Spanish at the Restaurant – Vocabulary and Phrases

¡Hola! Are you traveling to a Spanish-speaking country? Are you planning to eat in a restaurant there? Then you’ve come to the right place! 🙂

In this post we are going to learn some Spanish phrases that are useful in restaurants: phrases for reserving a table, ordering, paying the bill…

Then we have several vocabulary lists that can help in your conversation.

Enjoy these phrases and enjoy your meal!

Phrases: Reserving and ordering

Reserving a table & arriving

Quisiera reservar una mesa...	I'd like to reserve a table...
... para dos	... for two
... para las ocho de la noche	at 20:00
... para esta noche	... for tonight
... en la terraza	... on the terrace
... cerca de una ventana	... near a window
... a nombre de John Smith	... in the name of John Smith
¿Tienen mesa libre?	Is there any free table?
Esa mesa, por favor.	That table, please.
¿Puede traer otra silla?	Could you bring another chair?
Tengo una mesa reservada a nombre de John Smith.	I have a table reserved in the name of John Smith.

Ordering

¡Camarero!	Waiter!
Para beber, me pone…	To drink, I would like…
De aperitivo, me trae…	As an appetizer, I would like…
De primero, quisiera…	As a starter, I would like…
De segundo, querría…	For the main course, I would like…
De postre, quisiera…	For dessert, I would like…
Y para ella / Y para él…	And for her / And for him…
Para el niño…	For the kid…
¿Qué me recomienda?	What do you recommend?

Phrases: During the meal

Ordering more / Complaining

Perdone, ¿me trae...?	Excuse me, could you bring me...?
... más agua	... more water
... otra copa de vino	... another glass of wine
... más pan	... more bread
La carne está...	The meat is...
... demasiado hecha	... overcooked
... poco hecha	... undercooked
La sopa está fría.	The soup is cold.

Paying & leaving

La cuenta, por favor.	Could I have the bill, please?
Estaba todo muy rico, gracias.	Everything was very tasty, thanks.
Quisiera pagar...	I'd like to pay...
... en efectivo	... in cash
... con tarjeta	... by card
Creo que hay un error	I think there's a mistake
Pagamos por separado	We'll pay separately
Lo pagamos todo junto	We pay all together

Things the waiter says

¿Qué desean para beber?	What do you want to drink?
¿Qué desean para comer?	What do you want to eat?
¿Han decidido ya?	Have you decided yet?
Les recomiendo...	I recommend...
Lo siento, no tenemos...	I'm sorry, we don't have...
... pero hay...	... but there is...
¿Cómo desean pagar?	How would you like to pay?

Vocabulary: People and things at the restaurant

El camarero	waiter
La carta	menu
El cliente	client
La cuchara	spoon
El cuchillo	knife
La mesa	table
El plato	plate, dish
La servilleta	serviette, napkin
La silla	chair
El tenedor	fork

Vocabulary: The menu

Parts of the menu / Types of dishes

El aperitivo	appetizer
La bebida	the drink
La carne	meat
El menú del día	dish of the day
El pescado	fish
El postre	dessert
El primer plato / El entrante	starter
La ración	plate / portion
El segundo plato	main course
La tapa	very small dish

Appetizers

Las aceitunas	olives
El jamón serrano	serrano ham
El jamón ibérico	iberian ham
El pan con alioli	bread with garlic mayonnaise
El queso	cheese

Starters

Las croquetas de jamón	ham croquettes
La ensalada mixta	mixed salad
La ensaladilla rusa	Spanish potato salad
Las gambas al ajillo	garlic shrimp
El gazpacho	Spanish cold tomato soup
Las patatas bravas	spicy potatoes
La sopa de tomate	tomato soup
La tortilla española	Spanish omelette

Main dishes

Los calamares	squid rings
El filete de ternera	beef filet
El filete de cerdo con patatas	pork filet with fries
La hamburguesa	hamburger
La paella	paella
La pizza	pizza
El pulpo a la gallega	grilled octopus
El solomillo	sirloin steak

Desserts

El arroz con leche	rice pudding
El flan de huevo	egg flan
El helado	ice cream
El pastel	cake
El yogur	yogurt

Drinks

El agua con gas	sparkling water
El agua sin gas	still water
La botella de vino tinto	bottle of red wine
El café	coffee
La caña	beer, small draft
La cerveza	beer
La copa de vino blanco	glass of white wine
El refresco	soft drink
El vaso de agua	glass of water

Vocabulary: Actions

Dejar propina	to leave a tip
Llamar al camarero	to call the waiter
Pagar con tarjeta	to pay with card
Pagar en efectivo	to pay in cash
Pedir la comida	to order the food
Pedir la cuenta	to ask for the check
Pedir las bebidas	to order the drinks
Reservar una mesa	to reserve a table