Deciphering the particular set of vocabulary that comes together with eating out in Spain can baffle even these of us who aced our Spanish courses in class.
From determining ask for the invoice in Spanish to ordering the peerlessly cooked steak, this information has received you coated with the important phrases and phrases that may aid you sort out any restaurant in Spain like a professional.
You do not have to be fluent in Spanish to eat amazingly in Spain, however there are a handful of phrases that may make the expertise a bit simpler. From deciphering completely different elements of the menu to ordering precisely what you need, these 16 foodie phrases and phrases will aid you eat (and order!) like an area.
1. La Cuenta: Test or Invoice
Earlier than we get into the phrases you may want for ordering, let’s begin on the finish of the meal. It is necessary to know ask for the invoice in Spanish—particularly since you often will not get it till you do!
When eating out in Spain, asking for the test is as simple as catching the server or bartender’s eye and making a gesture such as you’re writing within the air. When you do wish to use phrases, although, go together with “la cuenta.”
In keeping with Spanish restaurant etiquette, it is thought of impolite for waiters to deliver the test earlier than diners ask for it. Communicate up whenever you’re able to pay; in any other case, you is perhaps ready for fairly some time!
How one can use it: La cuenta, por favor. (The test, please.)
2. En Su Punto: Medium Uncommon
If you wish to totally get pleasure from delicacies like chuletón (ribeye) and solomillo (tenderloin), you may have to know order steak in Spanish.
You possibly can ask on your steak to be cooked nonetheless you want, however the commonest preparation is “en su punto.” Actually translated, this implies “at its level”—as in meat cooked to its level of perfection. That is the phrase to make use of in order for you a medium uncommon steak when eating out in Spain.
To order a uncommon steak, ask for it “poco hecho.” A well-done steak can be “muy hecho.” Needless to say waiters will usually solely ask how you desire to your meat cooked if you happen to’ve ordered a beef steak.
How one can use it: El chuletón para mi en su punto, por favor. (I might like my steak cooked medium uncommon, please.)
When eating out in Spain, you may discover that many meals are served household fashion. The big plates which might be ordered for all the desk are known as raciones.
The one distinction between raciones and extra generally identified tapas is often simply their measurement! The overall rule of thumb is to order as many raciones as there are folks consuming, place all of them within the middle of the desk, and serve the meals onto particular person plates.
A ración usually offers sufficient meals for 3 or 4 folks. There’s additionally one other, medium-sized choice on the spectrum between tapas and raciones: the media ración, which is often sufficient for 2 folks.
How one can use it: ¿Nos pones una ración de croquetas? (We want a shared plate of croquettes.)
4. Tapa: Small Plate
Opposite to widespread perception outdoors of Spain, the phrase “tapa” refers solely to the scale of a plate, not what’s on it! Tapas are merely small quantities of meals.
When eating out in Spain, a tapa will be something from two triangles of cheese or a dish of olives to a mini hamburger or perhaps a small portion of paella—and plenty of tapas recipes are simple to recreate at residence.
In cities like Madrid and Granada, tapas typically come free when ordering a drink. Elsewhere, they value cash—but it surely’s effectively price it for the standard and innovation they usually signify.
How one can use it: Me encanta este sitio. Las tapas aquí son riquísimas! (I like this place. The small plates listed here are scrumptious!)
5. Pintxo: Small Plate with a Skewer
Head as much as the north of Spain and you will find bars lined with colourful, eye-catching small bites skewered atop items of bread. Welcome to the land of pintxos!
“Pintxo” is just the Basque phrase for “tapa.” Following Basque custom, pintxos are sometimes a bit extra elaborate than tapas and are nearly at all times served atop a medallion of bread with a skewer by way of all the factor.
How one can use it: Me gustaría un pintxo de queso de cabra y cebolla caramelizada. (I would love a small plate of goat cheese and caramelized onion.)
6. Menú del Día: Each day Lunch Particular
Each day fixed-price menus, or menús del día, are a factor of magnificence when eating out in Spain. They often encompass three or 4 selections every for each a primary and second course, bread, a drink, and both dessert or espresso. All of that may set you again simply €10–16!
Menús del día are solely served at lunchtime, and often solely through the week. Some eating places additionally supply a lunchtime menú de fin de semana on weekends, but it surely tends to be dearer than its mid-week counterpart.
How one can use it: ¿Qué tenéis de menú del día? (What are the choices for the menu of the day?)
7. Caña: Small Draft Beer
A caña is a brief glass of draft beer. Cañas are often about 200 ml (roughly ¾ cup).
Beer in Spain is mostly ordered by measurement, as many bars solely serve the native brew on faucet. So as a substitute of ordering a Mahou or an Estrella Damm, you’ll ask for a caña. Nevertheless, the craft beer increase in Spain is slowly altering this, including extra beer choices seemingly each week!
How one can use it: ¿Me pones una caña, por favor? (I will have a small draft beer, please.)
8. Postre: Dessert
That is arguably the perfect a part of any Spanish meal, whether or not eating out or consuming at residence!
Dessert in Spain will be something from a slice of chocolate cake to a bit of fruit. The previous often comes after dinner, whereas the latter is extra widespread after lunch. When you order a menú del día, your dessert will usually be included within the worth of your meal.
One other necessary dessert-related phrase is casero (selfmade). Many eating places in Spain supply packaged merchandise like yogurts, ice cream bars, or goodies on their dessert menu. Whereas a few of these will be first rate, nothing beats selfmade sweets.
Everytime you’re handed a dessert menu in Spain, be sure you ask which gadgets are literally made on the restaurant!
How one can use it: ¿Qué postres caseros tenéis? (What selfmade desserts do you could have?)
9. Vino Tinto: Crimson Wine
When you’re not choosy about wine, asking for a vino tinto will get you a glass of the home pink. However if you wish to get extra particular, remember that wine in Spain is sort of at all times ordered by the area, not the grape.
On the subject of pink wines in Spain, two areas all however dominate drink menus and wine lists: Rioja and Ribera. The previous is Spain’s best-known wine area even overseas, however the latter is beginning to give it a run for its cash.
Wines from Rioja are typically lighter and fruitier than their extra tannic and juicier Ribera counterparts. Each areas produce primarily tempranillo grapes.
How one can use it: Ponme una copa de vino tinto de Rioja, por favor. (I will have a glass of pink wine from Rioja, please.)
10. Vino Blanco: White Wine
Spain’s most prized white wine grape is albariño, which comes from the northwestern province of Galicia. Albariño is an exception to Spain’s order-by-the-region rule, as it is the identify of the grape, not the area.
Wines from the Rueda area, which are typically lighter and fruitier than albariños, are gaining momentum within the small however mighty world of Spanish whites. Even Rioja produces some wonderful white wines that, whereas not as well-known as their pink counterparts, are effectively price a strive!
How one can use it: ¿Qué vinos blancos tenéis? (What sorts of white wine do you could have?)
11. Vaso de Agua (de Grifo): Glass of Faucet Water
To get a glass of water at a restaurant in Spain, it’s a must to particularly ask for it. When you simply ask for agua, the server will nearly at all times deliver a big bottle.
For only a plain previous, free glass of faucet water, it is necessary to specify that you really want a glass (vaso) of water, versus a bottle. De grifo means from the faucet, to make it additional clear.
Faucet water in Spain is secure to drink. Nevertheless, in lots of coastal cities like Barcelona and Málaga, the style is usually a bit off. Whereas it will not make you sick if you happen to do eat it, you are higher off asking for bottled water (una botella de agua), which tastes significantly better!
How one can use it: ¿Nos pones dos vasos de agua de grifo? (Might you deliver us two glasses of faucet water?)
12. Cortado: Espresso with a Splash of Milk
Ordering espresso in Spain comes with an entire new set of vocabulary. First up is the common-or-garden cortado. Actually translated, cortado means “minimize.” And within the meals world, the factor being minimize is espresso.
A cortado is a shot of espresso “minimize” with a splash of steamed milk and topped with a spoonful of froth. You should use it as a noun: “I might like a cortado.” Or you should utilize it as an adjective: “I might like a café cortado.”
Exterior of the culinary realm, cortado means “minimize” extra actually, as in “¿Te has cortado el pelo?” (Have you ever minimize your hair?).
How one can use it: Me das un cortado, por favor? (Might you deliver me an espresso with a splash of foamed milk, please?)
13. Café con Leche: Half Espresso, Half Milk
The preferred Spanish espresso drink is the ever present café con leche, or Spain’s reply to a latte. This drink consists of equal elements espresso and milk. You may as well specify what temperature you’d just like the milk to be: go for caliente in order for you scorching milk, or templada for lukewarm milk that may forestall you from burning your tongue!
How one can use it: Quiero un café con leche, con la leche templada. (I might like a espresso with lukewarm milk.)
14. A La Brasa: Charcoal-Grilled
When you’re craving one thing grilled, a la brasa is the way in which to go. This time period is just used when gadgets are grilled over a flame and charcoal. Usually, solely meat or octopus is often ready a la brasa.
How one can use it: Pulpo a la brasa es mucho más rico que pulpo a la gallega. (Charcoal-grilled octopus is far tastier than Galician-style boiled octopus.)
15. A La Parrilla: Grilled
Parrilla actually refers back to the metallic grill prime that is positioned over a fireplace to cook dinner with. In apply, lots of the gadgets served a la parrilla are literally cooked on a grill pan on the range, not over a fireplace. You will nonetheless get these good grill marks, although!
How one can use it: Prefiero verduras a la parrilla a verduras al horno. (I desire grilled greens to baked greens.)
16. A La Plancha: Cooked on a Griddle
A plancha is a big, flat, metallic cooking floor that is widespread in most eating places. In Spain, the whole lot from fish filets to garlicky mushrooms are seared on this kind of scorching griddle. If the menu does not specify how an merchandise is cooked, it is secure to imagine will probably be a la plancha.
How one can use it: A mí me encanta el salmón a la plancha, pero no me gusta el salmón ahumado. (I like salmon that is been cooked on a griddle, however I do not like smoked salmon.)
Eating Out in Spain Vocabulary FAQs
Cañas are the small draft beers which might be widespread accompaniments to tapas. Their small measurement permits them to remain chilly within the time it takes you to complete your dish. That is why you may usually see locals consuming them whereas nibbling on tapas in Spanish bars!
The Spanish phrase for “grill” is parrilla. Nevertheless, at eating places in Spain, this time period often refers to meals cooked in a grill-style pan on a stovetop. If you’d like one thing charcoal-grilled over a flame, search for the time period a la brasa.
In Spain, you’ll be able to merely say “la cuenta, por favor” (the test, please) whenever you catch your server’s consideration. One other widespread phrase many locals use is “¿Nos cobras cuando puedas?” (actually “Are you able to cost us when you’ll be able to?”). Both one is a superbly high-quality option to ask your server to deliver the invoice.
Although you’ll be able to technically seat your self at Spanish eating places (there is no host or hostess), it is usually thought of well mannered to catch a server’s consideration and ask if a desk is obtainable—particularly throughout peak instances when the restaurant is busy.
To take action, simply ask for “una mesa para dos” (a desk for 2), or nonetheless many individuals are in your get together. If tables can be found, the server will often simply invite you to seize whichever one you want.
Replace Discover: This submit was initially revealed on December 3, 2015. It was up to date with new textual content and photographs on June 1, 2021 and republished on Could 24, 2023.
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