Spanish food and drink words: tapas, drinks and menus

Food is half the fun of Spain. Here's how to order a coffee, read the menu and get the tapas you actually want.

📱 More food words in the FLS app

Drinks

Español	English	Say it like
un café con leche	a white coffee	oon ka-FEH kon LEH-cheh
un café solo	an espresso	oon ka-FEH SO-lo
un cortado	an espresso with a dash of milk	oon kor-TA-do
una caña	a small draught beer	OO-na KA-nya
un tinto de verano	red wine and lemonade	oon TEEN-to deh beh-RA-no
una copa de vino	a glass of wine	OO-na KO-pa deh BEE-no
un zumo de naranja	an orange juice	oon THOO-mo deh na-RAN-ha
agua con gas / sin gas	sparkling / still water	A-gwa kon gas / seen gas

Pico's tip ✏️ Want a cup of tea? Ask for un té con leche, and say leche fría, por favor (cold milk) or it might come warm.

Tapas

Español	English	Say it like
patatas bravas	fried potatoes with a spicy sauce	pa-TA-tas BRA-bas
tortilla de patatas	Spanish omelette	tor-TEE-ya deh pa-TA-tas
jamón serrano	cured ham	ha-MON seh-RRA-no
croquetas	croquettes	kro-KEH-tas
gambas al ajillo	garlic prawns	GAM-bas al a-HEE-yo
pimientos de Padrón	little fried green peppers	pee-MYEN-tos deh pa-DRON
pan con tomate	bread with tomato	pan kon to-MA-teh
aceitunas	olives	a-thay-TOO-nas
queso manchego	Manchego cheese	KEH-so man-CHEH-go

With pimientos de Padrón, most are mild, but now and then you get a hot one. That's half the fun 🌶️

Dishes to try

Español	English	Say it like
paella	rice dish from Valencia	pa-EH-ya
gazpacho	cold tomato soup	gath-PA-cho
pulpo a la gallega	octopus with paprika	POOL-po a la ga-YEH-ga
churros con chocolate	churros with thick hot chocolate	CHOO-rros kon cho-ko-LA-teh

Menu words

Español	English	Say it like
la carta	the menu	la KAR-ta
el menú del día	the set lunch menu	el meh-NOO del DEE-a
primer plato / segundo plato	starter / main	pree-MER PLA-to / seh-GOON-do PLA-to
el postre	dessert	el POS-treh
a la plancha	grilled	a la PLAN-cha
frito	fried	FREE-to
al horno	oven-baked	al OR-no
una tapa / una ración	a small plate / a bigger plate to share	OO-na TA-pa / OO-na ra-THYON

The menú del día is a set lunch on weekdays, usually a starter, a main, a pudding or coffee, bread and a drink, all for one price. Look for the board outside.

Ordering

Español	English	Say it like
¿Me pones una caña, por favor?	Can I get a small beer, please?	meh PO-nes OO-na KA-nya
Para mí, ...	For me, ...	PA-ra MEE
¿Qué me recomiendas?	What do you recommend?	keh meh reh-ko-MYEN-das
Soy vegetariano / vegetariana	I'm vegetarian (m / f)	soy beh-heh-ta-RYA-no
Sin gluten	Gluten free	seen GLOO-ten
La cuenta, por favor	The bill, please	la KWEN-ta, por fa-BOR
¡Que aproveche!	Enjoy your meal!	keh a-pro-BEH-cheh

When Spain eats

Later than you'd think. Lunch is the big meal, usually from about 2pm. Dinner starts around 9pm, often later in summer. In between there's the merienda, an afternoon snack. Turn up for dinner at 6pm and you might have the place to yourself.

Spain or Latin America?

Some food words change across the Atlantic. In Spain it's zumo (juice) and patata (potato). In much of Latin America it's jugo and papa. More on my Spain vs Latin American Spanish page.

Keep going: Holiday phrases · Useful phrases · Numbers · Play the Spanish games.

Questions people ask

How do you order a beer in Spain?

Ask for una caña, por favor. A caña is a small glass of draught beer, the most common order in a Spanish bar.

What is the menú del día?

A set lunch menu, usually on weekdays: a starter, a main, a pudding or coffee, bread and a drink for one price.

How do you ask for the bill in Spanish?

La cuenta, por favor (la KWEN-ta, por fa-BOR).

What's the difference between a tapa and a ración?

A tapa is a small plate. A ración is a bigger portion, usually for sharing. Media ración is a half portion.

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