How to Order Food and Drinks in Buenos Aires

Eating out is one of the best ways to experience Buenos Aires. From a morning coffee with medialunas to a late-night pizza, an asado with friends or a glass of Malbec, food is deeply connected to Argentine social life.

You do not need perfect Spanish to enjoy it. A few natural phrases will help you read a menu, ask questions, explain dietary needs and interact confidently with waiters and café staff.

This practical guide teaches you the Spanish you actually need in restaurants, cafés, bars and parrillas in Buenos Aires—including expressions Argentines use every day.

Restaurant Spanish in Argentina: The Essential Vocabulary

Some words used in Buenos Aires may be different from the Spanish you learned elsewhere:

• el mozo / la moza — waiter / waitress

• la carta — menu

• el menú del día — set lunch or daily special

• la entrada — starter

• el plato principal — main course

• la guarnición — side dish

• la bebida — drink

• el postre — dessert

• la cuenta — bill or check

• para llevar — to take away

• una reserva — reservation

• los cubiertos — cutlery, and sometimes a small table charge

Arriving at a Restaurant

At busy restaurants—especially on Friday and Saturday nights—it is helpful to have a reservation.

Useful phrases:

• Hola, tengo una reserva a nombre de Taylor. — Hello, I have a reservation under the name Taylor.

• ¿Tienen una mesa para dos? — Do you have a table for two?

• ¿Podemos sentarnos afuera? — Can we sit outside?

• ¿Cuánto tiempo hay de espera? — How long is the wait?

• Somos cuatro. — There are four of us.

If someone asks “¿Adentro o afuera?”, they want to know whether you prefer an indoor or outdoor table.

Asking for the Menu

In Argentina, the most natural word for a restaurant menu is la carta.

• ¿Nos traés la carta, por favor? — Can you bring us the menu, please?

• ¿Tienen la carta en inglés? — Do you have the menu in English?

• ¿Cuál es el plato del día? — What is today’s special?

• ¿Qué nos recomendás? — What do you recommend?

• ¿Qué viene con este plato? — What comes with this dish?

Notice the use of vos: traés and recomendás. If you want to understand this essential feature of local Spanish, read our guide to using vos like a local.

How to Order Naturally

There are several polite and natural ways to order. You do not need a complicated sentence.

• Para mí, la milanesa. — The milanesa for me.

• Yo voy a pedir la pasta. — I’m going to order the pasta.

• Quisiera el bife de chorizo, por favor. — I’d like the sirloin steak, please.

• ¿Me traés una ensalada? — Can you bring me a salad?

• ¿Me das un café con leche? — Can I have a coffee with milk?

Quisiera is polite and understood everywhere. In everyday Buenos Aires conversation, para mí…, voy a pedir… and ¿me traés…? often sound more natural.

Ordering Steak at a Parrilla

A visit to a parrilla is a Buenos Aires classic. Knowing how to describe the cooking point will help you get the steak you want.

• jugoso — rare to medium-rare

• a punto — medium

• cocido — well done

• bien cocido — very well done

Cooking points are interpreted differently from restaurant to restaurant, so be specific if it matters to you.

• Quiero el bife jugoso, por favor. — I’d like the steak rare, please.

• ¿Puede ser a punto? — Can it be medium?

• Sin sal, si es posible. — Without salt, if possible.

• ¿Viene con guarnición? — Does it come with a side dish?

Learn what to order and where to try it in our guide to the best parrillas in Buenos Aires.

Ordering Drinks

Water is not normally placed on the table for free. You order it like any other drink.

• Una botella de agua sin gas, por favor. — A bottle of still water, please.

• Agua con gas. — Sparkling water.

• ¿Me traés otra cerveza? — Can you bring me another beer?

• ¿Qué vino recomendás? — Which wine do you recommend?

• Una copa de Malbec. — A glass of Malbec.

Local word: birra is an informal word for beer. It is common among friends and on casual bar menus: ¿Tomamos una birra?

If you enjoy wine, explore our Argentine wine and food pairing guide.

How to Order Coffee in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires has a strong café culture, and ordering coffee comes with its own vocabulary:

• un café — a small espresso

• un cortado — espresso with a little milk

• un café con leche — coffee with plenty of milk

• una lágrima — mostly milk with a small amount of coffee

• un americano — a longer black coffee

Example: ¿Me das un cortado y dos medialunas, por favor? — Can I have a cortado and two medialunas, please?

In many traditional cafés, you can simply sit down and wait for table service. In newer specialty cafés, you may need to order at the counter.

Making Changes and Asking Questions

• ¿Puede ser sin cebolla? — Can it be without onion?

• ¿Podés cambiar las papas por ensalada? — Can you change the fries for salad?

• ¿Esto tiene picante? — Is this spicy?

• ¿La salsa viene aparte? — Does the sauce come on the side?

• ¿Podemos compartir este plato? — Can we share this dish?

• ¿Nos traés un plato extra? — Can you bring us an extra plate?

¿Puede ser…? is one of the most useful phrases in Argentina. It is a simple, polite way to request a change.

Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten-Free Phrases

If you have a dietary preference or allergy, communicate it clearly rather than relying only on labels.

• Soy vegetariano / vegetariana. — I’m vegetarian.

• Soy vegano / vegana. — I’m vegan.

• ¿Tienen opciones vegetarianas? — Do you have vegetarian options?

• ¿Este plato tiene carne? — Does this dish contain meat?

• ¿Esto tiene lácteos o huevo? — Does this contain dairy or egg?

• Necesito una opción sin gluten. — I need a gluten-free option.

• Soy celíaco / celíaca. — I have coeliac disease.

In Argentina, products and dishes suitable for people with coeliac disease are often labelled sin TACC. This refers to foods without wheat, oats, barley or rye.

Explaining a Food Allergy

For a serious allergy, use direct language and confirm that the staff understand.

• Soy alérgico / alérgica a los frutos secos. — I’m allergic to nuts.

• Tengo una alergia grave al maní. — I have a serious peanut allergy.

• ¿Este plato contiene…? — Does this dish contain…?

• No puede tener contacto con… — It cannot come into contact with…

• ¿Podés consultar en la cocina? — Can you check with the kitchen?

Do not use “no me gusta” if the issue is medical. Say alergia grave and name the ingredient clearly.

If Something Is Wrong

• Disculpá, pedí esto sin cebolla. — Excuse me, I ordered this without onion.

• Este plato está frío. — This dish is cold.

• Creo que este no es nuestro pedido. — I don’t think this is our order.

• Todavía nos falta una bebida. — We’re still waiting for one drink.

• ¿Lo podés revisar, por favor? — Can you check it, please?

Disculpá is the informal voseo form commonly used to get someone’s attention politely.

Asking for the Bill

Restaurants usually do not bring the bill until you request it. Argentines may remain at the table talking long after they finish eating.

• La cuenta, por favor. — The bill, please.

• ¿Me cobrás, por favor? — Can I pay, please?

• ¿Podemos pagar por separado? — Can we pay separately?

• ¿Aceptan tarjeta? — Do you accept cards?

• ¿Puedo pagar en efectivo? — Can I pay in cash?

• ¿Me traés el posnet? — Can you bring the card machine?

¿Me cobrás? may sound like “Can you charge me?” in a literal translation, but in Argentina it is a completely natural way to ask to pay.

Tipping in Buenos Aires

A tip is called propina. In restaurants and cafés with table service, leaving around 10% for good service is customary, although it is generally not automatically included.

Check the bill before paying. A charge called cubierto is not the waiter’s tip; it is a restaurant table charge. Ask how the restaurant accepts tips, because the available payment methods can vary.

Eating Times in Argentina

Argentines eat later than visitors from many countries:

• Breakfast: usually light and early.

• Lunch: commonly between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.

• Merienda: coffee or mate with something sweet in the late afternoon.

• Dinner: often from 9:00 p.m., especially on weekends.

A restaurant that looks empty at 8:00 p.m. may be full two hours later.

A Complete Restaurant Conversation

Mozo: Buenas noches. ¿Ya saben qué van a pedir?Waiter: Good evening. Do you know what you’re going to order?

Cliente: Sí. Para mí, el bife de chorizo a punto. ¿Viene con guarnición?Customer: Yes. I’ll have the sirloin steak medium. Does it come with a side?

Mozo: Sí, podés elegir papas fritas o ensalada.Waiter: Yes, you can choose fries or salad.

Cliente: Ensalada, por favor. Y una botella de agua sin gas.Customer: Salad, please. And a bottle of still water.

Later:

Cliente: Disculpá, ¿nos traés la cuenta?Customer: Excuse me, can you bring us the bill?

Mozo: Sí, claro. ¿Efectivo o tarjeta?Waiter: Of course. Cash or card?

Quick Phrase Checklist

• ¿Tienen una mesa para dos?

• ¿Nos traés la carta?

• ¿Qué recomendás?

• Para mí…

• ¿Puede ser sin…?

• ¿Este plato contiene…?

• Otra bebida, por favor.

• La cuenta, por favor.

• ¿Me cobrás?

Learn Spanish Through Real Buenos Aires Experiences

Ordering food is more than a vocabulary exercise. It is a chance to practise listening, use voseo and connect with everyday Argentine culture.

At Rivendell Spanish College in Palermo, our students develop the Spanish they need for real situations—from talking to classmates and neighbours to ordering confidently at a café or parrilla.

Before your trip, explore what tourists need to know before visiting Argentina and our guide to the best empanadas in Buenos Aires.

Ready to use your Spanish beyond the classroom? Discover our courses and start experiencing Buenos Aires like a local.