How To Order Food In Spanish: Common Phrases & Words

Learning to order food and drinks in Spanish is handy whether you’re traveling through Latin America or ordering food at a Spanish restaurant. This article will teach you simple words and phrases to order food in Spanish like a native speaker. I’ll guide you through basic interactions like asking for a table, choosing your meal, and handling the bill. By the end of this guide, you’ll know how to confidently order your meal in Spanish.

Making a Reservation

There are plenty of great places to eat in Latin America and Spain but, depending on the day of the week, some might get crowded. Knowing how to reserve a table is easy and will help you secure a table on your chosen date. To start, you need to contact the restaurant. Remember that you’ll need to provide details like name, desired date and time, the number of people who will eat with you, and more. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to start your conversation with “Buenos días” (Good morning), “Buenas tardes” (Good afternoon), or “Buenas noches” (Good evening).

Below, you’ll find essential phrases you can use to reserve a table in a Spanish-speaking country:

• ¿Tienen una mesa disponible? / Do you have a table available?
• Quisiera hacer una reserva. / I would like to make a reservation.
• Somos # personas. / We are # people.
• Quisiera una reserva para el día….. / I would like a reservation for the day…
• La reserva sería para las 8:00 pm. / The reservation would be at 8:00 pm.

Getting a Table

Whether you’ve made a reservation or not, knowing the Spanish vocabulary and phrases needed to get a table is a crucial skill. Once you arrive at a restaurant, you must let the staff know you’d like to be seated. Don’t forget to mention if you’ve made a reservation. If you don’t have a reservation, you’ll have to ask if tables are available.

Here are some useful Spanish phrases to ask for a table in Latin America or Spain:

• ¿Hay mesas disponibles? / Are there tables available?
• ¿Tienen mesas disponibles? / Do you have tables available?
• Nos gustaría una mesa para # personas, por favor. / We’d like a table for # people, please.
• Quisiéramos una mesa para #, por favor. / We’d like a table for #, please.

And, here’s an example of how you can combine these phrases in real life:

Buenas tardes, ¿tienen mesas disponibles? Quisiéramos una mesa para 8 personas, por favor. / Good afternoon, do you have tables available? We would like a table for 8 people, please.

How to Greet the Waiter

Dining out is not only about ordering food. This is also a great chance to display your manners, and what better way to begin than by greeting your waiter? Keep in mind that, in most Spanish-speaking countries, shouting “¡mesero!” (waiter) or “¡oiga!” (hey you) is considered rude. To start, you can wait until you’re approached or, once you’re ready to order, simply raise your hand to get the waiter’s attention.

When your waiter arrives at the table, here are some friendly phrases to greet them:

• Hola. / Hello.
• Buenas días/tardes/noches. / Good morning/afternoon/evening.
• ¿Cómo está? / How are you?
• Quisiera hacer mi pedido. / I would like to place my order.
• Estoy listo para ordenar. / I’m ready to order.

Here’s an example of how you can use these phrases together:

Buenas tardes, ¿cómo está? Estoy listo para ordenar. / Good afternoon, how are you? I’m ready to order.

Ordering a Drink

Accompanying your meal with a refreshing drink is a delightful part of any dining experience. Here are some useful phrases you can use to order the beverage of your choice:

• Quisiera pedir una bebida, por favor. / I would like to order a drink, please.
• Quisiera un vaso de agua. / I would like a glass of water.
• Quisiera un refresco/jugo/gaseosa. / I would like a soft drink/juice/soda.

Note that if you’re not sure about which drink you want to order, you can always ask your waiter for recommendations. You can also tell the restaurant staff if you’d like to avoid specific ingredients or types of drinks. Here are some phrases you can use for this task:

• ¿Cuál es la bebida típica de la región? / What is the typical drink of the region?
• ¿Qué bebida me recomienda? / Which drink do you recommend?
• ¿Esta bebida tiene alcohol? / Does this drink have alcohol?
• ¿Qué bebida sin alcohol me recomienda? / What non-alcoholic drink do you recommend?

Ordering Food in Spanish

Ordering food in Spanish might take more than simply pointing to the dish on the menu. From telling the waiter how you would like your steak to specifying which ingredients you’d like to avoid, this skill will help you ensure you have the best experience. Alternatively, you can also ask your server to give you some dish recommendations based on promotions or specialties.

Here are some phrases to help you order food in Spanish:

• Quisiera… / I would like…
• Quisiera mi filete a termino crudo/medio/cocido/bien cocido. / I would like my steak rare/medium/medium well/well done.
• ¿Cuál es la especialidad del día? / What is the daily special?
• Me gustaría probar la especialidad del día. / I would like to try the specialty of the day.
• ¿Este plato tiene….? / Does this dish have….?
• Sin cebolla, por favor. / Without onions, please.
• Sin picante, por favor. / No spice, please.

And, here are some examples of how you can use these phrases:

• Quisiera un plato de pescado a la parrilla, porfavor. / I would like a dish of grilled fish, please.
• ¿Este plato tiene camarones? / Does this dish have shrimp?
• Quisiera mi filete a termino cocido. / I would like my steak medium well.

Ordering Dessert

Once you finish your meal, you might want to move on to the dessert. Many restaurants have dessert carts or special dessert menus you’ll need to ask for. Then, you’ll be able to order a “porción” (slice) of your favorite dessert or choose the flavors for your ice cream.

These are common phrases to order desserts in Spanish: 

• Quisiera pedir un postre. / I would like to order a dessert.
• ¿Me podrías traer la carta de postres, por favor? / Could you bring me the dessert menu, please?
• ¿Podría traer el carrito de postres, por favor? / Could you bring the dessert cart, please?
• Una porción de… / A piece of…
• Un helado de …. / A …. ice cream
• Una tarta/Un pastel de…. / A … tart/cake
• ¿Cuál es el postre más pedido? / Which is the most ordered dessert?
• ¿Qué sabores tienen? / Which flavors do you have?
• ¿Qué postres tienen? / Which desserts do you have?

Here are some examples of how to apply and combine these phrases:

• Una porción de torta de chocolate. / A slice of chocolate cake.
• ¿Qué sabores tienen? Una helado de fresa, por favor. / Which flavors do you have? A strawberry ice cream, please.
• Quisiera pedir un postre. ¿Me podrías traer la carta de postres, por favor? / I would like to order a dessert. Could you bring me the dessert menu, please?

Asking About Ingredients for Special Diets and Allergies

Asking about dietary restrictions and allergies is necessary for safe dining. With these phrases, you’ll be able to tell your server which ingredients you need to avoid. This way, they’ll be able to give you specific recommendations to meet your dietary preferences.

Here are the phrases you’ll need:

• Tengo alergia a… / I’m allergic to…
• Estoy siguiendo una dieta especial. / I am following a special diet.
• ¿Este plato contiene…? / Does this dish contain…?
• ¿Puede decirme qué ingredientes lleva este plato? / Could you tell me which ingredients are in this dish?
• No puedo comer…. / I can’t eat….

And, here are some examples:

• Tengo alergia a los camarones. / I’m allergic to shrimp.
• ¿Este plato contiene almendras? No puedo comer nueces. / Does this dish have almonds? I can’t eat nuts.
• ¿Puede decirme qué ingredientes lleva este plato? No puedo comer ají. / Could you tell me which ingredients are in this dish? I can’t eat chili.

Requesting a To-Go Container

Sometimes, the portions are too generous to finish in one sitting. But don’t worry. Here’s some restaurant vocabulary you can ask to request a to-go container:

• Me gustaría llevar lo que sobra, por favor. / I would like to take the leftovers, please.
• ¿Podrías traerme una caja para llevar, please? / Could you bring me a to-go box, por favor?

Asking for the Check

Before you leave the restaurant, you’ll need to ask for the check and pay the bill. Luckily, this is very easy. Once you’ve finished your meal, raise your hand and wait for your server to approach. Remember that tipping is not mandatory in many Spanish-speaking countries, but it’s always appreciated!

Here are some phrases you can use when it’s time to pay:

• ¿Me puede traer la cuenta, por favor? / Could you bring me the check, please?
• La cuenta, por favor. / The check, please.
• ¿Nos trae la cuenta, por favor? / Could you bring us the check, please?
• ¿Acepta efectivo/tarjeta? / Do you accept cash/credit cards?
• Quiero agregar una propina. / I want to add a tip.

These are some examples:

• ¿Me puede traer la cuenta, por favor? ¿Acepta efectivo? / Could you bring me the check, please? Do you accept cash?
• ¿Nos trae la cuenta, por favor? Quiero agregar $5 de propina. / Could you bring us the check, please? I want to add a $5 tip.

Finishing up the meal

Once you’ve paid for your meal, you’re free to leave the restaurant. But, before you leave, you might be faced with the question, “¿Cómo estuvo la comida?” (How was the food?) or “¿Todo estuvo bien?” (Was everything good?). To comment on your experience, you’ll need to be familiar with phrases to express satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

These are some phrases you can use to express your opinion on the food and thank your waiter or waitress for their service:

• La comida estuvo deliciosa. / The food was delicious.
• No me gustó la comida. / I didn’t like the food.
• Todo estuvo muy rico. / Everything was very tasty.
• No estoy feliz con el servicio. / I’m not happy with the service.
• Mis felicitaciones al chef. / My compliments to the chef.
• Gracias por el servicio. / Thank you for the service.
• Gracias por todo. / Thank you for everything.

Here’s an example of how you can combine these phrases:

La comida estuvo deliciosa. Mis felicitaciones al chef. Gracias por el servicio. / The food was delicious. My compliments to the chef. Thank you for your service.

How to Practice Ordering Food in Spanish

To practice your ordering skills, you can try role-playing as both the customer and waiter and simulate various dining scenarios. You can also watch cooking shows by Spanish speakers on platforms like YouTube. This is a fun way to pick up culinary phrases.

Or, if you like more traditional resources, Spanish grammar books have many examples to teach you how to structure polite sentences. Language learning apps are also useful tools with interactive exercises and features that show you how to apply vocabulary in context. And, online courses offer structured lessons to take you through your Spanish journey step-by-step. Try combining these methods, and you’ll develop your Spanish skills much faster.

Ordering Food in Spanish: Final Thoughts

I hope this guide has helped you find all the words and phrases you need to order food like a local. Speaking in Spanish might be intimidating at first, but it’s the best way to improve all your skills. The more you practice, the easier it will be to hold conversations with other Spanish speakers. With study and practice, you’ll soon be speaking Spanish sin problemas!