Order food, ask for the bill, and handle dietary needs in Spanish with ease. These phrases cover everything from getting a table to leaving a tip at restaurants across Latin America and Spain.
12 phrases
Ordering food is one of the most frequent, lowest-stakes conversations you will have while traveling, which makes it a great place to practice speaking Spanish out loud. These phrases cover the full arc of a meal: getting seated, ordering, handling dietary restrictions, and paying. Dietary phrases are worth memorizing precisely rather than approximating, since a vague description of an allergy can lead to a genuine mistake in the kitchen. If a server responds with something you do not follow, asking them to repeat more slowly is always a safe, polite fallback, and it is one of the phrases included in the travel essentials list. Practice ordering a full meal out loud before you travel, not just individual phrases in isolation, since a real order is a short back-and-forth, not a single line.
Una mesa para dos, por favor.
A table for two, please.
¿Qué recomienda usted?
What do you recommend?
Quisiera pedir…
I would like to order…
La cuenta, por favor.
The bill, please.
Soy alérgico/a a los mariscos.
I am allergic to seafood.
¿Está incluido el servicio?
Is the service charge included?
Sin gluten, por favor.
Gluten-free, please.
Estaba delicioso.
It was delicious.
¿Me puede traer agua, por favor?
Can you bring me water, please?
No como carne.
I do not eat meat.
¿Tienen opciones vegetarianas?
Do you have vegetarian options?
Para llevar, por favor.
To go, please.
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