By Wendy
American visitors can be surprised by how long it takes to get the bill after eating in Spain (or France and some other European countries). If you’re sitting down at a table and served by a waiter or waitress, you’ll almost always have to ask for la cuenta por favor – they don’t just bring it when it looks like you’re about finished eating. And even when you ask, it could be awhile. Relax and get used to this, because you will likely run into it. And you’ll quickly see how this endearing custom of lingering at the table to enjoy food, drinks and good company, is very addictive and fun.
Scenario #1 – You sit down for a breakfast of café con leche, orange juice (always get orange juice in Spain) and ham and cheese sandwich in Madrid. After you get your items, the server does not return for about an hour. You wonder if she is off the clock. You look around and realize she is working to cover every table on the sidewalk in front of the café, spanning the length of the entire block. You thought they were tables for three different restaurants, but it’s just the one. It’s going to take some effort to get her attention politely, and you don’t speak much Spanish. And God help you if you need change from a 50 euro bill. Sit back and take a deep breath, you have a great table for people-watching as the beautiful city wakes up in the warm sun.
Scenario #2 – You’re having dinner with your family at a posh hotel on the Mediterranean coast. Gorgeous terrace, perfect weather, delicious dinner and wine. You chat with the friendly waiter and floor manager. You compliment the restaurant, the city, the kind people you have met in Spain. When your family asks for the check, you all get free desert instead. Then you are served complimentary drinks so everyone can toast together! This generous service is appreciated and you all leave a nice tip when you pay the bill- but you still can’t leave because the waiter expresses his appreciation by bringing more drinks. You’re all tired (and tipsy!) and realize you’ve been sitting there for a total of 3 hours. However, you laugh and appreciate the memorable (never-ending) meal with family as the twilight turns to night and the breeze picks up just a little and you can hear faint music from an outdoor concert nearby. Lucky you!!
Scenario #3 – There comes a point during a long evening out in a European capital where your urge to pee keeps you moving from bar to bar. You visit the Mercado San Miguel in Madrid, have some tapas and wine, then start walking. You want to trek across town but once you start making your way across the giant plazas filled with people, you realize it can’t wait til you get to the restaurant. So your husband with the knack for finding interesting places selects a spot. It’s a bit early in the evening, and there are approximately two other customers. Dim lighting, a long bar, vinyl couches and two televisions- one playing film-length perfume ads and the other Spain vs. Italy professional basketball. A round of cheap cerveza is ordered so you all can do what you walked in to do – use the free bathroom. But this is Spain! The waitress appears with a wide round tray filled with complimentary snacks – goldfish crackers, olives, peanuts. This is delightful so you spend longer than you intend in this random, anonymous bar. You spend longer so that by the time you finally drink and eat a polite amount of snacks and settle up the bill, you need to use the free bathroom again. So now you can resume the trek to the Mexican restaurant with the singing waiter, drink margaritas, and repeat the cycle. It all works out.
Don’t rush – free snacks have arrived
Other options
If you’ve really got a tight schedule to keep, there are places where you can pay at the counter before you eat. We really liked a place called Pain, which appeared to be a European fast food chain with great breakfasts. We also stopped at a paella cafe in Valencia that was surprisingly good for lunch. They’ll ring you up at the register and you can take your tray and find a seat. For dinner, go to tapas places, sit on the barstools or stand at the counter if you don’t want to camp out at a table. In restaurants popular with tourists, you’ll also find attentive waiters who will turn tables faster. And I have to mention the awesome kabob places in Europe that provide quick and delicious food (including late night snacks and reasonable lunch platters).
In my opinion, plan for at least one knock down drag out 3 hour dinner with multiple courses, lots of wine, chatting with the waiter, and no rushing for the check. These special times are usually among my favorite memories from a trip.