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At the Restaurant in Spanish (pt. 2) – Lesson 24
In this lesson
(Lesson summary)
Restaurant Spanish, part 2: ask what they recommend, order food politely, and understand the menu: carne, pollo, pescado, mariscos, postres and more.
- Ask for the typical dish and recommendations
- Plates, glasses, cups and cutlery
- 4 ways to order your food
- The words on a Spanish menu
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(The full lesson)
Spanish for the restaurant: part 2
Welcome to part 2 of our restaurant series! In part 1 we learned how to make a reservation and order drinks. Today: what’s on the table, how to ask for recommendations, and how to order food from a Spanish menu.
Again, there are quite a few words today. My advice: go through all of them once, so your brain has seen them, and then pick the ones that are most useful for you to really learn. How deep you go is completely up to you.
The typical dish and recommendations
el plato the plate / the dish
¿Cuál es el plato típico? What’s the typical dish?
Plato means both the plate itself and a dish of food. Notice the stress in típico: TEE-pee-ko, because of the accent on the í.
¿Qué me recomienda? What do you recommend?
This is my favorite phrase at a restaurant! When I don’t feel like studying the whole menu, I just ask what they recommend. Hopefully it’s something delicious. (If not… sorry!) Literally it’s “what do you recommend me“: the me means “to me”.
What’s on the table
In English you say “glass” for both water and wine. Spanish has different words:
el vaso the glass (for water, juice)
la copa the glass (for wine)
la taza the cup (for tea, coffee)
The v in vaso sounds like a soft b: “BAH-so”.
los cubiertos the cutlery
el tenedor the fork
el cuchillo the knife
la cuchara the spoon
una servilleta a napkin
Ordering: when you’re not ready yet
The waiter comes to your table and asks what you want to eat. Not sure yet? (Me neither, usually.) Say:
Aún no he decidido. I haven’t decided yet.
And to ask if they have something, use ¿Tiene…? That’s tener in the polite usted form, perfect for talking to a waiter:
¿Tiene un menú vegano? Do you have a vegan menu?
¿Tiene otra servilleta, por favor? Do you have another napkin, please?
la carta de vinos the wine list
See otra servilleta? That’s otro / otra from lesson 22: no una needed.
Ordering: 4 ways to say what you want
Me gustaría el plato típico. I’d like the typical dish.
Quiero el pollo. I want the chicken.
Tomaré el pescado. I’ll have the fish.
¿Me pones un café? Can I have a coffee?
Me gustaría (I’d like) is the most polite. Quiero (I want, from querer) is direct but common. Tomaré means “I’ll have / I’ll take”.
¿Me pones…? literally means “do you put me…?” It’s a very common, informal way to order in Spain, especially at a bar or café. In Latin America you’ll more often hear ¿me da…? (do you give me…?) or ¿me trae…? (do you bring me…?).
On the menu: food
las verduras vegetables
la carne meat
la ternera beef / veal
carne de vaca beef (literally: meat of cow)
carne de cerdo pork (literally: meat of pig)
el pollo chicken
el cordero lamb
el pescado fish
los mariscos seafood
Spanish often says “meat of” an animal: carne de cerdo (pork), carne de vaca (beef). In Latin America, beef is often carne de res. And fish on your plate is pescado (a fish in the water is pez).
The sections of a Spanish menu
las bebidas drinks
entradas / entrantes / primeros starters
para picar to share / snacks
los postres desserts
los helados ice cream
Para picar literally means “to pick at”: small dishes to share and snack on, like tapas. And helados has a silent h, as always: “eh-LAH-dos”.
(Wes’s tip)
Next time you’re at a restaurant (even at home!), try to read the menu in Spanish and say your order out loud: “¿Qué me recomienda? … Vale, tomaré el pescado, por favor.”
Recap: the restaurant (part 2)
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Cuál es el plato típico? | What’s the typical dish? |
| ¿Qué me recomienda? | What do you recommend? |
| el vaso / la copa / la taza | the glass / wine glass / cup |
| el tenedor / el cuchillo / la cuchara | the fork / knife / spoon |
| una servilleta | a napkin |
+ 9 more words & phrases
Get all 14 words & phrases on one printable page, with examples and my tips. Free, straight to your inbox.
Get the free PDF ↓Practice: at the restaurant
What would you say? Say it out loud, then click to check.
1. Ask the waiter what they recommend.
¿Qué me recomienda?
2. Ask what the typical dish is.
¿Cuál es el plato típico?
3. You haven’t decided yet.
Aún no he decidido.
4. Ask if they have a vegan menu.
¿Tiene un menú vegano?
5. Politely say you’d like the chicken.
Me gustaría el pollo, por favor.
6. Order a coffee at a bar in Spain, informally.
¿Me pones un café?
7. You need another napkin.
¿Tiene otra servilleta, por favor?
8. Ask for the wine list.
La carta de vinos, por favor.
Quiz: at the restaurant (part 2)
10 questions. ¿Qué me recomienda? Answer them all!
Frequently asked questions
Is “¿Me pones…?” rude?
Not at all, in Spain it’s completely normal at bars and cafés. In a fancy restaurant, or in Latin America, me gustaría… or ¿me trae…? is safer.
How do I ask for the bill?
That’s coming in part 3! Quick preview: la cuenta, por favor.
Before you go to the next lesson
That was a lot of words again, sorry! The restaurant is just a huge topic. Pick the ones you’ll use, and grab the free reference sheet below with everything on it. Next up is lesson 25, the last lesson of chapter 1, all about accents (tildes). ¡Hasta la próxima!
(Free reference sheet)
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