Enjoying good food with family and friends in a good restaurant is one of the best pleasures life has to offer. Most of us enjoy going out to eat and it’s a treat enjoyed by people in Spain and Latin America too. You’re now going to discover several practical, easy Spanish phrases for those times when you’re dining out and enjoying good food – la buena mesa – anywhere in the Hispanic world!
There are lots of really good restaurants on my doorstep here in Barcelona and I love to eat out – cenar afuera – often. I avoid the costly places where the tourists go, I like to eat in the eateries where the natives eat and they have a good guide for finding a decent restaurant:
Un restaurante debería ser: bueno, bonito y barato – good, nice and cheap.
Ok, now that you’ve located a nice eatery, let’s help you make a charming impression with some useful Spanish phrases that’ll also ensure you receive good service.
You’ve no doubt had those occasions where you found it difficult to choose between two dishes and you’ve said:
“I can’t decide what to have, it’s between the lamb and the cod.” Saying this in Spanish is simple and here’s a quick example:
Estoy dudando entre el pavo y los mejllones – I’m torn between the turkey and the mussels.
The next great Spanish phrase is one that I use regularly when I’m about to dine and it’s for those times when you have a craving for something, así:
Me apetece algo dulce – I fancy something sweet
Next up is another superb Spanish phrase that will bring an authentic flourish to your Spanish vocabulary. You can smell that something good to eat is cooking away on the stove and you come out with:
“Mmm, something smells good!” If you want to say this in Spanish, then use this next descriptive phrase which might cause a puzzled look:
¡Huele de muerte! – It smells of death!
Don’t ask me why this is used but it most certainly is and it’s among those realistic, everyday Spanish words and phrases that most non-native speakers hardly use and you’ll make a knockout impression with it!