Lo siento, pero hoy no me viene bien quedar en la cafetería.

Lo siento is a fixed expression meaning I’m sorry.

The lo does not usually refer to one specific thing in a literal, concrete way. In modern Spanish, lo siento is best learned as a set phrase. Historically, it is related to I feel it, but for a learner, the important point is:

• Lo siento = I’m sorry
• You normally do not translate it word for word in everyday use

You could also hear:

• Lo siento mucho = I’m very sorry
• Lo siento, pero... = I’m sorry, but...

So in this sentence, it is simply a polite way to soften the refusal.

No me viene bien is a very common expression meaning:

• it doesn’t suit me
• it’s not convenient for me
• it doesn’t work for me

Literally, venir bien is something like to come well to someone, but that literal meaning is not how you should think of it in normal conversation. It is an idiomatic expression.

Examples:

• Mañana me viene bien. = Tomorrow works for me.
• Ahora no me viene bien hablar. = Now isn’t a good time for me to talk.

In your sentence:

• hoy no me viene bien quedar... = today it doesn’t work for me to meet...

This sounds natural and polite, especially when declining a plan.

Because venir bien in this expression does not mean that I come well. The subject is actually the thing or action that is convenient.

So in:

• No me viene bien quedar en la cafetería

the action quedar en la cafetería is what doesn’t suit me.

That is why Spanish uses:

• me = to me / for me
• viene bien = works well / is convenient

You can think of the structure as:

• [something] me viene bien = [something] suits me / works for me

For example:

• El lunes me viene bien. = Monday works for me.
• Quedar a las seis me viene bien. = Meeting at six works for me.

Because after me viene bien / no me viene bien, Spanish often uses an infinitive to talk about an action that is or isn’t convenient.

So:

• No me viene bien quedar = Meeting up doesn’t work for me
• Me viene bien salir temprano = Leaving early suits me
• No me viene bien estudiar ahora = Studying now doesn’t work for me

This is similar to English:

• It suits me to leave early
• It doesn’t work for me to meet today

The infinitive quedar is functioning like the idea of meeting up.

Quedar has several meanings, and this is one of the most important things learners notice.

Here, quedar means:

• to meet
• to arrange to meet
• to get together

In Spain, this use is extremely common.

Examples:

• He quedado con Ana. = I’ve arranged to meet Ana / I’m meeting Ana.
• ¿Quedamos mañana? = Shall we meet tomorrow?
• Quedamos en la cafetería. = Let’s meet at the café.

Yes, quedar can also mean other things, such as:

• to remain / be left
• to stay
• to fit / look

But in this sentence, because of the context and en la cafetería, it clearly means to meet up.

Because en la cafetería refers to the place where the meeting happens, not movement toward the place.

• quedar en + place = to meet at/in + place
• ir a + place = to go to + place

So:

• Quedar en la cafetería = to meet at the café
• Ir a la cafetería = to go to the café

If you said quedar a la cafetería, that would sound wrong in standard Spanish.

Yes. No me va bien is also common and natural.

Both can mean:

• it doesn’t work for me
• it’s not convenient for me

In many situations, they are very close in meaning. However:

• venir bien often sounds especially common when talking about whether a time, plan, or action suits you
• ir bien is also extremely common and can be slightly broader

Examples:

• Hoy no me viene bien quedar.
• Hoy no me va bien quedar.

Both are good Spanish.

In Spain, venir bien is very natural in this kind of sentence.

Yes, hoy can move, because Spanish word order is often flexible.

Your sentence:

• Lo siento, pero hoy no me viene bien quedar en la cafetería.

Other possible versions:

• Lo siento, pero no me viene bien hoy quedar en la cafetería.
• Lo siento, pero no me viene bien quedar en la cafetería hoy.

However, the original version sounds very natural because hoy is being highlighted early:

• as for today, it doesn’t work for me...

That placement helps frame the refusal around today, which is often exactly what the speaker wants to emphasize.

Yes, it is polite and natural.

The sentence works well because:

• Lo siento softens the message
• pero introduces the refusal gently
• no me viene bien sounds less abrupt than just saying no puedo
• quedar en la cafetería is very normal in Spain

It sounds like a polite way to decline a plan without sounding rude.

Compare:

• No puedo quedar. = more direct: I can’t meet
• Hoy no me viene bien quedar. = softer: Today doesn’t work for me to meet
• Lo siento, pero hoy no me viene bien quedar. = even more polite

So yes, this is very believable everyday Spanish.

Not exactly.

In Spain, cafetería usually means a place like a:

• café
• coffee bar
• casual place for drinks/snacks

For many English speakers, cafeteria often suggests:

• a self-service dining hall
• a school or workplace canteen

So although the words look similar, the image can be different.

In this sentence, la cafetería most likely means a normal café-type place where people meet.

Yes, you can. That is also correct and natural.

Compare:

• Lo siento, pero hoy no me viene bien quedar en la cafetería.
• Lo siento, hoy no me viene bien quedar en la cafetería.

Both are fine.

Using pero can make the sentence feel a little more structured, especially when you are gently contradicting or declining a suggestion:

• I’m sorry, but...

Without pero, it sounds slightly more direct, but still polite.

Yes, and that is very common when you want to mention the person.

Examples:

• Hoy no me viene bien quedar contigo. = Today it doesn’t work for me to meet you.
• No me viene bien quedar con Marta. = It doesn’t work for me to meet Marta.

In your sentence, the person is not mentioned because the focus is on the plan itself:

• quedar en la cafetería

You can combine both:

• Hoy no me viene bien quedar contigo en la cafetería.

That means:

• Today it doesn’t work for me to meet you at the café.

This is already very natural for Spain Spanish.

In fact, two parts of the sentence are especially typical and common in Spain:

• quedar = to meet up
• me viene bien = it suits me / it works for me

A speaker from Spain would easily say this.

Other very natural Spain-style alternatives could be:

• Lo siento, pero hoy no me va bien quedar en la cafetería.
• Lo siento, pero hoy no puedo quedar en la cafetería.
• Perdona, pero hoy no me viene bien quedar.

Your original sentence is already a good, idiomatic Spain-Spanish sentence.

Yes, very often it does.

Because the speaker says:

• hoy no me viene bien = today doesn’t work for me

that often suggests the problem is with today, not necessarily with the idea in general.

So it can sound like:

• I can’t do it today
• maybe another time

If you wanted to make that even clearer, you could add something like:

• Lo siento, pero hoy no me viene bien quedar en la cafetería. ¿Te va bien mañana?
• I’m sorry, but today doesn’t work for me to meet at the café. Does tomorrow work for you?

So yes, the sentence often leaves the door open for another day.