· 6 min read
Spanish Restaurant Phrases: Both Sides
By Language Lab editorial team
Spanish phrases for the restaurant from both sides of the table: what staff say, what customers say, ordering, drinks and the bill, with a model dialogue.
A restaurant conversation in Spanish follows a fixed pattern, which makes it easy to learn from either side of the table. The waiter opens with ¿Qué va a tomar?, what would you like, and follows with ¿Para beber?, and to drink, and ¿Algo más?, anything else. The customer answers with the dish and por favor, orders courses with de primero and de segundo, as first course and as second course, and ends with La cuenta, por favor, the bill, please. Before eating, people say Que aproveche, enjoy your meal, and when glasses are raised, ¡Salud! Whether you are ordering dinner on holiday or serving Spanish-speaking customers at work, these are the same two dozen phrases. They come from the BBC's Spanish Quick Fix lists.
What staff say
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bienvenido | Welcome |
| ¿Qué va a tomar? | What would you like? |
| ¿Para beber? | And to drink? |
| ¿Algo más? | Anything else? |
| Que aproveche | Enjoy your meal |
| Gracias | Thank you |
If you work in a restaurant, these six carry a whole table from arrival to the first bite. If you are the customer, these are the questions to listen for.
What customers say
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| el menú | the menu |
| de primero | as first course |
| de segundo | as second course |
| por favor | please |
| la cuenta | the bill |
| ¿Dónde está el baño, por favor? | Where's the toilet, please? |
Things to order
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| un bocadillo | a filled roll |
| una tortilla española | a Spanish omelette |
| unas patatas fritas | chips |
| una cerveza | a beer |
| un vino tinto | a glass of red wine |
| un vaso de agua | a glass of water |
Ordering for two
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dos cervezas, por favor. | Two beers, please. |
| Dos vasos de vino, por favor. | Two glasses of wine, please. |
| ¿Esta agua es potable? | Can you drink this water? |
At the table
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ¡Salud! | Cheers! |
| ¡Estupendo! | Great! |
| ¡Feliz cumpleaños! | Happy birthday! |
A whole meal in ten lines
Here is the pattern from start to finish, using only the phrases above.
- Staff: Bienvenido. Welcome.
- Customer: El menú, por favor. The menu, please.
- Staff: ¿Qué va a tomar? What would you like?
- Customer: De primero, una tortilla española. As first course, a Spanish omelette.
- Staff: ¿Para beber? And to drink?
- Customer: Un vaso de agua, por favor. A glass of water, please.
- Staff: ¿Algo más? Anything else?
- Customer: No, gracias. No, thank you.
- Staff: Que aproveche. Enjoy your meal.
- Customer: La cuenta, por favor. The bill, please.
Tips for learning them
- Learn both roles. Knowing the question makes the answer automatic.
- Practise the ten-line meal aloud until you can do it without looking.
- Swap the dish and the drink for others on the list.
- Test yourself and spread your practice over several days. A 2013 review of learning research rated practice testing and distributed practice as high utility, and rereading as low.
Language Lab's Spanish course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, a way to rehearse ordering, or serving, out loud.
Frequently asked
How do I order food in Spanish?
Name the dish and add por favor. For courses, say de primero for the first course and de segundo for the second, for example De primero, una tortilla española.
How do I ask for the bill in Spanish?
La cuenta, por favor.
What does a waiter say in Spanish?
¿Qué va a tomar? means what would you like, ¿Para beber? means and to drink, and ¿Algo más? means anything else.
What Spanish phrases do restaurant workers need?
Bienvenido for welcome, ¿Qué va a tomar?, ¿Para beber? and ¿Algo más? for taking the order, Que aproveche for enjoy your meal, and Gracias.
How do I say enjoy your meal in Spanish?
Que aproveche. For a toast, say ¡Salud!, cheers.
How do I order two beers in Spanish?
Dos cervezas, por favor. For one, say Una cerveza, por favor.
Sources: BBC Languages, Spanish Quick Fix: food and drink, shopping, basic, social, celebration and festival phrases (archived pages); Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: A plate of croquetas in Madrid, David Adam Kess / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
