Enjoy a Spectacular Meal: Ordering at Restaurants Made Easy
Take the anxiety out of ordering with these phrases.
A quick and practical way to learn Spanish is by starting with common phrases and expressions. This includes how to order food and what to say at a restaurant.
Keep reading to learn the most useful expressions you need to order your favorite meal. Would you like some tapas? Or do you prefer paella?
Using the verb querer
When ordering food, use the verb querer, which means to love or to want. For example:
Yo quiero agua, por favor.
I would like water, please.
(Literally) I want water, please.
To English speakers, using querer when ordering (e.g. I want a water) may seem rude or inappropriate since it's common to say "I would like..." or "Can I have...?" in English. However, using querer is perfectly acceptable and expected.
Remember, querer is subject to conjugation rules in Spanish, so if you'll be ordering for someone else, or for a group, adjust the conjugation accordingly:
Nosotros queremos
We want
Ellos quieren
They want
Other ways to order
Like in English, there are multiple different ways to express what you want in Spanish. Two alternatives to querer are:
traer
to bring
to take
tomar
to drink
to take
For example, you can rephrase your request like:
¿Me traes una cerveza, por favor?
I would like a beer, please.
Can you bring me a beer, please?
Tomare agua, por favor.
I will have a water, please.
I will drink water, please.
Useful vocabulary
Now that you can order, consider these expressions that you might use at a restaurant:
¡Perdón!
Excuse me!
¿Tienes una mesa libre?
Is a table available?
¿Cuanto cuesta?
How much does it cost?
Nos traes tres tacos para compartir?
We would like to share three tacos.
No se que pedir.
I don't know what to order.
Tomaremos lo mismo, por favor.
We would like to order the same thing as them, please.
¿Que nos recomiendas?
What can you recommend to us?
¿Me puedes sacar el menú, por favor?
Can I get the menu, please?
¿Tienen carta de veganos?
Do you have a vegan menu?
La cuenta, por favor.
The bill, please.
You also might hear your waiter or waitress say:
¡Que aproveche!
Enjoy your food!
¡Marchando!
We'll have your food out soon!
¡Ten un buen día!
Have a good day!
Vamos a pedir
If you'd like to let your waiter or waitress know that you're ready to order, you can say:
Estamos listos para pedir.
We're ready to order.
Vamos a pedir.
We're going to order.
Ready to order?
You're more than ready to order in Spanish if you keep these expressions in mind. Continue practicing and check out more useful tips for learning Spanish.
¡Que aproveche!