Spanish - Ordering Food

Lesson 101 of 159

Person ordering food at a busy counter — practice Spanish ordering phrases.

Goal: Polite phrases for restaurants and takeout

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

Ready to sound confident at a café or food stall? This lesson focuses on short, polite phrases you can use when ordering. Practice by listening, repeating, and then speaking aloud.

Level A1: In this lesson (Lesson 101) you'll practice 9 useful Spanish phrases for ordering food: saying you're ready, asking for recommendations, requesting items on the side, and ordering the same as someone else. This CEFR-aligned mini-lesson gives quick listening, practice quizzes, and speaking prompts so you can order with ease and a smile.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Level A1: Recognize and use basic phrases to order food politely.
  • Ask what a dish includes and request items on the side.
  • Say you are ready to order and order the same as someone else.
Two friends deciding what to order at a small restaurant — ordering food vocabulary 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.

Con ___, por favor.

With ___, please.

Meaning: With ___, please.

When to use: Use this to add an ingredient or side (e.g., with sauce, with fries).

Con salsa, por favor.
With sauce, please.
Con papas fritas, por favor.
With French fries, please.

Aparte, por favor.

On the side, please.

Meaning: On the side, please.

When to use: Ask this when you want a sauce, dressing, or ingredient served separately.

Aparte, por favor; la salsa no en el plato.
On the side, please; the sauce not on the plate.
¿La ensalada puede ir aparte, por favor?
Can the salad be on the side, please?

Voy a querer ___, por favor.

I'll have ___, please.

Meaning: I'll have ___, please.

When to use: Use this to state your order politely when ready to choose a dish or drink.

Tip: Beginners sometimes omit “por favor”; adding it sounds more polite.

Voy a querer el menú del día, por favor.
I'll have the daily special, please.
Voy a querer un café con leche, por favor.
I'll have a latte, please.

¿Qué me recomiendas?

What do you recommend?

Meaning: What do you recommend?

When to use: Ask staff or a friend when you want a suggestion about the menu.

¿Qué me recomiendas del menú hoy?
What do you recommend from the menu today?
No conozco la carta. ¿Qué me recomiendas?
I don't know the menu. What do you recommend?

Ya estoy listo para ordenar.

I'm ready to order.

Meaning: I'm ready to order.

When to use: Say this when you and your group are ready for the server to take the order.

Tip: If a woman speaks, say “Ya estoy lista para ordenar.”

Ya estoy listo para ordenar.
I'm ready to order.
Ya estamos listos para ordenar, por favor.
We're ready to order, please.

Todavía no, gracias.

Not yet, thanks.

Meaning: Not yet, thanks.

When to use: Use this to ask for more time before the server takes your order.

Todavía no, gracias. Necesito un minuto más.
Not yet, thanks. I need one more minute.
Gracias, pero todavía no.
Thanks, but not yet.

Lo mismo, por favor.

The same, please.

Meaning: The same, please.

When to use: Say this when you want to order the same dish as someone else at the table.

Si Ana pide la sopa, puedes decir: “Lo mismo, por favor.”
If Ana orders the soup, you can say: “The same, please.”
Quiero lo mismo, por favor.
I want the same, please.

¿Con qué viene?

What comes with it?

Meaning: What comes with it?

When to use: Ask this to find out what side dishes or ingredients are included with a meal.

¿Con qué viene la hamburguesa?
What comes with the burger?
Antes de pedir, pregunto: ¿Con qué viene este plato?
Before ordering, I ask: what comes with this dish?

¿Esto es vegetariano?

Is this vegetarian?

Meaning: Is this vegetarian?

When to use: Use this to ask whether a dish has no meat.

Tip: Beginners sometimes confuse vegetarian with vegan; ask specifically if needed.

¿Esto es vegetariano?
Is this vegetarian?
¿Este plato es vegetariano o tiene pollo?
Is this dish vegetarian or does it have chicken?

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Two friends deciding and ordering at a casual restaurant.

Casual exchange between friends using polite ordering phrases in Spanish at a table.

Who says they are ready to order?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

¿Qué me recomiendas?

What do you recommend?

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

El pollo está muy bueno.

The chicken is very good.

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

Todavía no, gracias.

Not yet, thanks.

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

Ya estoy listo para ordenar.

I'm ready to order.

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

Voy a querer el pollo con papas, por favor.

I'll have the chicken with fries, please.

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

A mí, lo mismo, por favor.

The same for me, please.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

What does "Aparte, por favor." mean?

If your friend orders the pasta and you want exactly the same, what should you say?

Which phrase tells the server you need more time?

You want to check if a dish includes sides. Which phrase do you use?

You want the dressing served separately. You say: Aparte, por favor.

You want the dressing served separately. You say: ___

Your friend orders the burger. You want the same. You say: Lo mismo, por favor.

Your friend orders the burger. You want the same. You say: ___

A server approaches and you are not ready. You reply: Todavía no, gracias.

A server approaches and you are not ready. You reply: ___

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:

Con ___, por favor.

With ___, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

Aparte, por favor.

On the side, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

Voy a querer ___, por favor.

I'll have ___, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Qué me recomiendas?

What do you recommend?

Say this phrase out loud:

Ya estoy listo para ordenar.

I'm ready to order.

Say this phrase out loud:

Todavía no, gracias.

Not yet, thanks.

Say this phrase out loud:

Lo mismo, por favor.

The same, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Con qué viene?

What comes with it?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Esto es vegetariano?

Is this vegetarian?