How to Order Food in Spanish: Phrases You’ll Actually Use at Restaurants

If you want to know how to order food in Spanish, you’ve come to the right place! Learning the most common vocabulary related to food should be a top priority when studying a second language, especially if you’re planning to travel to test your skills. So in this post, you’ll learn exactly what to say when trying to satiate your appetite. By the way, it also helps to know some basic Spanish sentences for travel, so you can handle simple interactions beyond ordering food.

Throughout this guide, we’ll walk you through real restaurant situations, from greeting the waiter to asking for the check. You’ll find practical phrases, vocabulary tables, and helpful videos to practice your pronunciation along the way to help you navigate conversations in a Spanish-speaking country.  

Warning: you may get hungry reading this post!

1) How to Ask for a Table in Spanish

Let’s get started by learning how to greet the waitstaff and choose where you’ll sit.

Waiter, waitress	English
– Buenos días, – Buenas tardes,    bienvenido(a)s [a]… – Buenas noches, – Por favor, tome(n) asiento  – Permítame llevarlo(s) a su mesa	– Good morning, – Good afternoon,    welcome [to]…  – Good evening, – Please, take a seat – Let me walk you to your table
Customer	English
– Buenos días, – Buenas tardes, (una) mesa para __  persona(s), por favor – Buenas noches, – Disculpe, ¿Podemos elegir dónde sentarnos?	– Good morning, – Good afternoon, a table for ___ people, please – Good evening, – Excuse me, can we choose where to sit?

Note: In some countries such as Colombia or Venezuela, you might hear the expression “buenas”, without “días”, “tardes” or “noches” to end the phrase.

2) How to Order Drinks in Spanish

Once you’re seated, the first thing you’ll usually be asked is what you’d like to drink:

Waiter, waitress	English
– ¿Qué le(s) traigo de tomar? – ¿Desea(n) algo de tomar? – ¿Qué va(n) a tomar?	– What can I bring you to drink? – Would you like something to drink? – What are you going to drink?
Customer	English
– ¿Qué bebidas tiene? – Quisiera / me gustaría un(a)… por favor – Tráigame / tráeme un(a)…, si es tan amable / por favor – ¿Me traería…? – Un vaso de…(agua, leche etc.), por favor – Una botella de…por favor	– What drinks do you have? – I would like a… please (formal) – Bring me a…, if you please – Could you bring me…? – A glass of…(water, milk etc.) please – A bottle of…, please

Note: Some phrases may sound kinda rude when translated to English (“bring me”), but these phrases are commonly used in Spanish. If in doubt, simply make sure to include  “por favor” (please) to avoid sounding rude.

Common Drinks Vocabulary in Spanish

Spanish	English
Café	Coffee
Café con leche	Coffee with milk
Café negro / solo	Black coffee
Agua	Water
Agua mineral	Bottled water, mineral water
Agua con gas	Sparkling water
Refresco	Soft drink, soda
Limonada	Lemonade
Naranjada	Orangeade
Té helado	Iced tea
Chocolate caliente	Hot cocoa
Tónica	Tonic water
Leche	Milk
Jugo, zumo de… (fruta)	(Fruit)…juice
Batido	Milkshake
Cerveza	Beer
Vino	Wine
Vino Tinto	Red Wine
Vino Blanco	White Wine
Vino Rosado	Rosé Wine
Ron	Rum
Güisqui	Whiskey
Cóctel	Cocktail
Champán	Champagne

3) How to Order Food in Spanish

Once you’ve had a chance to browse the menu, and know what you are going to order, you’ll typically use verbs like:

• Pedir (to ask for)
• Ordenar (to order)

Waiter, waitress	English
– Aquí tiene el menú/carta – ¿Le(s) puedo tomar su orden? – ¿Desea ordenar? – ¿Que desea(n) comer? / ¿Qué va a comer? – ¿Podría hacerle(s) una sugerencia? – Le recomiendo probar… – ¿Con qué lo/la quiere? – ¿Cómo lo/la quiere? – El combo número ___ lleva ___ y ___ – ¡Buen provecho!	– Here is the menu – Can I take your order? – Would you like to order? – What would you like to eat? – Could I offer a suggestion? – I recommend that you to try… – What do you want it with? – How do you want it? – Set number ___ includes ___ and ___ – Enjoy your meal!
Customer	English
– ¿Me podría mostrar el menú? Por favor – ¿Cuál es la especialidad de la casa? – ¿Qué me/nos puede recomendar? – ¿Qué trae este platillo/plato? – ¿Hay algún combo disponible? – Para empezar me gustaría… – Quisiera un/una… – Quiero un/una… – Prefiero un/una… – ¿Me/nos traes un/una…? – Pediré / ordenaré este plato – No he(mos) decidido aún, estoy/estamos en eso – Soy vegetariano(a) – Soy vegano(a)	– Can you show me the menu? Please – What is the restaurant’s specialty? – What can you recommend me/us? – What does this dish include? – is there any set available? – To start I would like… – I would like… – I want…- I prefer… – Will you bring me/us a…? – I will order this dish – I/we haven’t decided yet, I/we am/are working on that – I am vegetarian – I am vegan

As you practice ordering, you’ll also hear verbs like comer used in different ways. If you’ve ever wondered about expressions like comer vs comerse, check out our guide on the difference between these two common verbs.

Common Food and Drink Vocabulary in Spanish

Spanish	English
Pollo	Chicken
Pollo asado	Roast chicken
Pollo frito	Fried chicken
Pollo a la parmesana	Chicken parm
Pescado	Fish
Filete de pescado	Fish fillet
Camarones	Shrimp
Bistec	Beefsteak
Carne Guisada	Stewed meat
Chuleta	Chop
Ternera	Veal, beef
Arroz blanco	Plain rice
Puré de papas	Mashed potatoes
Papas fritas	French fries
Papas salteadas	Sautéed potatoes
Sopa de verduras	Vegetable soup
– Asado(a) – Frito(a) – A la plancha – Crudo(a)	– Roasted – Fried – Grilled – Raw

Now that we’ve covered drinks and food vocabulary, how’s your memory holding up?

Take a moment to test yourself with the video below. You’ll see the English words first, giving you a chance to recall the Spanish equivalent before the answer appears. It’s a simple but effective way to lock these new words into your long-term memory.

4) How to Ask for the Check in Spanish (and Finish Your Meal)

You’ve enjoyed a delicious meal, and now it’s time to wrap things up.

If you’re from the US, you’re probably used to a certain rhythm: the waiter asks, “Can I get you anything else?” You say no, and moments later, the check arrives. Simple, right?

In Spain and across Latin America, things work a little differently. The waiter will typically wait for you to ask for the check, no matter how long you sit there chatting. It’s considered polite to let diners linger without feeling rushed. So if you’re ready to pay, you’ll need to speak up.

Waiter, waitress	English
– ¿Desea(n) un postre? – ¿Le(s) puedo ofrecer algo más?	– Would you like a dessert? – Can I get you anything else?
Customer	English
– Sobró mucho. ¿Me/nos podría poner esto para llevar? Por favor – Disculpe, (tráigame) la cuenta, por favor – ¿Me puede traer la cuenta?	– There’s a lot left over, could I get this to go? please? – Excuse me, (bring me) the check, please – Can you bring me the check, please?

5) Conclusion: Ordering Food in Spanish Made Simple

Ordering food in Spanish doesn’t have to feel intimidating. Once you know a few key phrases, you can handle everything from asking for a table to paying the bill with confidence. Here’s an example of how an easy conversation would play out:

Waiter: Buenas tardes, ¿qué les traigo de tomar? – Good afternoon. What would you like to drink?

You: Buenas. ¿Me trae una limonada, por favor? – Good morning. Could I have a lemonade, please?

Waiter: Claro. ¿Y ya saben lo que van a ordenar? – Sure. Have you decided what to order?

You: Sí, para mí el pollo asado con papas fritas. – Yes, I’ll have the roast chicken with fries.

Waiter: Muy bien. En seguida les traigo los platos. – Great. I’ll bring your food right away.

You: Gracias. – Thank you.

Easy, right? Just be confident, and focus on a few essentials like:

• Quisiera…
• ¿Me trae…?
• La cuenta, por favor

From there, it’s just practice.

The more you use these phrases in real situations, the more natural they’ll feel. And honestly, there’s no better place to practice Spanish than over a good meal.