¡Hola! / Buenos días.
[oh-la / bweh-nos dee-as]Hello! / Good morning.
Greeting on arrival.Speak at the table · Spain
Spanish
Restaurant Spanish can stay simple. Polite requests, a few menu words and confidence are more useful than perfect grammar.
Restaurant survival kit
Eight phrases that do the work
Una mesa para dos, por favor.
[oo-na meh-sa pa-ra dos]A table for two, please.
On arrival.Quisiera…
[kee-syeh-ra]I would like…
Polite and widely useful.¿Qué me recomienda?
[keh meh reh-koh-mee-en-dah]What do you recommend?
Ask for a recommendation.¿Qué lleva?
[keh yeh-ba]What is in it?
For ingredients.Sin…, por favor.
[seen… por fa-bor]Without…, please.
To omit an ingredient.La cuenta, por favor.
[la kwen-ta por fa-bor]The bill, please.
The standard request.Estaba buenísimo.
[es-ta-ba bweh-nee-see-mo]It was absolutely delicious.
An enthusiastic compliment.Frequent culinary words
Read the menu with confidence
entrante
starter
plato principal
main course
Watch out
ración
full sharing portion
Watch out
tapa
small portion / tapa
menú del día
fixed lunch menu
casero
homemade
a la plancha
griddled / grilled
al horno
oven-baked
frito
fried
picante
spicy
marisco
shellfish
pescado
fish
carne
meat
Local word
una caña
a small draft beer
vino de la casa
house wine
sin alcohol
alcohol-free
The one rule