Spanish phrases for ordering drinks and small plates in Spain
At a bar in Spain, order the drinks first: “¿Me pones una caña?”. The waiter may ask “¿Te pongo algo de picar?”. Ask “¿Qué tapas tenéis?”, then order a plate to share: “Una ración de patatas bravas, por favor”. For more drinks, say “¿Nos pones otra ronda?”. You usually pay at the end.
Try it · about two minutes
After work you meet friends at a busy bar and order a round of drinks and some plates to share.
Sound on: the waiter speaks Spanish. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.
How does the conversation usually go?
- Waiter
¿Qué te pongo?
What can I get you?
You¿Me pones una caña?
Can I get a small beer?
- Waiter
¿Te pongo algo de picar?
Can I get you something to nibble on?
You¿Qué tapas tenéis?
What tapas have you got?
- Waiter
Hoy de tapa tenemos ensaladilla rusa.
Today’s tapa is Russian salad.
You¿Qué diferencia hay entre una tapa y una ración?
What’s the difference between a tapa and a ración?
- Waiter
La tapa va con la bebida.
The tapa comes free with the drink.
YouUna ración de patatas bravas, por favor.
A plate of patatas bravas, please.
- Waiter
¿Algo más?
Anything else?
You¿Nos pones otra ronda?
Can we have another round?
The plates are empty and your friends are putting their coats on. Time to settle up.
You¿Nos cobras, por favor?
Could we pay, please?
Which Spanish phrases do you need?
¿Qué te pongo?
What can I get you?
¿Me pones una caña?
Can I get a small beer?
¿Qué lleva el tinto de verano?
What’s in a tinto de verano?
¿Te pongo algo de picar?
Can I get you something to nibble on?
¿Qué tapas tenéis?
What tapas have you got?
¿Qué diferencia hay entre una tapa y una ración?
What’s the difference between a tapa and a ración?
La tapa va con la bebida.
The tapa comes free with the drink.
Una ración de patatas bravas, por favor.
A plate of patatas bravas, please.
¿Las croquetas son caseras?
Are the croquetas homemade?
¿Nos pones otra ronda?
Can we have another round?
What is worth knowing in Spain?
How a round at the bar goes
- 1
Order the drinks first, at the bar or by catching the waiter’s eye.
- 2
Add tapas or raciones to share once you know what’s on offer.
What tapas have you got? - 3
Pay at the end. Friends often take turns paying for a round.
It’s on me.
Tapa or ración
A tapa is a small bite; a ración is a bigger plate to share. In some cities, such as Granada or León, a free tapa still comes with each drink. Elsewhere you order and pay for them.
La tapa va con la bebida.
The tapa comes free with the drink.
Beer sizes
A caña is a small draught beer, a tercio is a bottle, and a clara is beer with lemonade. In some regions the small beer goes by another name, so copy what you hear.
Perdona, al final cámbiame la caña por un tercio.
Sorry, actually, swap the small beer for a bottle.
Questions about this situation
- Which Spanish phrases matter most here?
- “¿Qué te pongo?” (What can I get you); “¿Me pones una caña?” (Can I get a small beer); “¿Qué lleva el tinto de verano?” (What’s in a tinto de verano). The full list is above.
- Can I hear how they sound?
- Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.
- How can I practise this conversation?
- Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Spain. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.
Related situations in Spanish
- Booking a table at a restaurant
- Politely complaining about your order
- Ordering the lunch menu of the day
- Ordering coffee at a bar
Practise these phrases in Frasa
Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.
AI-generated. May be inaccurate.