"You are already becoming a Madrileña, because Madrileños complain a lot" ~ Señora

I know the title sounds like a horrible thing but you’ll understand why its not after you read this story of personal triumph. =)

      Tonight Lylah, Caitlin and I went out for cena. After much decision making and menu reading (I blame only myself) we picked a restaurant called Universo. We ordered off the menu given to us and displayed in the window - the menu of the day. It has a few parts, a first plate, second plate, and then you also get a drink, dessert and bread (Yes, like those deals at Fridays only better.) We all picked off a menu that cost 8.80 euros. 

      We ate and laughed - the waiter was nice, the food was filling and interesting. We even got free shots of non-alchohlic apple sweet liquid (you read that right, it was weird) because we are guapas “attractive.” 

    Then came the check. It had random coffees and other things on it and the waiter explained it was because Lylah had only had part of the meal (true) and it was easier to put it in that way (ok, fine). Caitlin and I had been charged for the more expensive menu, 10.80 euros. I told him we didn’t eat that and he said he’d go talk to the owner. 

     Then he came back and said “I’m sorry this time it is more expensive.” He proceeded to explain that because we had eaten at night we were eating the “menu of the night” as opposed to the “menu of the day.” But there was nothing anywhere he could show us about the “menu of the night” besides making something up about the days of the week. He walked away and by then we were certain we were being ripped off because we are extranjeras “foreigners.” We considered leaving and paying for only what we had eaten, probably looking visibly agitated, when he returned yet again. I barely had the words “I can’t believe this” out of my mouth before he placed a third, correct check on the table and told us the owner had given us the cheeper price because we were gaupas. Then he said in Spain there is both a day and night menu. I said all the other restaurants only had a day menu, and he said yes maybe in other places. And he said all of this with a smile. We left, full of what was good food, but with a sour taste for the establishment. 

     When we got home, I asked Señora if there is a night menu and she said no, you can eat the menu of the day at any time. We then proceeded to tell the story of the check. That is when she said “You are already becoming a Madrileña, because Madrileños complain a lot.”  

See, a total compliment!

It was quite a triumph - for being able to communicate clearly in Spanish and for three american girls to fight for their right to not be taken advantage of.