Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| restaurante | /restauˈɾante/ | masculine |
| restorán | /restoˈɾan/ | masculine |
A restaurante is an eating establishment where diners are served food. Useful phrases when visiting include Quisiera una mesa para [number of people] personas, por favor to request a table, ¿Me puede dar la carta, por favor? to ask for the menu and La cuenta, por favor to request the bill.
Which one should you use?
restaurante is the standard form used throughout the Spanish-speaking world, while restorán is a regional adaptation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Chile, the form restorán is a common adaptation. Other terms describe specific types of eating establishments: in Argentina, a Parrilla refers to a steakhouse or grill, in Mexico, a Fondita is a small, simple restaurant and in Colombia, a Fonda often refers to a traditional, family-owned restaurant.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun, restaurante is preceded by the masculine article el (e.g., el restaurante) rather than la.
How do you pronounce it?
/restauˈɾante/
Did you know?
- The word restaurante shares a root with the English word 'restore'. Originally, these establishments provided 'restorative' broths to revive the health of guests.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common for a restaurante to offer a menú del día, a fixed-price three-course meal that changes daily to reflect seasonal ingredients.
- In Argentina and Uruguay, you might visit a parrilla, which specifically refers to a steakhouse. The word literally means 'grill', referring to the metal grate used to cook the meats.
Examples in context
- Tom fue al restaurante.Tom went into the restaurant.This sentence shows the use of restaurante to indicate a destination.Tatoeba #13620353 by andrea_mar_s, translation #11129421 by CK
- Hay un restaurante aquí.There's a restaurant here.This sentence uses restaurante to indicate existence in a location.Tatoeba #956997 by hayastan, translation #880569 by CK
- Es un restaurante barato.It's a cheap restaurant.This sentence uses restaurante to describe the nature of the establishment.Tatoeba #3978781 by NooryLan, translation #3977702 by felvideki
- Vamos a cenar en el restaurante.We are going to have dinner at the restaurant.
- Me gustaría reservar una mesa en la casa de comidas.I would like to reserve a table at the restaurant.
- ¿Conoces algún buen lugar para cenar?Do you know a good place to have dinner?
- Quisiera una mesa para dos personas, por favor.I would like a table for two people, please.
- ¿Me puede dar la carta, por favor? Quisiera ver las opciones disponibles.Could you please give me the menu? I would like to see the available options.
- 269 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are deciding where to eat dinner.
- Sofía¿Quieres ir a ese restaurante nuevo?Do you want to go to that new restaurant?
- DanielSí, he oí que el restaurante es muy bueno.Yes, I heard that the restaurant is very good.
- Sofía¿Sabes si el restaurante acepta reservas?Do you know if the restaurant takes reservations?
- DanielNo lo sé, llamemos al restaurante ahora.I don't know, let's call the restaurant now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “restaurant” translations and entries restaurante, restorán, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries restaurante, restorán, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
