🇪🇸 Spanish for Beginners · Lesson 5 of 8
Food, café and restaurant
Order, ask and get the check.
Food and drinks
| el agua | water |
|---|---|
| el café / el té | coffee / tea |
| el jugo | juice |
| el pan | bread |
| el pollo / la carne | chicken / meat |
| el pescado | fish |
| la ensalada | salad |
| el postre | dessert |
Ordering
| Quisiera… | I would like… (polite) |
|---|---|
| Para mí, el pollo, por favor. | For me, the chicken, please. |
| ¿Qué me recomienda? | What do you recommend? |
| ¿Tiene opciones vegetarianas? | Do you have vegetarian options? |
| Soy alérgico/a a… | I’m allergic to… |
| La cuenta, por favor. | The check, please. |
A short dialogue
— Buenas tardes. ¿Qué desea? — Quisiera un café y una empanada, por favor. — ¿Algo más? — No, gracias. ¿Cuánto es? — Son cinco dólares. — Aquí tiene. ¡Gracias!
Tip
💡 “Quisiera” (I would like) is more polite than “quiero” (I want). Use it with waiters and shopkeepers.
✏️ Practice: your turn
- Order a pretend meal at home in Spanish
- Ask for the check in Spanish
- Learn to say one food you are allergic to or don’t eat
- Read a menu from a Mexican or Latin restaurant and find 5 words you know
🧠 Quick quiz
Answer all 4 questions correctly to mark this lesson as done.
0 of 4 correct
All lessons in Spanish for Beginners
- 🗣️ 1. Pronunciation and lettersFive pure vowels, ñ, ll, j, silent h and rolled rr
- 👋 2. Hello, how are you?Greetings, introductions and ¿Cómo te llamas?
- 🔢 3. Numbers and colorsNumbers 0–20 and ten colors
- 👨👩👧 4. Family and peopleMom, dad, siblings, el and la, and plurals
- 🌮 5. Food, café and restaurantOrder, ask and get the check
- ⚖️ 6. ser, estar and tenerTwo ways to say “to be”, and “to have”
- ⏰ 7. Days, time and weather¿Qué hora es?, ¿Dónde está…? and question words
- 🧳 8. 50 travel phrases, and what’s nextThe phrases that save a trip, and how to keep learning