Spanish · A2 (Elementary)
Food in Spanish: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Spanish words for food are el restaurante (the restaurant), pedir (to order (food)) and el menú (the set menu). The full Spanish food phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Spanish vocabulary for food, with example sentences and English translations. This is A2 (Elementary) material — exactly the kind of practical language you need when you're learning Spanish to live, work, or settle abroad.
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Key food vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el restaurante | the restaurant |
| pedir | to order (food) |
| el menú | the set menu |
| vegetariano/a | vegetarian |
| la cuenta | the bill |
| la propina | the tip |
| el plato del día | the dish of the day |
| la carta | the menu (à la carte) |
| el primer plato | the first course / starter |
| el postre | the dessert |
Example sentences
Cenamos en el restaurante esta noche.
We are dining at the restaurant tonight.
Quiero pedir, por favor.
I would like to order, please.
¿Tienen platos vegetarianos?
Do you have vegetarian dishes?
¡La cuenta, por favor!
The bill, please!
¿Cuál es el plato del día?
What is the dish of the day?
Dejo una propina.
I leave a tip.
How to actually learn these
Reading a vocabulary list is not the same as being able to use the words when it counts. Research on adult language acquisition consistently shows that vocabulary retained through contextual use — hearing a word, producing it under mild pressure, and being corrected when you get it wrong — transfers to real speech far more effectively than passive list review. The fastest way to make vocabulary like this stick is to practise it in the actual conversations where it comes up: not drills, but a real back-and-forth where you have to retrieve the word and say it aloud. Language Lab turns vocabulary like this into voiced, real-life scenarios with Sonia, a live AI language tutor who holds real conversations, corrects you in context, and remembers the specific words you keep getting wrong across sessions. The vocabulary stops being something you read and becomes something you say — automatically, under pressure, when you actually need it.
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