coche restaurante
/kot͡ʃe ɾestauɾante/from spelling rulesmasculine
The English phrase diner can be translated into Spanish as coche restaurante. If unsure, use coche restaurante. Wiktionary also lists cafetería.
Meaning: a small and inexpensive type of restaurant which may be modelled to resemble a dining car (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| coche restaurante | /kot͡ʃe ɾestauɾante/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| cafetería | /kafeteˈɾia/ | feminine |
A diner is a small and inexpensive type of restaurant that may be modeled to resemble a dining car. In many Spanish-speaking regions, cafetería is used broadly for any small establishment serving light meals, snacks and coffee, covering the functional role of a diner.
Which one should you use?
coche restaurante is the masculine form for a diner, while cafetería refers more specifically to a coffee shop or cafeteria.
How do you pronounce it?
/kotʃe ɾestauɾante/
Did you know?
- The word coche in coche restaurante shares a distant ancestor with the English word 'coach'. Both traces lead back to a specific Hungarian village called Kocs, famous for its 15th-century vehicle manufacturing.
- The word restaurante comes from the French word for 'restoring'. It originally referred to a bouillon that 'restored' the strength of the diner.
- In many Latin American countries a cafetería might be a small kiosk or a stand on the street rather than a full building with tables.
Examples in context
- Vamos a la cafeteríaLet's go to the diner
- Vamos a la fonda para comerLet's go to the diner to eat
- ¿Vamos a la fonda que está cerca de aquí?Shall we go to the diner that is nearby?
- Voy a disfrutar de una paella en el chiringuito de la playaI am going to enjoy some paella at the beachside diner
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are looking for a place to eat breakfast.
- DanielElena, ¿conoces algún coche restaurante por aquí?Elena, do you know any diner around here?
- ElenaSí, hay uno muy clásico en la esquina.Yes, there is a very classic one on the corner.
- DanielPerfecto, me apetece un desayuno americano.Perfect, I feel like having an American breakfast.
- ElenaVamos, Daniel, ese lugar es muy famoso.Let's go, Daniel, that place is very famous.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “diner” translations and entries cafetería, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cafetería, coche, restaurante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
