Dinner at a restaurant in Spanish, from booking to bill
Quería reservar una mesa para dos a las nueve.
“I'd like to book a table for two at nine.”
When: First thing you say on the phone
The moment
You call a Madrid restaurant to book a table for two at nine, arrive and get seated, order for both of you, and then one dish comes out wrong. Sort it out politely and ask to split the bill.
A2 · Unit 1 · Eating out · Checkpoint
This is the unit’s checkpoint: one roleplay that puts the unit’s scenes together.
The lines
Booking in one line
Open every reservation with the soft imperfect: 'Quería reservar una mesa para dos a las nueve.' Then give your name when they ask '¿A nombre de quién?'
Quería reservar una mesa para dos a las nueve.
“I'd like to book a table for two at nine.”
When to use it: First thing you say on the phone
What you’ll hear back: ¿A nombre de quién? (Under what name?)
Complaining without friction
'Perdone, es que esto está un poco frío' names the problem and keeps the table calm. Follow it with '¿Me lo puede cambiar?'
Perdone, es que esto está un poco frío.
“Excuse me, this is a little cold.”
When to use it: When a plate arrives cold or wrong
What you’ll hear back: Ay, perdone, ahora mismo se lo cambio. (Sorry, I'll change it right away.)
Words for this scene
| Spanish | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| a nombre de | ah NOM-breh deh | under the name of |
Tenemos una reserva a nombre de David, para las nueve. We have a booking under the name David, for nine o'clock. Tip: Say it on arrival too; it is how you announce your reservation. | ||
| ¿Me lo puede cambiar? | meh loh PWEH-deh kam-BYAR | Could you swap it for me? |
Esto no es lo que he pedido. ¿Me lo puede cambiar? This is not what I ordered. Could you swap it for me? Tip: Say it with a smile; staff fix mistakes without any fuss. | ||
| a escote | ah es-KOH-teh | split evenly between everyone |
La cuenta, por favor. Lo pagamos a escote. The bill, please. We are splitting it evenly. Tip: Say it before the card comes out, so nobody starts counting plates. | ||
Your objective
Book a table for two, order for both of you, sort out the dish that comes out wrong, and ask to split the bill.
- a table for two
- the wrong dish
- splitting the bill
Lines that get it done
- Quería reservar una mesa para dos a las nueve.
- Esto no es lo que he pedido. ¿Me lo puede cambiar? · This is not what I ordered. Could you swap it for me?
- La cuenta, por favor. Lo pagamos a escote. · The bill, please. We are splitting it evenly.
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You call at nine and hear 'Estamos completos hasta las diez.' What is the natural reply?
- Vale, entonces a las diez, si puede ser.
- Vale, yo también estoy completo a las diez.
- Perdone, no tengo mesa hasta las diez.
- Sí, estamos completos hasta las diez.
Show the answer
Vale, entonces a las diez, si puede ser.
They are fully booked until ten, so you accept the later slot with 'si puede ser'.
2. Your friend asks what to order. You had the octopus here before and it was excellent. What do you say?
- Yo probé el pulpo aquí y estaba buenísimo.
- Yo probaba el pulpo aquí y estuvo buenísimo.
- Yo pruebo el pulpo aquí y era buenísimo.
- El pulpo aquí probé y buenísimo estaba.
Show the answer
Yo probé el pulpo aquí y estaba buenísimo.
'Probé' for the one-off past visit, 'estaba' to describe how the dish was.
3. The meal is over and the two of you are paying the same amount. What do you say to the waiter?
- La cuenta, por favor. Lo pagamos a escote.
- Las cuentas, por favor, una para cada uno.
- El precio, por favor, dividido entre dos.
- Queremos pagar la cuenta a mitades cada uno.
Show the answer
La cuenta, por favor. Lo pagamos a escote.
You ask for one bill and use 'a escote' to say you are splitting it evenly.