Free guide · Level A1
How to order at a bar in Spain: key phrases and vocabulary
The bar is the heart of everyday life in Spain: breakfast, a drink after work, meeting friends. Ordering well doesn't take much vocabulary, just a few phrases that sound natural.
How to start your order
The most common phrase is ¿Me pones…? (literally «will you put me…?»). «Quiero…» is perfectly understood, but without «por favor» it can sound blunt.
Words you'll hear all the time
- →Una caña: a small draught beer, the default if you just want a beer.
- →Un tercio: a bottled beer, about a third of a litre.
- →Un café solo, un cortado, un café con leche: black, with a splash of milk, and with more milk. If you only say «un café», you'll be asked: «¿solo, cortado o con leche?».
- →Una tapa or un pincho: a small portion to nibble on.
Changing or checking your order
The bill and the prices
The bill doesn't usually arrive on its own: you ask for it when you're ready. And cents are said with con, not «coma» or «punto».
Part of a real conversation
En la barra
— Hola, buenas. ¿Qué te pongo?
— Hola. Para mí una caña, por favor. Y una tapa de tortilla, si tenéis.
— Claro. ¿Algo más?
— Nada más, gracias.
(un rato después)
— Perdona, ¿nos traes la cuenta cuando puedas?
— Ahora mismo. Son doce con cincuenta.
And if you don't catch something, say ¿Puedes repetir, por favor? or Más despacio, por favor. Nobody minds.