How to Read a Spanish Menu: Appetizers, Main Courses, Desserts and Drinks
Learn the Spanish menu sections and words for appetizers, main dishes, desserts and drinks, so you can find what you want before you order.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
Reading a menu in Spanish is a separate skill from ordering. Before you say a single word to a server, you need to recognize how the menu is organized: which section lists small plates, which lists main dishes, which lists sweets, and which lists drinks. This lesson teaches the section headings and the most common food words in each one, using broadly useful Latin American Spanish. You will also learn the small grammar patterns that let you talk about dishes, since Spanish nouns have gender and articles that English does not have.
By the end, you can…
- recognize the four main sections of a Spanish menu.
- name at least three typical items in each section.
- use el, la, los and las correctly with food words.
- ask which section a dish belongs to.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
entradas
appetizers, starters
ehn-TRAH-dahs
The usual heading for small plates before the main dish. In some countries you may see bocas or picadas instead. In Spain, entrantes is the common heading.
platos fuertes
main courses, main dishes
PLAH-tohs FWEHR-tehs
The main section of the menu. In Spain you may see segundos platos or platos principales.
postres
desserts
POHS-trehs
Sweet dishes at the end of the meal. The singular is postre.
bebidas
drinks, beverages
beh-BEE-dahs
Covers water, soda, juice, coffee and alcoholic drinks. The singular is bebida.
¿Qué es esto?
What is this?
keh ehs EHS-toh
Use it while pointing at a menu item you do not recognize.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Spanish food words carry gender, and the article must match. Many words ending in -a are feminine: la entrada, la bebida, la sopa. Many ending in -o are masculine: el postre, el plato, el jugo. For plurals use los and las: las entradas, los postres. Learn each new food word together with its article, for example el pollo, la carne, el pescado, la ensalada. Note that some words break the pattern, such as el día, el mapa and la mano.
When to use it
Use the section headings to scan a menu quickly. If you want something light, look under entradas: una sopa, una ensalada, unas empanadas. If you want the main dish, look under platos fuertes: el pollo con arroz, la carne asada, el pescado frito. For something sweet, look under postres: el flan, el helado, la torta. Drinks are under bebidas: el agua, el café, el jugo.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Qué sección es esta?
Which section is this?keh sehk-SYOHN ehs EHS-tahEs la sección de entradas. Hay sopas y ensaladas.
It is the appetizers section. There are soups and salads.ehs lah sehk-SYOHN deh ehn-TRAH-dahs. eye SOH-pahs ee ehn-sah-LAH-dahs¿Y los platos fuertes?
And the main courses?ee lohs PLAH-tohs FWEHR-tehsEstán aquí: pollo, carne y pescado. Los postres y las bebidas están al final.
They are here: chicken, meat and fish. Desserts and drinks are at the end.ehs-TAHN ah-KEE: POH-yoh, KAR-neh ee pehs-KAH-doh. lohs POHS-trehs ee lahs beh-BEE-dahs ehs-TAHN ahl fee-NAHLA little context goes a long way
Menu structure varies across the Spanish-speaking world. In Mexico and much of Central America, antojitos or botanas often replace entradas. In Argentina and Uruguay, picadas are shared appetizers. In Spain, entrantes and primeros platos come before segundos platos. The word torta means cake in most of Latin America but can mean a savory sandwich or omelet in parts of Spain and Mexico, so read the description.
One thing to watch for
Assuming every food word ending in -a is feminine and every word ending in -o is masculine, then saying el entrada or la postre.
Try this instead: Learn the article with the word, because some words break the pattern: el día, el mapa, la mano. Say la entrada, el postre, la bebida. When unsure, check the menu heading, which often shows the article: las entradas, los postres.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You want a light dish before your main course. Which menu section do you look at, and what is one example item?
Show a sample answer
Las entradas. Example: una sopa or una ensalada.
Entradas lists appetizers and small plates. Any light starter such as sopa, ensalada or empanadas is a valid answer.
2How do you say 'the drinks' and 'the desserts' with the correct articles?
Show a sample answer
las bebidas, los postres
Bebida is feminine, so the plural is las bebidas. Postre is masculine, so the plural is los postres. The articles must match the gender of each noun.
3A menu lists flan, helado and torta under one heading. Which section is it?
Show a sample answer
Los postres.
Flan, helado and torta are sweet dishes, so they appear under postres. If torta means a savory sandwich on that menu, it would appear under entradas or platos fuertes instead.
Scan the four headings first: entradas, platos fuertes, postres, bebidas. Learn each food word with its article, and check the description when a word like torta could mean more than one thing.
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