How To Talk About Food And Drink In Spanish

• The article offers a practical Spanish dining glossary, covering meals, courses, roles (waiter), and essentials like menu, check, and dietary terms.

• It lists core food and drink vocabulary (soup, salad, bread, rice, chicken, seafood; beer, wine, water, juice, tea, coffee) to help you order confidently.

• Regional differences are noted, presenting European Spanish before Latin American variants (e.g., patatas/papas, zumo/jugo, camarero/mesero, la comida/el almuerzo for lunch).

• The guide emphasizes correct pronunciation and encourages broader vocabulary learning, ending with a cultural touch: ¡Buen provecho!

Food may be a universal language, but the words required to order and discuss food on your travels are not so universal. You'll need to learn some of the local language to really make your restaurant visits worthwhile. When you know how to order a beer in Madrid, express dietary restrictions in Buenos Aires and ask for the check in Mexico City, your culinary experiences become easier, tastier and even more authentic. To help you on your way, we've compiled a guide to the basic Spanish food words (and drink words) you should learn before you go abroad.

Bear in mind that if your server can't understand you, you're out of luck. And when you've conquered that, there's much more Spanish vocabulary to explore. ¡Buen provecho! ("Enjoy your meal!")

Note: Some of the vocabulary differs between Spain and Latin American countries. In those cases, we've included the European translation before the slash, followed by the Latin American translation. Might as well learn two Spanish food words for the price of one!

Meal-Related Words in Spanish

Food — la comida [la koh-MEE-dah]

To eat — comer [koh-MER]

To drink — beber / tomar [beh-BER / toh-MAR]

Restaurant — el restaurante [el res-tau-RAHN-teh]

Fast food — la comida rápida [la koh-MEE-dah RAH-pee-dah]

Menu — el menú [el meh-NOO]

Dish — el plato [el PLAH-toh]

Breakfast — el desayuno [el deh-sah-YOO-noh]

Lunch — la comida / el almuerzo [la koh-MEE-dah / el al-MWER-soh]

Dinner — la cena [la SEH-nah]

Appetizer — el entrante / la entrada [el en-TRAN-teh / la en-TRAH-dah]

Main course — el plato principal [el PLAH-toh preen-see-PAHL]

Dessert — el postre [el POS-treh]

Waiter — el camarero / el mesero [el cah-mah-REH-roh / el meh-SEH-roh]

The check — la cuenta [la KWEN-tah]

Vegetarian — vegetariano [veh-heh-tah-ree-AH-noh]

Vegan — vegano [veh-GAH-noh]

Gluten-/lactose-free — sin gluten / sin lactosa [sin GLOO-ten / sin lahk-TOH-sah]

Food Words in Spanish

Soup — la sopa [la SOH-pah]

Salad — la ensalada [la en-sah-LAH-dah]

Bread — el pan [el PAHN]

Rice — el arroz [el ah-ROHS]

Chicken — el pollo [el POH-yoh]

Beef — la carne de vaca [la KAR-neh deh VAH-kah]

Pork — la carne de cerdo [la KAR-neh deh SEHR-doh]

Seafood — el marisco [el mah-REES-koh]

Potatoes — las patatas / las papas [las pah-TAH-tas / las PAH-pas]

Fruit — las frutas [las FROO-tas]

Vegetables — las verduras [las ver-DOO-ras]

Drink Words in Spanish

Drink — la bebida [la beh-BEE-dah]

Beer — una cerveza [OO-nah sehr-VEH-sah]

Wine — el vino [el VEE-noh]

Water — el agua [el AH-gwah]

Juice — el zumo / el jugo [el SOO-moh / el HOO-goh]

Tea — el té [el TEH]

Coffee — el café [el kah-FEH]