Top 50 phrases to get by Portugal: Dining out
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Key Phrases
Uma mesa para duas pessoas, por favor.
A table for two, please.
Queria pedir.
I would like to order.
A conta, por favor.
Can I have the bill, please?
Skills You'll Learn
How to ask for a table and start a restaurant interaction
Como pedir uma mesa e iniciar uma interação no restaurante
How to order food and drinks politely
Como pedir comida e bebidas de forma educada
How to ask for the bill and pay at the end of the meal
Como pedir a conta e pagar no fim da refeição
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
Uma mesa para duas pessoas, por favor.
OO-muh MEH-zuh PAH-ruh DOO-ash peh-SO-ash poor fuh-VOR
A table for two, please.
Tem reserva?
teng reh-ZEHR-vuh
Do you have a reservation?
🇵🇹 In Portugal this is a very normal first question at a restaurant, especially at busy times. If you do have one, just answer with [Tenho uma reserva].
See breakdown →Tenho uma reserva.
TEN-yoo OO-muh reh-ZEHR-vuh
I have a reservation.
A ementa, por favor.
uh ee-MEN-tuh poor fuh-VOR
The menu, please.
🇵🇹 In Portugal [ementa] is the usual word for a restaurant menu. In Brazil, you'd more often hear [cardápio].
See breakdown →Posso ver a carta de vinhos?
POH-soo vehr uh KAR-tuh duh VEE-nyoosh
Can I see the wine list?
O que recomenda?
oo kuh reh-koh-MEN-duh
What do you recommend?
💬 Portuguese often leaves out [você] or [o senhor/a senhora] when it's obvious from context. The same pattern works in [O que sugere?] or [O que tem?].
See breakdown →Qual é o prato do dia?
kwahl eh oo PRAH-too doo DEE-uh
What is the dish of the day?
Queria pedir.
kuh-REE-uh peh-DEER
I would like to order.
💬 [Queria] literally looks like [I wanted], but it's often used to make requests softer: [Queria pedir], [Queria a conta], [Queria isto]. It sounds more polite than a blunt present-tense request.
See breakdown →Para começar, por favor.
PAH-ruh koh-meh-SAR poor fuh-VOR
For starters, please.
🇵🇹 This is the kind of thing you say while ordering, meaning [as a starter]. On its own it's fine in context, often with a gesture to the menu item you want.
See breakdown →Learn this vocabulary list the easy way
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