🇪🇸 Spanish · A1 · Food & Drinks

Ordering at a restaurant

5 min read · quiero... / voy a tomar... (I want / I'll have...) · menu vocabulary

Vocabulary

el menúthe menu
el entrantethe starter
el plato principalthe main course
el postrethe dessert
deliciosodelicious
picantespicy
la cartathe menu (à la carte)
reservarto reserve
la propinathe tip
la botellathe bottle

"Quiero..." and "Voy a tomar..."

At a restaurant, you can order food in several ways:

Quiero... (I want...) — simple and direct

*Quiero el menú del día.* → I want the set menu.
*Quiero una ensalada.* → I want a salad.

Voy a tomar... (I'll have...) — slightly more polite

*Voy a tomar el plato principal.* → I'll have the main course.
*Voy a tomar una sopa de entrante.* → I'll have soup as a starter.

Para mí... (For me...) — casual and very common

*Para mí, el pescado.* → For me, the fish.

Menu vocabulary

A typical Spanish menu has these sections:

Entrantes → starters — *ensalada, sopa, jamón*
Platos principales → main courses — *paella, carne, pescado*
Postres → desserts — *flan, helado, fruta*
Bebidas → drinks — *agua, vino, cerveza*

The menú del día is a fixed-price set meal (usually 10-15 euros) that includes a starter, a main, dessert, and a drink. It is very common for lunch in Spain.

Example: "De entrante, voy a tomar la sopa. Y de principal, el pescado." → "For starter, I'll have the soup. And for main, the fish."

Expressions

Una mesa para dos, por favorAsk for a table for two
¿Tienen el menú del día?Ask if they have the set menu
Voy a tomar...Tell the waiter what you will order
De entrante / de principal / de postreSpecify which course you are ordering
¿Qué me recomienda?Ask for a recommendation
La cuenta, por favorAsk for the bill
¿Está incluida la propina?Ask if the tip is included
Estaba deliciosoCompliment the food

Common mistakes

~~¿Puedo ver el menú?~~
¿Puedo ver la carta?
El menú usually refers to the set menu (menú del día); la carta is the full à la carte menu
~~La comida es deliciosa~~
La comida está deliciosa
For temporary states like taste, use estar, not ser
~~Quiero el postre de chocolate~~
De postre, quiero el de chocolate
When ordering by course, use de postre to specify the course
~~Reservar una mesa por dos~~
Reservar una mesa para dos
Use para (for), not por, when indicating the number of people
~~La propina es incluida~~
La propina está incluida
Included is a state/condition, so use estar, not ser
~~Quiero un botella de agua con gas~~
Quiero una botella de agua con gas
botella is feminine, so it's una botella, not un. (con gas = sparkling, sin gas = still)

Quick quiz

Question 1 of 5

How do you say “the main course” in Spanish?

This is the mini version

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