Learn Uruguay before you go

10 phrases to learn

In Spanish (Uruguayan, Rioplatense). Capital letters show the stressed part. Tap the heart to practise a phrase later.

At the table

• An asado is slow. Expect a picada of cheese, olives, salami and bread first, often with an aperitif such as medio y medio, a mix of sparkling and white wine first made at the Mercado del Puerto in Montevideo.
• Mate is shared. One person prepares the gourd, fills it with hot water and hands it to each person in turn. Drink it all through the straw and hand it back to the same person. Do not stir the straw.
• On the 29th of the month, many families eat gnocchi and put a banknote or coin under the plate for luck. Join in if you are invited.
• Friends and acquaintances usually greet each other with a single kiss on the cheek, and in Uruguay men often greet each other this way too. A handshake is fine if you prefer.
• Many restaurants add a cover charge to the bill. A tip of about 10 percent is usual for good service, but it is not compulsory.
• In pizzerias, try your pizza 'a caballo', with a slice of fainá on top. It is completely normal to eat it with your hands.

Local tips

Dishes to try

• Asado: The Uruguayan barbecue, and a social ritual as much as a meal. Beef ribs (tira de asado), sausages (chorizo), black pudding (morcilla), offal and other cuts are cooked slowly over wood embers on a large grill. Many Uruguayan homes have a brick and iron grill on the patio, and in Montevideo's Mercado del Puerto you can eat asado at the counter.
• Chivito: Uruguay's national dish: a huge sandwich of thin grilled beef steak with ham, mozzarella, bacon, tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise, olives and a fried or hard-boiled egg, usually served with chips. Chivito al plato comes on a plate, without the bun.
• Choripán: A grilled chorizo sausage split in half and served in bread, often with sauces such as salsa criolla, a mix of chopped tomato and onion. It is a favourite street food and the first thing off the grill at many asados.
• Milanesa: A thin slice of beef or chicken dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and fried. It comes 'a la napolitana' with tomato sauce, ham and melted cheese, 'a caballo' (on horseback) with fried eggs on top, or 'al pan' as a big sandwich.
• Matambre relleno: A thin, wide cut of beef rolled around a filling of spinach, carrots and hard-boiled eggs, tied with string, boiled, pressed and served cold in slices, which show a colourful spiral.
• Pascualina (Torta pascualina): A savoury pie of thin pastry filled with chard or spinach, cheese and eggs. Whole eggs are broken into hollows in the filling, so each slice shows a hard-cooked egg. It is a favourite family dish, brought by Italian immigrants.
• Fainá: A thin, flat bake of chickpea flour, water and olive oil, cut into slices and sprinkled with pepper. In pizzerias people order a slice of pizza with a slice of fainá on top, called 'pizza a caballo'.
• Capeletis a la Caruso: Small stuffed pasta (cappelletti) in a warm, rich sauce of cream, ham, mushrooms and a spoonful of beef extract, sometimes with onion or walnuts. It is Uruguay's own contribution to Italian-style pasta.

Cities to see

• Montevideo (capital): The Ciudad Vieja (Old City) and Plaza Independencia, The Rambla, a seafront promenade more than 22 km long, Carnival, candombe drums and the Estadio Centenario.
• Colonia del Sacramento: The cobbled Calle de los Suspiros, The lighthouse beside the ruins of a 17th-century convent, The old bullring, Real de San Carlos, now a cultural venue.
• Punta del Este: La Mano, the giant fingers in the sand, Casapueblo at nearby Punta Ballena, Sea lions on the Isla de Lobos.
• Atlántida: Eladio Dieste's brick church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, The calm Playa Mansa beach, Pine woods by the sea.
• Rocha: Gateway to Cabo Polonio, Lagoons along the Atlantic coast.
• Chuy: Duty-free shopping on the border avenue, The Fortaleza de Santa Teresa nearby, Quiet beaches nearby.

Landmarks and the city map are on the Uruguay trip