Spanish restaurant phrases: how to order and pay

Q: How do I order food in Spanish?

Get the waiter's attention, then name what you want with Para mí, ... or Yo quiero ... and add por favor, for example Para mí, la sopa, por favor. The verb for ordering is pedir (to order/request), not preguntar (to ask a question).

Q: How do I ask for the bill in Spanish?

Say La cuenta, por favor. To pay by card, add ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?. In Spain the tip (la propina) is usually not included automatically and is optional — rounding up or leaving small change is normal.

Q: What is the difference between la carta and el menú in Spanish?

La carta is the full list of dishes you choose from. In Spain el menú usually means el menú del día, a fixed-price set meal. So to see all the dishes, ask for la carta.

Eating out in Spanish needs only a handful of phrases. The key words are pedir (to order), la carta or el menú (the menu), and la cuenta (the bill). The single most useful opener is ¿Me trae la carta, por favor? (Could you bring me the menu, please?) — it is polite and works in almost any restaurant or café.

This page walks through the whole meal in order: getting a table, reading the menu, ordering food and drinks, and paying. Each phrase is short enough to memorize, and the examples use everyday Spain Spanish.

Word	Transcription	Translation	Example
restaurante	/restauˈɾante/	restaurant	Voy a un restaurante.I go to a restaurant.
menú	/meˈnu/	menu	El menú está aquí.The menu is here.
pedir	/peˈðiɾ/	order	Pido café.I order coffee.
agua	/ˈaɣwa/	water	Nada en el agua.Swim in the water.
pan	/pan/	bread	Bebo agua y como pan.I drink water and eat bread.
café	/kaˈfe/	coffee	Bebo café.I drink coffee.

With those building blocks in place, here are the survival phrases for a full meal, from the door to the bill. Read down the column and you have the whole visit covered.

Situation	Spanish	Meaning
Getting a table	¿Tienen una mesa para dos?	Do you have a table for two?
Asking for the menu	¿Me trae la carta, por favor?	Could you bring me the menu, please?
Ordering	Para mí, la sopa, por favor. / Yo quiero la ensalada.	For me, the soup, please. / I want the salad.
Asking the recommendation	¿Qué me recomienda?	What do you recommend?
Paying	La cuenta, por favor. / ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?	The bill, please. / Can I pay by card?
Tipping	¿Está incluida la propina?	Is the tip included?

When you arrive, ask whether there is a table for your group, then ask for the menu. Para plus a number tells the waiter how many of you there are.

¿Tienen una mesa para dos?
Do you have a table for two?

¿Me trae la carta, por favor?
Could you bring me the menu, please?

Ordering food and drinks

The verb for ordering is pedir, not preguntar: pedir is to request or order something, while preguntar is to ask a question — a contrast worth sorting out in pedir vs preguntar. To order, name the dish with Para mí, ... or Yo quiero ..., and add por favor.

Para mí, la sopa, por favor.
For me, the soup, please.

Yo quiero una botella de agua y un café.
I want a bottle of water and a coffee.

If you are not sure what to choose, ask the waiter for a suggestion.

¿Qué me recomienda?
What do you recommend?

A note on the menu words: la carta is the full list of dishes you choose from. In Spain el menú usually means el menú del día, a fixed-price set meal of two or three courses. So to browse everything on offer, ask for la carta, not just el menú.

Paying the bill

When you are ready to leave, ask for la cuenta. Card payment is widely accepted, but it is normal to confirm.

La cuenta, por favor.
The bill, please.

¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
Can I pay by card?

In Spain the tip (la propina) is not added automatically and is not expected the way it is in some countries. Service is usually included in the price; rounding up or leaving a little small change for good service is plenty. If you want to be sure, you can ask whether it is already included.

¿Está incluida la propina?
Is the tip included?

Common mistakes

Asking for el menú when you want the dish list

In Spain el menú often means the set menú del día, so you may be handed a fixed meal instead of the full choice. Ask for la carta to see all the dishes.

~~¿Me trae el menú, por favor?~~ → ¿Me trae la carta, por favor?
Could you bring me the menu, please?

Using preguntar instead of pedir

Preguntar means to ask a question; to order or request something you use pedir. Asking the waiter to “preguntar la cuenta” sounds like you want them to question the bill.

~~Quiero preguntar la cuenta.~~ → Quiero pedir la cuenta.
I want to ask for the bill.

Saying estoy terminado

Estoy terminado sounds like “I’m done for” — exhausted or finished off. To say you have finished your meal, use the perfect tense he terminado.

~~Estoy terminado.~~ → He terminado.
I’ve finished.

Getting a table, choosing from la carta, and asking for la cuenta are short, repeatable exchanges, which is exactly how Fluera trains them: you hear each phrase, say it back, and place it in a real ordering sequence until ¿Me trae la carta? comes out without hesitation. Try it when you practice Spanish.

Practice

Order in Spanish

Question 1 of 10

To pay at the end, you ask for: (the bill)

Frequently asked questions

How do I order food in Spanish?

Get the waiter's attention, then name what you want with Para mí, ... or Yo quiero ... and add por favor, for example Para mí, la sopa, por favor. The verb for ordering is pedir (to order/request), not preguntar (to ask a question).

How do I ask for the bill in Spanish?

Say La cuenta, por favor. To pay by card, add ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?. In Spain the tip (la propina) is usually not included automatically and is optional — rounding up or leaving small change is normal.

What is the difference between la carta and el menú in Spanish?

La carta is the full list of dishes you choose from. In Spain el menú usually means el menú del día, a fixed-price set meal. So to see all the dishes, ask for la carta.