Turning the tables.

When we travel around other countries of Europe we are often amused, and occasionally annoyed, by the ridiculously bad translations of menu items from whatever the language of the country happens to be into English. We see it as well in museums and stately homes on explanatory notices. It’s also there in tourist office brochures. Today I have come across the reverse. 

In Uppermill, the biggest of the villages that together make up Saddleworth, a new restaurant opened last August. Its name: Rioja. Its description: Tapas bar. It’s on the main street and has what it refers to as “the secret garden” round the back. 

Now, I’ve never been in so I can’t comment on the food. It gets some good reviews on Trip Advisor but also a few bad ones, although those were mostly about it being a bit cramped. 

Here’s a sample of a good one: 

“Visited Uppermill on a wet Saturday lunchtime and noticed Rioja tapas restaurant. Liked the look of the menu and took my mother in for lunch. Not crowded, but a lovely ambience and a warm welcome from Karen. All the dishes we ordered were excellent, particularly the patatas bravos and the albondigas. Good sized portions - more like raciones than tapas. The aioli was superb! 

 The talented chef is a 22 year-old Englishman who must have spent quite some time in Spain.” 

Someone else described the food as “Best tapas ever”. Somehow I doubt that because I’ve been to San Sebastián where they do have the most excellent tapas. And I’ve had some pretty good ones in Santiago de Compostela. 

However, until I’ve actually sampled their wares it would be churlish of me to comment. Although I do think it’s a brave Englishman who tries to compete with the Spanish in the field of tapas. 

Anyway, this morning as I came to the end of my run I stopped to have a look at the menu. I didn’t get very far before I had to take a snapshot of part of that menu. 

I can just about accept that someone writing a review talks about “patatas bravOS” but I really think that a professionally printed menu should not talk about “calamares fritO”, “frito mixtA” or “GAMAS al ajillo” instead of “gamBas”. No adjective agreement and poor spelling. It wouldn’t have done in my GCSE Spanish classes, I can tell you. 

You can call me picky but the 22 year-old Englishman may be a talented chef but either he didn’t pick up much Spanish grammar while learning to cook or his professional training didn’t include proof-reading the menu before he put it up. Possibly both those things apply. 

Oh dear! It’s a good job I’m off to Galicia soon!