Spanish at the café & bar vocabulary

46 words at level A1, with English translations and example sentences. Spain's words come first, with Latin American alternatives where they differ.

Spanish	English	Example
el bar	bar, café (in Spain bars serve coffee and food all day)	Desayuno en el bar de la esquina. I have breakfast at the bar on the corner.
la cafetería	café, coffee shop; cafeteria	Hay una cafetería en la estación. There's a café in the station.
la terraza	terrace; outdoor seating (of a bar)	Desayunamos en la terraza. We have breakfast on the terrace.
la carta	menu (list of dishes); letter; (playing) card	¿Nos trae la carta, por favor? Could you bring us the menu, please?
el menú del día	set lunch menu (starter, main, dessert, drink)	El menú del día cuesta doce euros. The set lunch menu costs twelve euros.
el camarero / la camarera	waiter / waitress (LatAm: el mesero, el mozo)	El camarero trae la cuenta. The waiter brings the bill.
¿me pones…?	could I have…? (Spain, informal, ordering at a bar)	¿Me pones un café con leche? Could I have a white coffee?
ponme…	I'll have…, give me… (Spain, informal)	Ponme una caña, por favor. A small beer, please.
¿qué te pongo?	what can I get you? (Spain, from staff)	Hola, ¿qué te pongo? —Un cortado. Hi, what can I get you? – An espresso with a dash of milk.
para mí…	for me…, I'll have…	Para mí, una tortilla de patatas. I'll have a Spanish omelette.
¿qué vas a tomar?	what are you having?	¿Qué vas a tomar? —Un zumo. What are you having? – A juice.
la caña	small draught beer (Spain); cane; fishing rod	Dos cañas y unas aceitunas, por favor. Two small beers and some olives, please.
el tinto de verano	red wine with lemonade (Spain)	En verano bebo tinto de verano. In summer I drink red wine with lemonade.
el refresco	soft drink	¿Qué refrescos tiene? What soft drinks do you have?
el agua del grifo	tap water (LatAm: el agua de la llave)	¿Me pones un vaso de agua del grifo? Could I have a glass of tap water?
con hielo	with ice	Una limonada con hielo, por favor. A lemonade with ice, please.
el café solo	black coffee, espresso (LatAm: el café negro / el tinto in Colombia)	Un café solo, por favor. An espresso, please.
el cortado	espresso with a dash of milk (Spain)	Un cortado y una tostada, por favor. An espresso with a dash of milk and some toast, please.
el café con leche	white coffee (coffee with lots of milk)	Desayuno un café con leche. I have a white coffee for breakfast.
la tostada	(slice of) toast	Una tostada con tomate, por favor. Toast with tomato, please.
el bocadillo	sandwich (in a baguette-style roll) (LatAm: el sándwich; Mexico: la torta)	Un bocadillo de tortilla, por favor. An omelette sandwich, please.
la tapa	lid, top; tapa (bar snack, Spain)	En Granada te ponen una tapa con la bebida. In Granada they give you a tapa with your drink.
la ración	portion; large plate (of tapas) to share	Una ración de calamares para compartir. A plate of squid to share.
media ración	half portion	Media ración de croquetas, por favor. Half a portion of croquettes, please.
el pincho	snack on bread, bar snack (Basque Country: el pintxo)	En San Sebastián los pinchos son famosos. In San Sebastián the pintxos are famous.
las patatas bravas	fried potatoes with spicy sauce	Unas bravas y dos cañas, por favor. Some patatas bravas and two small beers, please.
las aceitunas	olives	Siempre pido aceitunas con el vermut. I always order olives with my vermouth.
los calamares	squid (often fried rings)	Un bocadillo de calamares, típico de Madrid. A squid sandwich, typical of Madrid.
la croqueta	croquette	Las croquetas de jamón están buenísimas. The ham croquettes are delicious.
el churro	churro (fried dough)	Desayunamos chocolate con churros. We have hot chocolate and churros for breakfast.
el postre	dessert, pudding	De postre, flan. For dessert, crème caramel.
de primero	for the first course (de segundo: for the main course)	De primero quiero sopa y de segundo, pescado. For the first course I'd like soup and for the main course, fish.
la cuenta	bill, check; account; darse cuenta = to realise	La cuenta, por favor. The bill, please.
¿me cobras?	can I pay?, how much do I owe? (Spain, informal)	¿Me cobras, por favor? Can I pay, please?
invitar	to invite; to treat (te invito = it's on me)	Hoy invito yo. It's on me today.
la propina	tip (money)	En España la propina no es obligatoria. In Spain tipping isn't compulsory.
ir de tapas	to go out for tapas	Los viernes vamos de tapas. On Fridays we go out for tapas.
tomar algo	to have a drink / something	¿Tomamos algo después de clase? Shall we have a drink after class?
para llevar	to take away, to go	Un café para llevar. A coffee to take away.
una mesa para dos	a table for two	Buenas noches, una mesa para dos, por favor. Good evening, a table for two, please.
¿está libre?	is it free? (seat, table)	Perdone, ¿está libre esta mesa? Excuse me, is this table free?
el aperitivo	aperitif; pre-lunch drink and snack; nibbles	Los domingos tomamos el aperitivo en la plaza. On Sundays we have a pre-lunch drink in the square.
el vermut	vermouth	A mediodía tomamos un vermut con aceitunas. At midday we have a vermouth with olives.
la copa	(wine) glass; drink (in the evening); cup (trophy)	¿Vamos a tomar una copa? Shall we go for a drink?
sin gluten	gluten-free	¿Tienen pan sin gluten? Do you have gluten-free bread?
¿qué lleva?	what's in it?	¿Qué lleva la ensalada de la casa? What's in the house salad?

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