Portuguese at a Brazilian Restaurant: Get a Table, Order, and Ask for the Bill — Practice

Ask for a table and the menu

When you arrive, greet the staff and ask whether there is a table for your group: Tem uma mesa para duas pessoas? (Is there a table for two?). Cardápio means menu. If you need a table outside or a quieter place, name the preference and let the staff confirm availability.

Some restaurants use a queue or ask for a reservation, so listen for the next step. You can ask how long the wait is and whether you should leave your name. Keep your group size and seating request clear.

Order a dish and ask what comes with it

Use Eu vou querer… (I’ll have…) or Para mim… (For me…) to order. If you do not recognize an item, ask O que vem neste prato? (What comes with this dish?). You can also ask whether a dish is spicy or whether a side can be changed.

Menus and portion sizes differ across restaurants, so ask staff before assuming a dish includes a particular side. If someone has an allergy or dietary restriction, use the more specific phrases in the Real Life Portuguese allergy guide and confirm the answer before ordering.

Check the order and request another item

If an item is missing, say Com licença, ainda estamos esperando… (Excuse me, we are still waiting for…). To check an order, repeat the item and ask whether it is coming. A calm, specific question helps staff understand what you need.

You can ask for water, another drink, or a serving utensil by naming the item. If the menu shows a service charge, ask how it is calculated before paying when you are unsure. Practices vary, so rely on the bill and the restaurant’s explanation.

Ask for the bill and confirm payment

A conta is the bill. Ask A conta, por favor (The bill, please) or Pode trazer a conta? (Could you bring the bill?). Check the total and ask whether card or another payment method is accepted. Confirm how the amount will be divided if your group wants separate payments.

This meal sequence connects naturally with the Real Life Portuguese café, bakery, and payment guides. I Speak Portuguese teachers can role-play an order and help you practice speaking clearly in a restaurant. Use short questions and confirm the total before paying.

Remember: Learn mesa, cardápio, Eu vou querer…, O que vem neste prato?, and a conta. Confirm substitutions and payment details with the staff.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. Good evening. Do you have a table for three?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Boa noite. Tem uma mesa para três pessoas?

2. Can we sit outside?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Podemos sentar do lado de fora?

3. How long is the wait?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Quanto tempo de espera?

4. For me, a fish dish, please.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Para mim, um prato de peixe, por favor.

5. What comes with this dish?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   O que vem neste prato?

6. Can you replace the rice with vegetables?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode trocar o arroz por legumes?

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Learn mesa, cardápio, Eu vou querer…, O que vem neste prato?, and a conta. Confirm substitutions and payment details with the staff.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Portuguese at a Brazilian Restaurant: Get a Table, Order, and Ask for the Bill lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.