Frases básicas en español para viajar

What does “la cuenta” mean in a Spanish restaurant?

When you finish eating, you ask for la cuenta — “the bill” or “the check.” The word can also mean “an account” or “a count,” but in a café or restaurant it always means the bill. The polite way to ask is la cuenta, por favor (“the bill, please”), exactly as in this clip. Knowing this one word saves you from miming or guessing when it is time to pay.

From the same clip you also get ¿cuánto cuesta? (“how much does it cost?”). To ask for the bill, you can say ¿me trae la cuenta? (“can you bring me the bill?”) or la cuenta, por favor — both common and polite.