Top 50 phrases to get by Spain (Advanced): Dining out
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Key Phrases
Una mesa para dos, por favor.
A table for two, please.
¿Qué me recomienda?
What do you recommend?
La cuenta, por favor.
The bill, please.
Skills You'll Learn
How to ask for a table and interact with restaurant staff.
Cómo pedir una mesa e interactuar con el personal del restaurante.
How to order food and drinks politely and ask for recommendations.
Cómo pedir comida y bebida con educación y solicitar recomendaciones.
How to request the bill and handle basic payment situations.
Cómo pedir la cuenta y manejar situaciones básicas de pago.
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
Una mesa para dos, por favor.
OO-nah MEH-sah PAH-rah dohs pohr fah-BOHR
A table for two, please.
¿Tiene reserva?
tee-EH-neh reh-SEHR-bah
Do you have a reservation?
💬 [Tiene] here is the [usted] form, used to address one customer politely. If the waiter is asking your whole group, you'll often hear [¿Tienen reserva?] instead.
See breakdown →Tengo una reserva.
TEHN-goh OO-nah reh-SEHR-bah
I have a reservation.
¿Podemos sentarnos en la terraza?
poh-DEH-mohs sehn-TAR-nohs ehn lah teh-RRAH-thah
Can we sit on the terrace?
💬 [Podemos] means [we can], but in questions like this it works as [can we...?]. You can reuse the pattern with other verbs: [¿Podemos pedir?], [¿Podemos cambiar de mesa?]
See breakdown →La carta, por favor.
lah KAR-tah pohr fah-BOHR
The menu, please.
🇪🇸 In Spain, [la carta] is the normal word for the menu in a restaurant. [El menú] often means a set meal, especially [menú del día], not just any menu.
See breakdown →¿Tienen menú del día?
tee-EH-nehn meh-NOO dehl DEE-ah
Do you have the set menu?
🇪🇸 [Menú del día] is a very common lunch deal in Spain, usually with a few courses, bread, a drink, and dessert or coffee for a fixed price. It's especially common on weekdays and often good value.
See breakdown →¿Qué me recomienda?
keh meh reh-koh-mee-EHN-dah
What do you recommend?
💬 [Me recomienda] literally means [recommends to me], and Spanish often uses this little [me] where English doesn't. You'll see the same pattern in [¿me trae pan?] and [¿me pone un café?]
See breakdown →¿Qué es esto?
keh ehs EHS-toh
What is this?
Estoy listo para pedir.
ehs-TOY LEES-toh PAH-rah peh-DEER
I am ready to order.
💬 [Para] plus an action often means [ready to] or [about to]: [listo para pedir], [listo para salir]. If you're a woman, say [Estoy lista para pedir].
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