4. DINING OUT
â Monetary Unit: Euro (âŹ)
â Most restaurants close one day a week, usually
Sunday or Monday.
Etiquette
â Always keep your hands visible when eating. Keep
your wrists resting on the edge of the table.
â Use utensils to eat most food. Even fruit is eaten with a
knife and fork.
â If you have not finished eating, cross your knife and
fork on your plate with the fork over the knife, OR lay
your cutlery down on either side of the plate.
â Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife
and fork parallel on your plate, tines facing up, with
the handles facing to the right.
â In informal restaurants, you may be required to share
a table.
â To get your check, the universal gesture is pretending
as if you're signing off on a check (la cuenta).
â In Spanish restaurants, a gratuity is usually added to
the bill. If not, some say a few coins are sufficient while
others say 5% is the norm.
â If you want a menu in a restaurant, ask for la carta;
menĂș refers only to the fixed-price meal.
Meals (also snacks)/Times to eat
â Almost every restaurant serves a weekday, fixed-price
lunchtime meal, the menĂș del dĂa, generally three
courses including wine for âŹ8â15, occasionally even
cheaper, depending on where you are in Spain.
â Spaniards generally eat very late, with lunch served
from around 1pm (youâll be the first person there at
this time) until 4pm, and dinner from 8.30pm or 9pm to
midnight. Obviously, rural areas are slightly earlier to
dine, but making a dinner reservation for 10.30pm or
even later is considered perfectly normal in many
cities in Spain
â Tapas â the little portions of food that traditionally used
to be served up free with a drink in a bar. They will
often be laid out on the counter, so you can see
whatâs available, or there might be a blackboard
menu. Tapas are usually around âŹ1.50â4 a portion.
Raciones (around âŹ6â12) are simply bigger plates of
tapas, perfect for sharing or enough for a meal.
â In bars and so-called cafeterĂas, meals often come in
the form of a plato combinado â literally a combined
dish. This will generally cost in the region of âŹ5â9.
â Bread is usually served on your meal plate, not in a
separate dish, and does not come with butter.
â breakfast (desayuno); lunch (almuerzo); dinner
(cena); dessert (postre)
â Snacks: cakes and pastries (bollos or pasteles);
croissants and toast (tostadas); or crusty sandwiches
(bocadillos) with a choice of fillings (tortilla)
Places to eat
â cake shops (pastelerĂas or confiterĂas); local bakery
(panaderĂa); ice-cream parlours (heladerĂas);
restaurant (restaurante)
6. DOâS AND DONâTS âŠ..
Body Language
â Never touch, hug or back slap a Spaniard you do not
know well, unless a friendly Spaniard touches you first.
â Generally, Spaniards stand very close when talking.
â Spaniards speak a lot with their hands. Never mimic
them.
Corporate Culture
â Spaniards do not take punctuality for business
meetings seriously, but expect that you will be on time;
call with an explanation if you are delayed.
â Spain is not a meeting culture. Meetings are to
communicate instructions or to save time.
â Spaniards will want to spend time getting to know you
and establishing chemistry before doing business.
Personal qualities are valued over technical ability,
professionalism or competence.
â Typically, Spanish is the language of business, but most
large companies conduct business in English and
Spanish. You cannot expect English to be widely
spoken. Check ahead to determine if an interpreter is
needed.
â Spaniards' lack of trust in institutions produces a
constant atmosphere of crisis and emergency.
â Spaniards like making decisions on their own. Do not
impose a decision in direct language. It could be
humiliating to your associates.
â The organizational chart is social, not functional. The
third or fourth level down may be more powerful than
those at the top.
Dining and Entertainment
â It is acceptable and common to be late by 30
minutes in southern Spain and 15 minutes in northern
Spain for social meetings. Never be late for a bullfight.
â Attempt to give a toast in Spanish. Be brief when
toasting. It is acceptable for women to give toasts.
â Tip everyone for everything.
â Spaniards don't waste food. It is better to decline food
rather than leave it on your plate.
Dress
â Appearance is extremely important to Spaniards. They
dress elegantly, even for casual occasions.
â Dress conservatively. Avoid bright or flashy colors.
â Shoes are the most important element of dress.
Shabby looking shoes can ruin a very nice outfit.
â For business, men should wear jackets and ties, even
in warm weather. If the senior person takes his/her
jacket off during a meeting, you may do so, too.
â Women should wear dresses, blouses and skirts.
Gifts
â When invited to someone's home, always bring a
small, wrapped gift for the hostess.
â Open a gift immediately upon receiving it in the
presence of the host.
â Give: pastries, cakes, chocolates, flowers (red roses
connote passion, yellow roses infidelity; give an odd
number of flowers).