Cafe and restaurant in Catalan
A table, the menu, what you cannot eat, and a compliment to the kitchen. Play the ten Catalan words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Catalan phrases in this lesson
- Una taula per a dos, si us plauOO-na TAW-la per a dos see oos PLOW
- A table for two
- La carta, si us plaula KAR-ta see oos PLOW
- The menu, please
- Què recomana?kway re-ko-MA-na
- What do you recommend?
- No menjo...no MEN-jo
- I don't eat...
- Sóc al·lèrgic a...sok a-LER-jeek a
- I'm allergic to...
- Carnkarn
- Meat
- Pollastrepo-LYAS-tra
- Chicken
- Peixpesh
- Fish
- Està boníssimes-TA bo-NEE-sim
- It's delicious
- Salut!sa-LOOT
- Cheers
Walk-ins are common for lunch but popular dinner spots fill up quickly, especially after 9pm. Catalans eat dinner late, so arriving at 8pm often means you beat the main crowd.
The "carta" is the full menu. A "menú del dia" (menu of the day) is a fixed-price lunch deal usually including starter, main, bread, drink, and dessert. Excellent value and very Catalan.
A great question that flatters the waiter and often leads to the best dish in the kitchen. The formal "recomana" is appropriate for most restaurants. Expect a genuine, enthusiastic answer.
"No menjo carn", I don't eat meat.
A woman says "al·lèrgica". The dotted l·l is a long l.
A superlative compliment meaning "it is absolutely delicious." Use it mid-meal and you will make the waiter's day. Catalan cuisine is a source of enormous local pride.
The standard Catalan toast, meaning "health." Make eye contact when clinking glasses, as Catalan custom holds that failing to do so brings bad luck. Cava, the local sparkling wine, is the drink of choice for celebrations.