everything’s perfect
¿Puede traer…?	Could you bring…?
¿Tiene menú / carta de postres?	Do you have a dessert menu?
Estuvo todo perfecto	Everything was perfect
Felicitaciones al chef	Congratulations to the chef
El / la … está frío / fría	The [food] is cold
Perdone, le había pedido…	Excuse me, I ordered…
El / la … no está fresco / fresca	The [food] isn’t fresh
Hay un pelo en mi sopa	There’s a hair in my soup
Esto no sabe bien	This doesn’t taste good

The responses you might hear:

Spanish	English
Buen provecho / Que aproveche	Enjoy your meal
¿Está todo bien?	Is everything OK?
¿Todo bien por aquí?	Is everything OK around here?
¿Cómo está el / la…?	How’s the…?
Perdone. Ahora le traigo lo que pidió	I’m sorry. I’ll bring what you ordered right away
¿Les traigo algo más?	Shall I bring anything else?
¿Han terminado ya?	Are you done?
¿Van a tomar postre / café?	Are you going to have dessert/coffee?

6. Asking for the check-in Spanish

What you can say:

Spanish	English
La cuenta, por favor	The check, please
¿Puede traer la cuenta, por favor?	Could we get the check, please?
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta / en efectivo?	Can I pay by credit card/with cash?
Voy a pagar con tarjeta / en efectivo	I’ll pay by credit card/with cash
Volveremos seguro. / De seguro volvemos	We’ll be back for sure
Muchísimas gracias por todo	Thank you so much for everything
Ha sido un placer	It’s been a pleasure

The responses you might hear:

Spanish	English
Ahora / Ahorita se la traigo	Right away
¿Cómo van a pagar?	How are you paying?
Me alegro de que les haya gustado	I’m glad you’ve liked it
Vuelvan pronto	Come back soon
Esperamos volver a verlos pronto	We hope to see you again soon
El placer ha sido mío / nuestro	The pleasure has been mine/ours
Los esperamos	We’ll be waiting for you

If you are planning to visit Spain or any Spanish-speaking region, you must master basic conversation in Spanish to communicate with native speakers without any problem. Be prepared for all kinds of conversations as you move out.

It is highly recommended to learn Spanish before you move out to Spain or any Spanish-speaking country.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the major Spanish etiquette for dining?

A. Don’t start eating before the host. To begin eating, wait until the host begins eating or says, “Buen Provecho!” or “Provecho!” (Enjoy your meal).

Q. Do Spanish people prefer using eating utensils?

A. You will be given a fork, a spoon, and a knife. Large spoons are used for foods like soup and beans. Small spoons are for desserts.

Q. Can you converse while eating in Spain?

A. Spaniards love to talk. Feel free to discuss your day, your family, and your interests. Also, don’t be afraid to inquire about the other people at the table.

Conclusion

Now, you know ‘how to order food in Spanish’. No matter, if you are going for a short trip or planning to move out permanently, master these phrases so you can order food without any issue.

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