Spanish - Café y restaurante

Lesson 103 of 159

Goal: Phrases for asking about ingredients, billing, and to-go orders

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

Welcome to Lesson 103 — a friendly trip to a café. You'll practice useful phrases for ordering, asking about ingredients, and handling the bill. Have fun — and don't be afraid to repeat aloud!

Level A2: In this lesson you'll practice restaurant and café phrases like asking what a dish includes (¿Esto lleva...?, ¿Qué lleva...?), requesting more time, asking for the bill, and saying you want food to go. This CEFR-aligned lesson focuses on listening, repeating, and short role-play phrases you'll use at cafés and casual restaurants.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Ask and understand if a dish contains a specific ingredient (A2)
  • Request more time, finish an order politely, and ask for the bill
  • Decide whether an order is for here or to go and ask where to pay
Students practicing A2 café phrases in a relaxed coffee shop setting, focusing on ordering and billing language.

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.

¿Viene con ___?

Does it come with ___?

Meaning: Does it come with ___?

When to use: Use this to ask if a dish includes a side or accompaniment (e.g., fries, bread, sauce).

Tip: Some learners say 'trae' instead of 'viene con' — both can work, but 'viene con' is very natural for menu items.

¿Viene con papas?
Does it come with fries?
¿Viene con una bebida?
Does it come with a drink?

¿Esto lleva ___?

Is there ___ in this?

Meaning: Is there ___ in this?

When to use: Ask this when you need to know whether an ingredient (nuts, dairy, onion...) is in a dish.

Tip: Beginners sometimes mix 'lleva' with 'tiene.' '¿Esto lleva...?' is more natural for ingredients.

¿Esto lleva nueces?
Does this have nuts?
¿Esto lleva gluten?
Does this contain gluten?

Es todo por ahora, gracias.

That's all for now, thanks.

Meaning: That's all for now, thanks.

When to use: Use this to finish ordering politely when you don't want to add more items.

Es todo por ahora, gracias.
That's all for now, thanks.
Es todo por ahora, gracias. Luego pedimos postre.
That's all for now, thanks. We'll order dessert later.

Creo que hay un error en la cuenta.

I think there's a mistake on the bill.

Meaning: I think there's a mistake on the bill.

When to use: Say this if you notice an incorrect charge or extra item on the check.

Creo que hay un error en la cuenta.
I think there's a mistake on the bill.
Perdón, creo que hay un error en la cuenta: este plato no lo pedimos.
Sorry, I think there's a mistake on the bill: we didn't order this dish.

Necesitamos unos minutos más.

We need a few more minutes.

Meaning: We need a few more minutes.

When to use: Say this when the server asks for your order but your group needs more time to decide.

Necesitamos unos minutos más.
We need a few more minutes.
¿Puede esperar? Necesitamos unos minutos más.
Can you wait? We need a few more minutes.

¿Nos trae la cuenta, por favor?

Could we get the check, please?

Meaning: Could we get the check, please?

When to use: Use this to ask the server for the bill politely at the end of the meal.

¿Nos trae la cuenta, por favor?
Could you bring us the bill, please?
Cuando pueda, ¿nos trae la cuenta, por favor?
When you can, could you bring us the bill, please?

¿Qué lleva ___?

What's in the ___?

Meaning: What's in the ___?

When to use: Ask this when you want a list of ingredients or components for a menu item (e.g., '¿Qué lleva la ensalada?').

¿Qué lleva la ensalada?
What's in the salad?
¿Qué lleva la sopa del día?
What's in the soup of the day?

¿Para comer aquí o para llevar?

For here or to go?

Meaning: For here or to go?

When to use: Staff often ask this when you place an order; use it to confirm if you will eat at the café or take it away.

¿Para comer aquí o para llevar?
For here or to go?
Para llevar, por favor. ¿Puede ser para llevar?
To go, please. Can it be to go?

¿Dónde pago?

Where do I pay?

Meaning: Where do I pay?

When to use: Ask this when it's time to pay and you don't know the payment area or counter.

¿Dónde pago?
Where do I pay?
Disculpe, ¿dónde pago?
Excuse me, where do I pay?

¿Puede ser para llevar?

Can we take this to go?

Meaning: Can we take this to go?

When to use: Use this to ask if an order or leftovers can be packaged for takeout.

¿Puede ser para llevar?
Can this be to go?
¿Nos lo puede poner para llevar, por favor?
Could you put it for us to go, please?

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna and David decide and finish at a café

Two people at a cafe using Spanish phrases to ask about ingredients, more time, and the bill.

Who asks for the bill?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

¿Qué lleva la ensalada?

What's in the salad?

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

Creo que lleva lechuga y tomate.

I think it has lettuce and tomato.

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

¿Viene con pan?

Does it come with bread?

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

No, mejor comemos aquí. Es todo por ahora, gracias.

No, better eat here. That's all for now, thanks.

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

Al final, ¿nos trae la cuenta, por favor?

At the end, could you bring us the bill, please?

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

Claro, gracias.

Sure, thanks.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which Spanish phrase means 'Could we get the check, please?'

You want a few extra minutes before ordering. Which phrase do you use?

How do you ask 'Is there onion in this?' in Spanish using the lesson phrase?

If a staff member asks '¿Para comer aquí o para llevar?' what are they asking?

Waiter: Are you ready? Customer: That's all for now, thanks.

Camarero: ¿Ya están listos? Cliente: ___.

After checking the bill: 'I think there's a mistake on the bill.'

Después de revisar la factura: "___"

I want to know if the dish has garlic: 'Does this have garlic?'

Quiero saber si el plato tiene ajo: "¿___ ajo?"

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:

¿Viene con ___?

Does it come with ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Esto lleva ___?

Is there ___ in this?

Say this phrase out loud:

Es todo por ahora, gracias.

That's all for now, thanks.

Say this phrase out loud:

Creo que hay un error en la cuenta.

I think there's a mistake on the bill.

Say this phrase out loud:

Necesitamos unos minutos más.

We need a few more minutes.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Nos trae la cuenta, por favor?

Could we get the check, please?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Qué lleva ___?

What's in the ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Para comer aquí o para llevar?

For here or to go?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Dónde pago?

Where do I pay?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Puede ser para llevar?

Can we take this to go?