Order at a café in Spanish
Learn to order a drink in Latin American Spanish, choose a size or option, and ask the price politely in a café or bar.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In this lesson you will learn a practical service exchange: ordering a drink, choosing a size or option, and asking the price politely. The focus is broadly useful Latin American Spanish, with regional notes where wording changes. You will practice complete sentences you can use in cafés, juice bars, and casual restaurants. Pay attention to polite formulas such as por favor and disculpe, and to the difference between asking ¿Cuánto cuesta? for one item and ¿Cuánto es? for the total.
By the end, you can…
- order a drink and specify a size or option.
- ask the price politely and understand a simple total.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Buenas tardes, ¿me trae un café, por favor?
Good afternoon, could you bring me a coffee, please?
BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs, meh TRAH-eh oon kah-FEH, por fah-BOR
Polite request in a café or restaurant. In much of Latin America, buenas tardes is used from around noon until dark.
Quisiera un jugo de naranja, por favor.
I would like an orange juice, please.
kee-SYEH-rah oon HOO-goh deh nah-RAHN-hah, por fah-BOR
Quisiera is a courteous way to say I would like. In Mexico and Central America, jugo is common; in some South American countries, you may hear zumo.
¿Me lo puede dar en vaso grande?
Can you give it to me in a large cup?
meh loh PWEH-deh dar en BAH-so GRAHN-deh
Use this to ask for a size. In many regions, vaso means a cold-drink cup or glass; taza is usually for hot drinks like coffee.
Sin hielo, por favor.
No ice, please.
seen YEH-loh, por fah-BOR
A common option in Latin America. In some countries, hielo is pronounced with a y sound; in others, with a soft j sound.
¿Cuánto cuesta?
How much does it cost?
KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah
Use for one item. It is polite and direct. For the total of several items, use ¿Cuánto es?
¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?
Could you bring me the bill, please?
meh TRAH-eh lah KWEHN-tah, por fah-BOR
Use at the end of the service. In some places, la cuenta is the bill; in others, you may hear la adición.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
A reliable polite pattern is Quisiera + item + por favor. For example: Quisiera un té, por favor. To add a size or option, use en + container or size: Quisiera un café en taza grande, por favor. To ask the price, use ¿Cuánto cuesta? for one item and ¿Cuánto es? for the total. You can also say ¿Me puede decir cuánto cuesta? for a more indirect, very polite question.
When to use it
Use these phrases in cafés, juice bars, and casual restaurants. Start with a greeting such as Buenas tardes or Buenas, then make your request. Add por favor to soften it. If you need a specific option, say sin hielo, con leche, or para llevar. For example: Un café con leche para llevar, por favor. When you are ready to pay, ask ¿Cuánto es? or request la cuenta.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buenas tardes. ¿Me trae un jugo de naranja, por favor?
Good afternoon. Could you bring me an orange juice, please?BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs. meh TRAH-eh oon HOO-goh deh nah-RAHN-hah, por fah-BORClaro que sí. ¿Lo quiere en vaso mediano o grande?
Of course. Do you want it in a medium or large cup?KLAH-roh keh see. loh KYEH-reh en BAH-so meh-DYAH-noh oh GRAHN-dehEn vaso grande, por favor. Y sin hielo.
In a large cup, please. And no ice.en BAH-so GRAHN-deh, por fah-BOR. ee seen YEH-lohMuy bien. ¿Algo más?
Very well. Anything else?mwee BYEN. AHL-goh mahsNo, gracias. ¿Cuánto cuesta?
No, thank you. How much does it cost?noh, GRAH-syahs. KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tahSon treinta pesos, por favor.
It is thirty pesos, please.sohn TREYN-tah PEH-sohs, por fah-BORA little context goes a long way
In many Latin American service settings, a short greeting before your order is expected and helps the interaction go smoothly. Politeness often comes from tone and small words like por favor, rather than long formal sentences. Tipping customs vary widely: in some countries a small tip is common in cafés, while in others service may be included. Observe local practice or ask if you are unsure.
One thing to watch for
Using ¿Cuánto cuestan? for a single drink, or omitting por favor when asking the price.
Try this instead: For one item, say ¿Cuánto cuesta? For the total, say ¿Cuánto es? Add por favor for politeness: ¿Cuánto cuesta, por favor? If you are asking about several items, use ¿Cuánto cuestan? with a plural verb.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you politely order a large coffee with milk?
Show a sample answer
Quisiera un café con leche en taza grande, por favor.
Quisiera introduces a polite request, café con leche names the drink, and en taza grande specifies the size. You could also say Un café con leche grande, por favor, which is shorter but still polite.
2You want no ice in your juice. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
Sin hielo, por favor.
Sin hielo means without ice. Adding por favor keeps it polite. In some regions you might hear sin hielo pronounced with a y sound, but the phrase is widely understood.
3Ask how much one drink costs, politely.
Show a sample answer
¿Cuánto cuesta, por favor?
¿Cuánto cuesta? asks the price of one item. Adding por favor makes it more polite. If you are asking for the total of several items, use ¿Cuánto es? instead.
Greet first, use Quisiera or me trae with por favor, specify your size or option clearly, and ask ¿Cuánto cuesta? for one item or ¿Cuánto es? for the total.
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