Spanish · Cafés & restaurants · Beginner
How to order coffee in Spanish
At the counter of a Spanish bar, say “Un café con leche, por favor” or “Para mí, un cortado”. The barista may ask “¿Con leche fría o caliente?” and “¿Para tomar aquí o para llevar?”. You usually pay at the end: ask “¿Cuánto te debo?”.
Try it · about two minutes
You walk up to the counter of a neighbourhood café and order your morning coffee just the way you like it.
Sound on: the barista speaks Spanish. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.
The conversation
- Barista
¿Qué te pongo?
What can I get you?
YouUn café con leche, por favor.
A coffee with milk, please.
- Barista
¿Con leche fría o caliente?
With cold or hot milk?
YouCon la leche templada, por favor.
With warm milk, please.
- Barista
¿Para tomar aquí o para llevar?
For here or to take away?
YouPara tomar aquí.
For here.
- Barista
¿Algo más?
Anything else?
YouNo, nada más, gracias.
No, that’s all, thanks.
Your coffee is on the counter. When you’ve finished, it’s time to pay.
You¿Cuánto te debo?
How much do I owe you?
- Barista
Son tres con cincuenta.
That’s three fifty.
You¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
Can I pay by card?
Key phrases
¿Qué te pongo?
What can I get you?
Un café con leche, por favor.
A coffee with milk, please.
Para mí, un cortado.
I’ll have a cortado.
¿Con leche fría o caliente?
With cold or hot milk?
Con la leche templada, por favor.
With warm milk, please.
¿Me pones el café en vaso, por favor?
Could I have the coffee in a glass, please?
¿Para tomar aquí o para llevar?
For here or to take away?
¿Algo más?
Anything else?
No, nada más, gracias.
No, that’s all, thanks.
¿Cuánto te debo?
How much do I owe you?
Good to know in Spain
Three coffees to know
café solo
a plain espresso
cortado
espresso with a dash of milk
café con leche
coffee with plenty of milk
How it goes at the bar
- 1
Catch the barista’s eye at the counter, la barra, and order.
- 2
Drink it at the counter, at a table, or take it away.
- 3
Pay when you’ve finished.
How much do I owe you?
Tú, not usted
¿Qué te pongo?
What can I get you?
¿Qué le pongo?
What can I get you? (formal)
Bar staff usually speak to customers as tú. You can answer the same way.
In a glass
Some people like their coffee served in a small glass.
¿Me pones el café en vaso, por favor?
Could I have the coffee in a glass, please?
More situations in Spanish
- Booking a table at a restaurant
- Asking for the bill, splitting it and tipping
- Asking for directions in the street
- Asking someone to repeat or slow down
- Reporting a broken boiler to your landlord
- Buying a ticket or a monthly travel pass
Keep 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.