How to Order Food in Spanish

Ordering Food in a Restaurant

Say hello: “Buenos días,” “Buenas tardes,” or “Buenas noches.” When you first enter the restaurant, it’s polite to greet whoever might be working there. If you’re getting breakfast, say “Buenos días” (“Good morning”), if you’re getting lunch, say “Buenas tardes” (“Good afternoon”), and if you’re getting dinner, opt for “Buenas noches” (“Good evening/night”). You can also simply say “¡Buenas!” as an informal greeting, regardless of the time of day. You may be greeted by a friendly “¿Qué tal?” (“How are you?”), to which you can respond with “Muy bien, gracias. Y usted?” (“I’m doing well, thanks. How about you?”).

Ask for a table: “Una mesa para dos, por favor.” This sentence literally translates to “A table for 2, please.” If you’re dining with more or fewer people than this, substitute “para dos” with one of these numbers: 1 person: “Para una persona” 3 people: “Para tres” 4 people: “Para cuatro” 5 people: “Para cinco”

Say you have a reservation: “Tengo una reservación.” If you’ve made a reservation online or over the phone, you can let the restaurant staff know by using this sentence (“I have a reservation.”) Some other reservation-related sentences you can use include: “Tenemos una reservación a las ocho.” (“We have a reservation for 8 o’clock.”) “Tengo una reservación para dos personas.” (“I have a reservation for 2 people.”) “Disculpe, pero no tenemos una reservación.” (“Sorry, but we don’t have a reservation.”)

Say you’re ready to order: “Estoy listo.” A member of the staff might ask you if you’re ready to order by saying something like, “¿Listo?” (if you’re eating alone) or “¿Listos?” (if you’re in a group). If you’re a woman eating by yourself, say “Estoy lista” instead of “listo.” If you’re with multiple people, say “Estamos listos.” If you’re in a group of only women, say “Estamos listas.” If you need more time to order, you can say, “Necesitamos más tiempo, por favor.” (“We need more time, please.”).

Order food: “Voy a pedir…” When you know what you’d like to eat, use this sentence (“I’m going to order”), filling in the blank with what you’d like to eat. For example, you can say “Voy a pedir los tacos de pollo” (“I’m going to order the chicken tacos.”). Alternatively, you can use one of these expressions instead: “Voy a pedir el burrito.” (“I’m going to order the burrito.”) “Para mi, por favor, la hamburguesa.” (“For me, please, the hamburger.”) “¿Me puede usted traer la ensalada?” (“Could you bring me the salad?”) “Quiero el salmon, por favor.” (“I want the salmon, please”—this might sound rude in English, but it’s completely acceptable in Spanish)

Order drinks: “Para tomar, voy a pedir…” This sentence (“to drink, I’m going to be ordering…”) helps clarify that you’re going to be ordering drinks. You can use the same expressions that you use for ordering food when ordering a drink. For example: “Para tomar, voy a pedir un café.” (“To drink, I’m going to order a coffee.”) “Para mi, una coca, por favor.” (“A coke for me, please.”) “¿Me puede usted traer una botella de agua?” (“Could you bring me a bottle of water?”) “Quiero una cerveza, por favor.” (“I want a beer, please.”)

Order for someone else: “Para él/ella, por favor…” If you’re ordering food for a companion (perhaps one who doesn’t speak Spanish as well as you!), use this expression, which means “for him/her, please…” For example, you could say, “Para él, por favor, el vino tinto” (“For him, please, the red wine”) or “Para ella, por favor, el arroz frito” (“For her, please, the fried rice.”) You can also say “Vamos a compartir…” (“We’re going to share…”) to order food for the whole table.

Asking Questions about the Menu

Ask for a recommendation: “¿Qué nos recomienda?” This question translates to “What do you recommend for us?” and is a good way to see what’s popular on the menu. You might notice that in many restaurants in Spanish-speaking countries, such as Mexico, waiters are much more likely to guide you through the menu than in English-speaking countries.

Ask about dietary preferences. There are several different questions that you might want to ask if you’re on a restricted diet. Some questions you might want to know ahead of time include: “¿Qué opciones de comida vegetariana/vegana tiene?” (“What vegetarian/vegan options do you have?”) “¿Tiene alguna bebida sin alcohol?” (“Do you have a drink without alcohol?”) “¿Es muy picante?” (“Is it very spicy?”)

Mention your allergies: “Soy alérgico a…” If you have a food allergy, be sure to mention it upfront. Your waiter or another member of the restaurant staff should be able to direct you to safe options. If you’re a woman, say “soy alérgica” instead of “alérgico.” Some sentences with common food allergies include: “Soy alérgico a los nueces.” (“I’m allergic to nuts.”) “Soy alérgica a los mariscos.” (I’m allergic to shellfish.”) “Mi amiga es alérgica a la leche.” (“My friend is allergic to milk.”) “Mi papá es alérgico a la soja.” (“My dad is allergic to soy.”)

Getting the Check

Ask for the check: “La cuenta, por favor.” This is the simplest way to ask for a check-in Spanish, and it translates to “The check, please.” You can also gesture to the waiter by pinching your thumb and index finger together, then making a “checkmark” motion in the air—this is considered acceptable in Latin America, and isn’t impolite. You could also say, “¿Me trae la cuenta?, por favor.” (“Bring me the check, please”) or “¿Me da la cuenta?, por favor.” (“Give me the check, please.”)

Ask to pay with a credit or debit card: “¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?” In many Spanish-speaking countries, when you pay with a credit or debit card, a member of the restaurant staff will bring a terminal to your table. If you’d prefer to pay in cash, you can say, “Voy a pagar con efectivo.” (“I’m going to pay with cash.”)

Add a tip: “¿Puede agregar 15 por ciento de propina?” This question means, “Can you add 15 percent as a tip?” If you’re paying with a credit card, ask the waiter to add your tip directly to your bill. Here are some common tip amounts in Spanish-speaking countries: 10%: “Diez por ciento” 15%: “Quince por ciento” 18%: “Dieciocho por ciento” 20%: “Veinte por ciento”

Ask for a carryout box: “¿Puedo tener esto para llevar?” If you haven’t finished all of your food, you can use ask your waiter to pack it up for you with this question (“Can I have this to-go?”).

Say thanks: “¡Gracias!” To thank your waiter and other staff members at the restaurant for a good meal, give them a simple “thanks.” You can also give them a compliment by saying something like: “Todo estuvo delicioso.” (“Everything was delicious.”) “¡Muy rico, gracias!” (“Very tasty, thanks!”) “Nos encantó la comida.” (“We loved the food.”)

Other Useful Phrases

Order something to-go: “Para llevar, por favor.” Depending on the kind of restaurant you’re eating at, you might have the option to order your food as carry-out. A member of the staff could ask you “¿Para aquí o para llevar? (“For here or to-go?”) in which case you’d respond “para llevar” (to-go).

Ask if the restaurant is open: “¿Hay servicio?” If you’re not sure if a restaurant is open, or if it looks like it might be closing soon, ask this question (“Are you open?”). You might also want to ask a question like: “¿A qué hora abren?” (“What time do you open?”) “¿A qué hora cierran?” (“What time do you close?”)

Learn useful vocabulary for ordering food. There are countless words related to dining in Spanish, and as you continue to eat out, you’ll learn more of them quickly. But to start, here’s some key vocabulary to keep in mind: Menu: “El menú” or “la carta” Appetizer: “La entrada” Soup: “La sopa” Main dish: “El plato fuerte” Dessert: "El postre" Eating utensils: “Los cubiertos” Napkin: “La servilleta”

Learn common food and drink names. Of the many food-related words that exist in Spanish, you’ll see a few come up quite often. Here are some words for common foods to keep in mind when eating out: Fruit: “La fruta” Vegetables: “Las verduras” Egg: “El huevo” Meat: “La carne” Chicken: “El pollo” Fish: “El pescado” Pork: “El cerdo” Bread: “El pan” Water: “El agua” Milk: “La leche” Tea: “El té” Coffee: “El café” Beer: “La cerveza” Wine: “El vino”