Vocabulary
Restaurant Spanish, Ordering Food Like a Local
8 min readUpdated 2026-06-01
Ordering food in Spanish is one of the highest-leverage skills you can learn. You'll use it constantly, and doing it well immediately makes locals treat you differently.
This guide covers the full arc, reserving a table, arriving, ordering, dealing with problems, and paying, with the phrases you'll actually hear and say.
Reserving a table
- Quería reservar una mesa para dos, por favor., I'd like to book a table for two, please.
- Para el viernes a las nueve., For Friday at nine.
- ¿Tienen disponibilidad esta noche?, Do you have availability tonight?
- A nombre de…, Under the name of…
- ¿Se puede reservar en la terraza?, Can we book on the terrace?
Arriving and being seated
- Tenemos una reserva a nombre de…, We have a reservation under the name…
- Somos cuatro., There are four of us.
- ¿Cuánto tiempo hay que esperar?, How long is the wait?
- ¿Nos puede sentar cerca de la ventana?, Could you seat us near the window?
- ¿Nos trae la carta, por favor?, Can we have the menu, please?
Ordering
- Yo voy a tomar / voy a pedir…, I'll have / I'll order…
- Para mí, un/una…, For me, a…
- De primero… y de segundo…, For starter… and for main…
- ¿Cuál es el plato del día?, What's today's special?
- ¿Qué me recomienda?, What do you recommend?
- Sin cebolla, por favor., Without onion, please.
- Poco hecho / al punto / muy hecho., Rare / medium / well done.
- Para compartir., To share.
Drinks
- Una caña / una copa de vino tinto / una jarra de agua., A small draft beer / a glass of red wine / a jug of water.
- ¿Tienen carta de vinos?, Do you have a wine menu?
- Agua con gas / sin gas., Sparkling / still water.
- Un café solo / con leche / cortado., A black coffee / white coffee / cortado.
- Otra ronda, por favor., Another round, please.
Allergies and dietary needs
- Soy alérgico a los frutos secos / al marisco / al gluten., I'm allergic to nuts / seafood / gluten.
- Soy vegetariano / vegano., I'm vegetarian / vegan.
- No como carne., I don't eat meat.
- ¿Qué platos son sin gluten?, Which dishes are gluten-free?
- ¿Lleva lactosa?, Does it contain lactose?
When something goes wrong
- Perdona, esto no es lo que he pedido., Excuse me, this isn't what I ordered.
- Está frío. ¿Nos lo puede calentar?, It's cold. Could you warm it up?
- El plato está muy salado., The dish is very salty.
- Nos falta un cubierto., We're missing a place setting.
- Llevamos mucho esperando., We've been waiting a long time.
Paying
- La cuenta, cuando pueda., The bill, when you can.
- ¿Aceptan tarjeta?, Do you accept card?
- ¿Podemos pagar por separado?, Can we pay separately?
- Quédese con el cambio., Keep the change.
- Estaba todo buenísimo., Everything was delicious.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get the waiter's attention politely?
Make eye contact and say 'Perdona' (informal) or 'Disculpe' (formal). Don't snap or wave aggressively.
Do I need to speak Spanish in tourist restaurants?
No, but even 'Hola' and 'Gracias' will get you warmer service.
Is 'por favor' always necessary?
It softens every request. Overusing it is better than skipping it.
What's the difference between a caña, tercio and copa?
Caña = small draft beer (~200ml); tercio = 33cl bottle; copa = wine glass. Regional variations exist.