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Beginners’ Spanish: food and drink
Beginners’ Spanish: food and drink

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Actividad 8

This activity is about the last stage of a meal and getting the bill.

A

After desserts have been served the waiter normally asks about coffee or other drinks. Listen to the audio track below and write down which of the following drinks are ordered.

Escucha y escribe.

Vocabulario

  • el cortado expresso coffee with a dash of milk
  • la manzanilla camomile tea
  • el poleo menta peppermint tea
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At the end of a meal
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  • un café solo
  • una manzanilla
  • un cortado
  • un poleo menta
  • un café con leche
  • un té verde

Answer

The drinks ordered are: un cortado, un café solo, un poleo menta, un té verde.

Culture: After-dinner conversation (La sobremesa)

People at a dining table
Figure 17

A feature of relaxed meals in Spain is the opportunity to continue chatting over coffee and possibly liqueurs after a meal. This has a special name, la sobremesa, and it is regarded as an important part of the occasion for friends and family, whether at home or in a restaurant. This is also true of business lunches: Spaniards are very particular about food and wine, and business deals are often made over lunch or dinner in a restaurant. Chatting together after a meal is known as estar de sobremesa.

B

Listen to the short dialogues on the following audio track and decide which are initiated by the customer and which by the waiter.

Escucha y decide.

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End of meal dialogue
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Answer

All the dialogues take place at the end of the meal. 1, 2, 3 are initiated by the customer, and are different ways of asking for the bill. 4 and 5 are initiated by the waiter, asking about the meal.

C

Listen to the dialogues in Casa Domingo and El Clavel on the following audio track and answer the questions.

Escucha y contesta.

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Short dialogue
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  1. In which restaurant does the customer attract the waiter’s attention to ask for the bill?
  2. In which restaurant can you pay with a credit card?
  3. In which restaurant does the customer pay less?

Answer

1 and 2: Restaurante El Clavel; 3: Casa Domingo.

Key phrases
Figure 18
Download this audio clip.Audio player: Requesting the bill
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Requesting the bill
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