Menu ??
 

We are planning a trip in May. I know a "few" Spanish words. Know my food nouns a bit ... I shall have a Marling Menu Book. Now, how much trouble are we going to have ? How have you non-fluent travelors managed ?

Where are you headed on your trip?

I manage by memorizing and practicing for months before I go somewhere where I don't speak the language.

But yes, where are you going?

We are non-fluent in whichever country we travel with the possible exception of the UK. We have traveled in every country in western Europe except Portugal and have spent weeks in Croatia and Hungary, all without a problem. Try as I might, I cannot master enough foreign words to make myself understood so I usually take a menu translator (which really isn't a lot of help when it comes to how the main word is prepared), order by pointing and gesturing and hope for the best. Sometimes I'm surprised but seldom disappointed. Too, in most tourist places, there is enough English spoken to help out. Smile, be flexible and you'll be fine.

Even if you speak Spanish fluently, a menu can be challenging, especially a tapas menu. A translator will not help too much, because often you find dozens of items which you do not know and it can be cumbersome to translate them.

And be prepared that in many Spanish restaurants (especially in the less touristy, more authentic places) the waitstuff speaks nothing but Spanish.

Sometimes it works like this:

You select tapas by going to the bar and pointing to the tapas you wish.

Or you make somehow clear that you want a mixed tapas menu with meat, fish and vegetables for the whole table. We were never disappointed by what they served us this way.

If you do not eat tapas but full dishes you may order the regional specialties. Read your travel guide in advance and make yourself familiar with the specialties and their names. Then you can find them on the menu and order accordingly.

BTW, if you want to test your dictionary or translator try to find out the difference between "suquet" and "zarzuela"!

A Catalan menu might look like this:

Peix a la "bruta"
All cremat
Romescada de peix
Caldereta menorquina
de llagosta
Llagosta amb ceba
Llagosta a la brasa
Guisat de tortuga
Sarsuela
Anguila ofegada
Allipebre
Truites a la llosa
Nero (o orada) al fonoll
Orada a la sal
Escórpora a l'estil de
Cadaqués
Déntol fred
Cim-i-tomba
Calamars saltat
Calamars a la romana
Calamarsons farcits
Pops amb patates
Pops amb ceba
Verats a la brasa amb fonoll
Bacallà amb samfaina
Bacallà a la llauna
Bacallà amb patates i ous
durs
"Platillo" de sípia amb tripa
de bacallà
Sípia (o congre) amb pèsols
Petxines de peix
Mol·luscs al vapor
Peus de cabrit

Estofat de vedella
Fricandó a la catalana
Rostit humit
Llom ofegat amb bolets
Porcella al forn
Altres carns al forn
Peus de porc gratinats
Peus de porc gratinats
Greixonera de porc
Carn de caldera amb
múrgoles
Ofegat de la Segarra
Mandonguilles amb pèsols
Civet
Estofat de senglar

I have a TRRRIBLE mamory and I adnire people who are knowlegable in other languages. I have tried in past, with much more effort and gotten no where, We are going to Madrid and S. Spain. Thank you.

Often menus come in sections for fish, beef, pork, and so on. So you have a rough guidance from what to choose.

If the chef spent most of his creativity on designing fancy names for his creations, you will be nearly lost without a good command of Spanish anyway. Sometimes even with an accurate translation.

Madrid and Southern Spain get their fair share of tourists, so also better restaurants (and not only tourist traps) may have multi-lingual menus.

I would try to memorize the translations for things you really hate to eat. That usually takes less time than the other word around.

One suggestion to travellers.
It is a common practice many places when a waiter sees you are deliberately over a menu, he may say (in spanish)" shall I just bring out some ham and cheese while you decide?"

Or he may OFFER to bring you a selection of things for the middle to share, his choice.

I suggest you do NOT let them bring you the "jamon y queso" unless you do know that this may be the most expensive part of your entire meal, or you can see on the menu what the price will be.

Try the ham and cheese at a delicatessan on your own for a picnic. It is delicious, but the prices at most restaurants and bars is shocking to most tourists ( AND locals!).

Also be aware that many FISH is sold by WEIGHT. So the very reasonable 8 euros you see on the side of the menu is probably for 100 grams, which will be stated somewhere, but perhaps you didn´t notice!

For most food, I would start writig down suggestions people are making and take that list with you so you can look for those dishes on your travels.

---and a few times I've just pointed to what the person nearby was eating. In Italy I got the best seafood ravioli I've ever eaten this way. It was not offered on the English menu. I don't know if it's usual, but in Spain where I had the best steak ever, "mediano" seemed to translate "quite rare." Nevertheless, it was delicious.

Tell us the cities you are visiting, we may make some restaurant suggestions, including their specialties.

Thank you. That would be much appreciated. Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville Nerja, Granada.

I can tell you about Granada restaurants, about tapas bar I cannot, but you just walk and take a look. Actually I am pasting my recs from a previous post:
In Granada there are many places as you walk by. Restaurants I have been to and I recommend are: Ruta del Veleta, very handy as it is very near when you drive to the Alhambra. And these 3 in the city center: Las Tinajas; Chikito; Sevilla; in these last two you can eat at the bar too, same dishes served as raciones, faster and cheaper. Google for them adding restaurant and Granada.

Learning Spanish in school is of limited help wth a menu. Yes, you will know it is chicken, or lamb or whatever - but not what part or what they've done to it.

For that reason menu readers are vital. We've gotten by in Spain on several visits withmy high school Spanish (15 plus years old) and his one year of college. Enough for greetings, pleasantries, directions, times and costs.

If you want, you can learn the basics in about 2 weeks. And, I've found desperation makes everything you ever knew come flooding back.

That should be sufficient any place you go (we were in a couple of small and very small towns - and had no problems between a few words of Spanish, a few words of English and sign language).

What gets me are places with slavic languges - since I have no background at all. It's on my list - if I ever get any time away from work.