You can also simply say “¡Buenas!” as an informal greeting, regardless of the time of day. You may be greeted by a friendly “¿Qué tal?” (“How are you?”), to which you can respond with “Muy bien, gracias. Y usted?” (“I’m doing well, thanks. How about you?”).
1 person: “Para una persona” 3 people: “Para tres” 4 people: “Para cuatro” 5 people: “Para cinco”
“Tenemos una reservación a las ocho. ” (“We have a reservation for 8 o’clock. ”) “Tengo una reservación para dos personas. ” (“I have a reservation for 2 people. ”) “Disculpe, pero no tenemos una reservación. ” (“Sorry, but we don’t have a reservation. ”)
If you’re a woman eating by yourself, say “Estoy lista” instead of “listo. ” If you’re with multiple people, say “Estamos listos. ” If you’re in a group of only women, say “Estamos listas. ” If you need more time to order, you can say, “Necesitamos más tiempo, por favor. ” (“We need more time, please. ”).
“Voy a pedir el burrito. ” (“I’m going to order the burrito. ”) “Para mi, por favor, la hamburguesa. ” (“For me, please, the hamburger. ”) “¿Me puede usted traer la ensalada?” (“Could you bring me the salad?”) “Quiero el salmon, por favor. ” (“I want the salmon, please”—this might sound rude in English, but it’s completely acceptable in Spanish)
“Para tomar, voy a pedir un café. ” (“To drink, I’m going to order a coffee. ”) “Para mi, una coca, por favor. ” (“A coke for me, please. ”) “¿Me puede usted traer una botella de agua?” (“Could you bring me a bottle of water?”) “Quiero una cerveza, por favor. ” (“I want a beer, please. ”)
For example, you could say, “Para él, por favor, el vino tinto” (“For him, please, the red wine”) or “Para ella, por favor, el arroz frito” (“For her, please, the fried rice. ”) You can also say “Vamos a compartir…” (“We’re going to share…”) to order food for the whole table.
“¿Qué opciones de comida vegetariana/vegana tiene?” (“What vegetarian/vegan options do you have?”) “¿Tiene alguna bebida sin alcohol?” (“Do you have a drink without alcohol?”) “¿Es muy picante?” (“Is it very spicy?”)
“Soy alérgico a los nueces. ” (“I’m allergic to nuts. ”) “Soy alérgica a los mariscos. ” (I’m allergic to shellfish. ”) “Mi amiga es alérgica a la leche. ” (“My friend is allergic to milk. ”) “Mi papá es alérgico a la soja. ” (“My dad is allergic to soy. ”)
You could also say, “¿Me trae la cuenta?, por favor. ” (“Bring me the check, please”) or “¿Me da la cuenta?, por favor. ” (“Give me the check, please. ”)
If you’d prefer to pay in cash, you can say, “Voy a pagar con efectivo. ” (“I’m going to pay with cash. ”)
10%: “Diez por ciento” 15%: “Quince por ciento” 18%: “Dieciocho por ciento” 20%: “Veinte por ciento”
“Todo estuvo delicioso. ” (“Everything was delicious. ”) “¡Muy rico, gracias!” (“Very tasty, thanks!”) “Nos encantó la comida. ” (“We loved the food. ”)
“¿A qué hora abren?” (“What time do you open?”) “¿A qué hora cierran?” (“What time do you close?”)
Menu: “El menú” or “la carta” Appetizer: “La entrada” Soup: “La sopa” Main dish: “El plato fuerte” Dessert: “El postre” Eating utensils: “Los cubiertos” Napkin: “La servilleta”
Fruit: “La fruta” Vegetables: “Las verduras” Egg: “El huevo” Meat: “La carne” Chicken: “El pollo” Fish: “El pescado” Pork: “El cerdo” Bread: “El pan” Water: “El agua” Milk: “La leche” Tea: “El té” Coffee: “El café” Beer: “La cerveza” Wine: “El vino”
