Worksheet
En el Restaurante
SER · ESTAR · HAY
Ordering food and describing a restaurant in Spanish — Level A1
1 Restaurant Vocabulary
Study these words before the exercises. You will need them for the writing exercises at the end.
| Español | English |
|---|
| el mesero / la mesera | the waiter / waitress |
| la mesa | the table |
| el menú | the menu |
| la cuenta | the check / bill |
| la propina | the tip |
| la reservación | the reservation |
| el restaurante | the restaurant |
| el bar | the bar |
| Español | English |
|---|
| el plato | the dish / plate |
| la entrada | the first course |
| el plato principal | the main course |
| el postre | the dessert |
| la bebida | the drink |
| el agua (f.) | water |
| el jugo | juice |
| el refresco | soda |
Key Phrases to Order Food
Quisiera... = I would like... (polite)
Para mí... = For me...
¿Qué me recomienda? = What do you recommend?
La cuenta, por favor. = The check, please.
Con... / Sin... = With... / Without... (e.g. sin cebolla = without onion)
2 Grammar: SER vs. ESTAR vs. HAY
Use these three verbs to describe and talk about a restaurant.
SER → permanent or defining characteristics (identity, origin, nature)
ESTAR → temporary states or conditions (how something feels / looks right now)
HAY → existence (there is / there are — always the same form!)
| SER (to be) |
ESTAR (to be) |
HAY (there is / are) |
| Yo soy | Yo estoy | Hay una mesa. |
| Tú eres | Tú estás | Hay dos platos. |
| Él/Ella es | Él/Ella está | ¡Nunca cambia! |
| Nosotros somos | Nosotros estamos | |
In the Restaurant
El restaurante es grande.
The restaurant is big.
El mesero es amable.
The waiter is friendly.
La comida está fría.
The food is cold.
La mesa está lista.
The table is ready.
Hay una mesa libre.
There is a free table.
Hay dos platos especiales.
There are two specials.
4 Let's Write!
Exercise 4 — Describe a Restaurant
Look at the photo and read the information card. Then answer the questions below in complete Spanish sentences, using the verb in parentheses.
The waiter: young, friendly, wearing an apron (joven, amable, con delantal)
The food: burgers and fries — looks hot and delicious! (hamburguesas y papas fritas)
The customers: happy and excited, waiting for their food (contentos y emocionados)
The restaurant: casual, warm, with brick walls — there is also a bar in the background
Right now: the waiter is serving food / the restaurant is busy (ocupado)
- ¿Cómo es el mesero? (SER) (What is the waiter like?)
- ¿Cómo está la comida? (ESTAR) (How does the food look right now?)
- ¿Hay un bar en el restaurante? (HAY) (Is there a bar in the restaurant?)
- ¿Cómo están los clientes? (ESTAR) (How are the customers feeling?)
- ¿Qué hay en los platos? (HAY) (What is on the plates?)
- ¿Cómo es el restaurante? (SER) (What is the restaurant like?)
Exercise 5 — Your Turn: Free Writing
Think of a restaurant you know — real or imaginary. Write 4 sentences about it.
You must use:
- SER (x1)
- ESTAR (x1)
- HAY (x1)
- One ordering phrase (Quisiera... / Para mí... / Sin...)
! Bonus — Common Errors to Avoid
| ✗ Incorrect | ✓ Correct | Why? |
|---|
| La sopa es fría. | La sopa está fría. | Temperature is a state → ESTAR |
| Estoy colombiano. | Soy colombiano. | Nationality / origin → SER |
| Están dos mesas. | Hay dos mesas. | Existence uses HAY, not ESTAR |
| ¿Hay el mesero? | ¿Está el mesero? | Location of a person → ESTAR |
| La comida es rica. | La comida está rica. | "Está rico" = tastes good (state). "Es rico" = it is rich (permanent trait) |
