Spanish - Ordering Food

Lesson 100 of 159

Goal: Polite and useful phrases for cafés and restaurants

Free Spanish lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Welcome to Lesson 100 — nice to see you at the counter! This short, friendly lesson helps you order food politely in Spanish at a café or restaurant. Say each phrase out loud and try the mini-dialogue to hear how they sound in a real situation.

Level A1: In this CEFR-aligned lesson you'll practice polite ordering phrases: asking for the menu, saying what you want (Quisiera ___ / Quisiera pedir ___), choosing size, asking for no ingredients, asking if something is spicy, and asking for the bill or to-go. We'll listen, practice short quizzes, and speak each phrase aloud so you feel ready to order with confidence.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Level A1: Recognize and use basic polite phrases to order food in Spanish.
  • Ask for the menu and the check, choose sizes, and request items without certain ingredients.
  • Practice key questions like ¿Pica? and ¿Tiene ___? and say your final order: Es todo, gracias.
A friendly café counter scene: asking for the menu and choosing what to order in Spanish.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

Quisiera ___.

I'd like ___.

Meaning: I'd like ___.

When to use: Use this polite frame to say what you want when ordering food or a drink.

Quisiera una sopa, por favor.
I'd like a soup, please.
Quisiera agua sin hielo.
I'd like water without ice.

¿Me da el menú, por favor?

Can I see the menu?

Meaning: Can I see the menu?

When to use: Ask this when you arrive and want to look at the restaurant or café menu.

Disculpe, ¿me da el menú, por favor?
Excuse me, can I see the menu, please?
¿Me da el menú, por favor? Quiero ver las opciones.
Can I see the menu, please? I want to look at the options.

Es todo, gracias.

That's all, thanks.

Meaning: That's all, thanks.

When to use: Say this when your order is finished and you have nothing more to add.

Es todo, gracias. Solo eso por ahora.
That's all, thanks. Only that for now.
Quisiera un café. Es todo, gracias.
I'd like a coffee. That's all, thanks.

Un ___ chico, por favor.

A small ___, please.

Meaning: A small ___, please.

When to use: Choose this to ask for a small size for a masculine item (e.g., un café chico).

Tip: Remember to use “una” for feminine items (una taza chica).

Un refresco chico, por favor.
A small soda, please.
Un café chico, por favor. Sin azúcar.
A small coffee, please. Without sugar.

Sin ___, por favor.

No ___, please.

Meaning: No ___, please.

When to use: Use this to ask for an item without a specific ingredient (e.g., Sin cebolla, por favor).

Sin cebolla, por favor.
No onion, please.
Sin picante, por favor.
No spicy sauce, please.

¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?

Can I have the check, please?

Meaning: Can I have the check, please?

When to use: Ask this when you're ready to pay and leave the restaurant.

¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?
Can you bring me the check, please?
Cuando pueda, ¿me trae la cuenta, por favor?
When you can, can you bring the check, please?

Para llevar, por favor.

To go, please.

Meaning: To go, please.

When to use: Use this when you want your food packaged to take away.

Para llevar, por favor. Es para llevar.
To go, please. It's to go.
Un burrito para llevar, por favor.
A burrito to go, please.

Quisiera pedir ___.

I'd like to order ___.

Meaning: I’d like to order ___.

When to use: Use this to politely start saying the specific item you want to order.

Quisiera pedir la ensalada César.
I'd like to order the Caesar salad.
Quisiera pedir dos empanadas, por favor.
I'd like to order two empanadas, please.

¿Me das ___?

Can I get ___?

Meaning: Can I get ___?

When to use: More casual way to ask for an item, common in informal places.

¿Me das una cerveza, por favor?
Can I get a beer, please?
¿Me das el jugo de naranja?
Can I get the orange juice?

Un ___, por favor.

One ___, please.

Meaning: One ___, please.

When to use: Use this to order by quantity. Change 'un' to 'una' if the item is feminine.

Tip: Match gender: use 'una' for feminine nouns.

Un sándwich, por favor.
One sandwich, please.
Una sopa, por favor.
One soup, please.

Para comer aquí, por favor.

For here, please.

Meaning: For here, please.

When to use: Say this when you want to eat at the restaurant rather than take it away.

Para comer aquí, por favor.
For here, please.
Una mesa para dos, para comer aquí, por favor.
A table for two, to eat here, please.

¿Pica?

Is it spicy?

Meaning: Is it spicy?

When to use: Ask this to know whether a dish is spicy before you order.

¿Pica este plato?
Is this dish spicy?
¿Pica mucho? No como picante.
Is it very spicy? I don't eat spicy food.

¿Tiene ___?

Is there ___ in it?

Meaning: Is there ___ in it?

When to use: Use this to ask if a dish includes a particular ingredient (allergies or preferences).

¿Tiene nueces esta ensalada?
Does this salad have nuts?
¿Tiene leche la sopa? Soy intolerante.
Does the soup have milk? I'm intolerant.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Ordering at a small café

Two people ordering and confirming a meal in Spanish using polite phrases.

What does Anna ask for at the start?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

¿Me da el menú, por favor?

Can I see the menu, please?

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

Sí, aquí tiene. ¿Qué desea?

Yes, here you go. What would you like?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

Quisiera pedir un sándwich. Un sándwich chico, por favor.

I'd like to order a sandwich. A small sandwich, please.

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

¿Pica el sándwich?

Is the sandwich spicy?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

No, sin salsa picante, por favor.

No, without spicy sauce, please.

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

Perfecto. ¿Para comer aquí o para llevar?

Perfect. For here or to go?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

Para comer aquí. Es todo, gracias.

For here. That's all, thanks.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase means 'Can I see the menu?'

How do you ask 'Can I have the check, please?' in Spanish?

You want your meal in the restaurant, not to go. What do you say?

How do you ask if a dish is spicy?

At the end of ordering you say: That's all, thanks.

Al terminar de pedir, dices: ___.

If you will eat at the place you say: For here, please.

Si vas a comer en el lugar dices: ___.

If you don't want an ingredient you say: No onion, please.

Si no quieres un ingrediente, por ejemplo cebolla: ___.

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

Quisiera ___.

I'd like ___

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Me da el menú, por favor?

Can I see the menu?

Say this phrase out loud:

Es todo, gracias.

That's all, thanks.

Say this phrase out loud:

Un ___ chico, por favor.

A small ___, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

Sin ___, por favor.

No ___, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?

Can I have the check, please?

Say this phrase out loud:

Para llevar, por favor.

To go, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

Quisiera pedir ___.

I'd like to order ___

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Me das ___?

Can I get ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

Un ___, por favor.

One ___, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

Para comer aquí, por favor.

For here, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Pica?

Is it spicy?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Tiene ___?

Is there ___ in it?