Spanish - Café y restaurante

Lesson 102 of 159

Goal: Polite phrases for seating, ordering, and paying

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

Ready for espresso, tapas, or a quick lunch chat? This short lesson helps you handle common cafe and restaurant situations with friendly, polite Spanish.

Level A2: In Lesson 102 you'll practice useful phrases for cafés and restaurants — asking for a table, checking availability, seeing the menu, ordering and modifying dishes, asking about spiciness, requesting water, and splitting the bill. This CEFR-aligned mini-lesson gives short dialogues, examples, and speaking practice so you can feel confident at a host stand or with a server.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Ask for a table and check availability when you arrive at a café or restaurant.
  • Request the menu, order politely, and modify an order (ask for something without an ingredient).
  • Ask about spiciness, request water, talk about reservations and wait time, and ask to pay separately.
  • Practice A2-level phrases for everyday restaurant interactions.
A host greets guests at a restaurant entrance — useful Spanish phrases to ask for a table or mention a reservation.

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.

Una mesa para ___, por favor.

A table for ___, please.

Meaning: A table for ___, please.

When to use: Use this when you arrive and want to tell the host how many people are in your party.

Tip: Sometimes learners forget to say the number (uno/dos) or omit 'por favor'. Always include the number and a polite word.

Una mesa para dos, por favor.
A table for two, please.
Una mesa para cuatro, por favor; tenemos una reservación después.
A table for four, please; we have a reservation later.

¿Tienen mesa disponible?

Do you have a table available?

Meaning: Do you have a table available?

When to use: Ask the host or staff when you arrive and aren’t sure if there is free seating.

Buenos días. ¿Tienen mesa disponible ahora?
Good morning. Do you have a table available now?
¿Tienen mesa disponible para esta tarde?
Do you have a table available for this afternoon?

¿Puedo ver el menú, por favor?

Can I see the menu, please?

Meaning: Can I see the menu, please?

When to use: Ask the server or host when you want to look at the food and drink options.

Perdón, ¿puedo ver el menú, por favor?
Excuse me, can I see the menu, please?
¿Puedo ver el menú? Tengo alergias y quiero revisar los ingredientes.
Can I see the menu? I have allergies and want to check ingredients.

Quisiera ___, por favor.

I'd like ___, please.

Meaning: I'd like ___, please.

When to use: Use this polite phrase when ordering a dish or drink from the menu.

Tip: Beginners often use 'Quiero' which is direct; 'Quisiera' is softer and more polite for ordering.

Quisiera un café con leche, por favor.
I'd like a latte, please.
Quisiera la ensalada del día, por favor.
I'd like the salad of the day, please.

¿Puede ser ___ sin ___?

Can I get ___ without ___?

Meaning: Can I get ___ without ___?

When to use: Use this to ask for a modification to your order, such as leaving out an ingredient.

Tip: Don't mix 'puede' with 'puedo' incorrectly — use '¿Puede ser...?' to politely ask the server to modify your order.

¿Puede ser el taco sin cebolla?
Can the taco be without onion?
¿Puede ser el sándwich sin mayonesa?
Can the sandwich be without mayonnaise?

¿Este platillo pica?

Is this dish spicy?

Meaning: Is this dish spicy?

When to use: Ask when you want to know whether a dish is spicy before ordering.

¿Este platillo pica mucho?
Is this dish very spicy?
¿Este platillo pica o es suave?
Is this dish spicy or mild?

¿Nos trae agua, por favor?

Could we have some water, please?

Meaning: Could we have some water, please?

When to use: Ask the server for water for the table or for refills.

Disculpe, ¿nos trae agua, por favor?
Excuse me, could you bring us water, please?
¿Nos trae agua con hielo, por favor?
Could you bring us water with ice, please?

Ya estamos listos para ordenar.

We're ready to order.

Meaning: We're ready to order.

When to use: Tell the server when your group has finished looking at the menu and is prepared to order.

Perdón, ya estamos listos para ordenar.
Excuse me, we're ready to order.
Cuando el mesero vuelva le decimos: 'Ya estamos listos para ordenar.'
When the waiter returns we say: 'We're ready to order.'

¿Podemos pagar por separado?

Can we pay separately?

Meaning: Can we pay separately?

When to use: Ask at the end of the meal if each person wants to pay their own bill.

¿Podemos pagar por separado? Cada uno paga lo suyo.
Can we pay separately? Each person pays for themselves.
Si queremos dividir la cuenta preguntamos: '¿Podemos pagar por separado?'
If we want to split the bill we ask: 'Can we pay separately?'

Tenemos una reservación a nombre de ___.

We have a reservation under ___.

Meaning: We have a reservation under ___.

When to use: Say this when you arrive and already have a reservation; give the name used for the booking.

Tenemos una reservación a nombre de García.
We have a reservation under García.
Hola, tenemos una reservación a nombre de Ana a las ocho.
Hello, we have a reservation under Ana at eight.

¿Cuánto tiempo hay de espera?

How long is the wait?

Meaning: How long is the wait?

When to use: Use this question when you arrive and there is no immediate table; ask for estimated waiting time.

¿Cuánto tiempo hay de espera si no tenemos reservación?
How long is the wait if we don't have a reservation?
Vemos la lista y preguntamos: '¿Cuánto tiempo hay de espera?'
We look at the list and ask: 'How long is the wait?'

¿Podemos sentarnos afuera?

Can we sit outside?

Meaning: Can we sit outside?

When to use: Ask the host or staff if outdoor seating is available and you prefer it.

Hace buen tiempo. ¿Podemos sentarnos afuera?
The weather is nice. Can we sit outside?
Preferimos fumar afuera; ¿podemos sentarnos afuera?
We prefer to smoke outside; can we sit outside?

Voy a pedir ___.

I'll have the ___.

Meaning: I'll have the ___.

When to use: Use this to say what you will order when you want a straightforward, neutral statement.

Voy a pedir el filete con papas, por favor.
I'll have the steak with potatoes, please.
Creo que hoy voy a pedir la sopa del día.
I think today I'll have the soup of the day.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

At the restaurant entrance

What do Anna and David ask about when they arrive?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

Tenemos una reservación a nombre de López.

We have a reservation under López.

Host

Perfecto. ¿Prefieren sentarse afuera o adentro?

Perfect. Do you prefer to sit outside or inside?

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

¿Podemos sentarnos afuera, por favor?

Can we sit outside, please?

Host

Sí, tenemos una mesa disponible. Síganme.

Yes, we have a table available. Follow me.

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

Gracias. ¿Puedo ver el menú, por favor?

Thank you. Can I see the menu, please?

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which Spanish phrase means "Can we sit outside?"

Which phrase asks the server for water?

Which Spanish sentence means "We're ready to order."?

Which phrase should you use to ask if a dish is spicy?

We call to confirm: 'We have a reservation under López.'

Llamamos para confirmar: '___'.

At the table, we ask the server: 'Could we have some water, please?'

En la mesa, pedimos al mesero: '___'.

After the meal we ask: 'Can we pay separately?'

Al terminar la comida queremos pagar por separado y preguntamos: '___'.

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:

Una mesa para ___, por favor.

A table for ___, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Tienen mesa disponible?

Do you have a table available?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Puedo ver el menú, por favor?

Can I see the menu, please?

Say this phrase out loud:

Quisiera ___, por favor.

I'd like ___, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Puede ser ___ sin ___?

Can I get ___ without ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Este platillo pica?

Is this dish spicy?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Nos trae agua, por favor?

Could we have some water, please?

Say this phrase out loud:

Ya estamos listos para ordenar.

We're ready to order.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Podemos pagar por separado?

Can we pay separately?

Say this phrase out loud:

Tenemos una reservación a nombre de ___.

We have a reservation under ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Cuánto tiempo hay de espera?

How long is the wait?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Podemos sentarnos afuera?

Can we sit outside?

Say this phrase out loud:

Voy a pedir ___.

I'll have the ___.