You don’t have to speak fluent Spanish to eat well in a Spanish-speaking country. You just need a handful of reliable phrases—and a quick sense of when to use them.
Below are 30 essential restaurant phrases, each with an English translation and a one-line explanation so you know exactly how and when to use them.
Getting a Table
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Una mesa para dos, por favor. — A table for two, please.
Use this when you arrive and want to ask for a table.
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¿Tiene una mesa libre? — Do you have a table available?
A polite way to ask if there’s space.
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¿Podemos sentarnos aquí? — Can we sit here?
Use this when you’re choosing a table or spot.
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Tenemos una reserva. — We have a reservation.
Say this when you booked a table in advance.
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Está a nombre de ___. — It’s under the name ___.
Use this when they ask whose name the reservation is under.
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¿Cuánto tiempo de espera hay? — How long is the wait?
Ask this when the restaurant is full or busy.
Ordering the Menu
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¿Nos trae la carta, por favor? — Could you bring us the menu, please?
A natural, polite request for the menu (especially common in Spain).
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¿Hay menú del día? — Do you have a set lunch menu?
Use this to ask about a fixed-price daily menu (often at lunch).
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¿Qué nos recomienda? — What do you recommend?
Great for asking the staff for a suggestion.
Ordering Food
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Para mí, ___, por favor. — I’ll have ___, please.
Use this to order your dish (replace ___ with what you want).
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¿Qué lleva este plato? — What’s in this dish?
Use this to ask about ingredients.
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¿Tiene opciones vegetarianas/veganas? — Do you have vegetarian/vegan options?
Helpful for dietary preferences.
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Sin ___, por favor. — Without ___, please.
Use this to remove an ingredient (e.g., sin cebolla).
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Soy alérgico/a a ___. — I’m allergic to ___.
Use this for allergies (alérgico = male / alérgica = female).
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¿Está picante? — Is it spicy?
Ask this if you’re sensitive to heat.
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La salsa aparte, por favor. — Sauce on the side, please.
Use this when you want sauce served separately.
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Vamos a compartir. — We’ll share.
Say this when you’re ordering dishes to share at the table.
Ordering Drinks
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Para beber, ___, por favor. — To drink, ___, please.
A simple way to order a beverage.
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Agua con gas / sin gas, por favor. — Sparkling / still water, please.
Use this to specify what kind of water you want.
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Una cerveza, por favor. — A beer, please.
A common, easy drink order.
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Una copa de vino tinto/blanco, por favor. — A glass of red/white wine, please.
Use this to order wine by the glass.
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¿Me trae un café, por favor? — Could you bring me a coffee, please?
Useful after the meal or with dessert.
During the Meal
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Está muy rico. — It’s really delicious.
A friendly way to compliment the food.
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Perdón / Disculpe. — Excuse me.
Use this to politely get a server’s attention.
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¿Nos trae más pan, por favor? — Could you bring us more bread, please?
A common request when you want a refill.
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Esto no es lo que pedí. — This isn’t what I ordered.
Use this if there’s a mistake with your dish.
Paying the Bill
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La cuenta, por favor. — The bill, please.
The standard way to ask to pay.
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Por separado, por favor. — Separate, please.
Use this when you want separate bills.
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¿Se puede pagar con tarjeta? — Can I pay by card?
Ask this to check if they accept credit/debit cards.
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Quédese con el cambio. — Keep the change.
Use this when leaving a small tip or rounding up.
