How to order a meal in Spanish
Para mí, el pollo asado, por favor
“For me, the roast chicken, please”
When: Telling the waiter which dish you want
The moment
It is two in the afternoon and you sit down at a busy neighbourhood restaurant in Madrid. You need the menu, a main dish and something to drink.
A1 · Unit 2 · Café & food
The lines
Ordering with "para mí"
The easiest way to order at a table is "Para mí, el pollo asado" — literally "for me, the roast chicken". Just name the dish; no verb needed.
Para mí, el pollo asado, por favor
“For me, the roast chicken, please”
When to use it: Telling the waiter which dish you want
What you’ll hear back: ¿Y para beber? (And to drink?)
Asking what's good
When the menu defeats you, say "¿Qué me recomiendas?" — "what do you recommend?". Waiters in Spain answer straight and usually point you to the best dish of the day.
¿Qué me recomiendas?
“What do you recommend?”
When to use it: When you cannot decide what to order
What you’ll hear back: El arroz de hoy está muy bueno. (Today's rice is very good.)
Words for this scene
| Spanish | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| la carta | lah KAR-tah | the menu |
¿Nos traes la carta, por favor? Can you bring us the menu, please? Tip: "Carta" is the full menu; "menú" means the daily set meal. | ||
| el menú del día | el meh-NOO del DEE-ah | the set lunch menu |
¿Qué hay hoy en el menú del día? What is on the set lunch menu today? Tip: Weekday deal: starter, main, drink and dessert for around 14 €. | ||
| una caña | OO-nah KAH-nyah | a small draught beer |
Para beber, una caña, por favor. To drink, a small beer, please. Tip: The normal lunch drink in Madrid, even on a workday. | ||
Your objective
Ask for the menu, then order one main dish and one drink.
- the menu
- a main dish
- a drink
Lines that get it done
- ¿Nos traes la carta, por favor? · Can you bring us the menu, please?
- Para mí, el pollo asado, por favor
- Para beber, una caña, por favor. · To drink, a small beer, please.
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You want the roast chicken. What do you say to the waiter?
- Para mí, el pollo asado, por favor
- El pollo asado está aquí
- ¿Hay pollo asado?
- Me gusta mucho pollo asado
Show the answer
Para mí, el pollo asado, por favor
"Para mí..." is how you claim a dish as your order at the table.
2. How do you ask the waiter what he recommends?
- ¿Qué me recomiendas?
- ¿Cuánto cuesta la carta?
- ¿Dónde está la carta?
- ¿Cómo se llama el plato?
Show the answer
¿Qué me recomiendas?
"¿Qué me recomiendas?" asks directly for the waiter's suggestion.
3. You want to see everything the restaurant serves. What do you ask for?
- La carta
- El menú del día
- La cuenta
- Una caña
Show the answer
La carta
"La carta" is the full menu; "el menú del día" is only the fixed lunch deal.