Spanish Phrase
¡Estaba todo riquísimo!
Meaning
The speaker is exclaiming that everything they ate (or everything present) was extremely tasty. The use of the imperfect conveys a lingering, overall impression of the meal rather than a single moment.
When to use
Use this phrase right after a meal, a tasting session, or any situation where you want to praise the overall quality of food. It works well in informal gatherings, family meals, or when writing a quick review on social media.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Estabatodoriquísimo
Imperfect of estar
Estaba is the imperfect form of estar, used to describe a past state or condition that was ongoing or descriptive.
Todo as an intensifier
When placed before an adjective, todo works like ‘completely’ or ‘entirely’, emphasizing the whole of something.
Absolute superlative –ísimo
Riquísimo is the absolute superlative of rico (delicious). The suffix -ísimo adds the meaning ‘extremely, very’.
🗨In Conversation
¿Cómo estuvo la cena anoche?
How was dinner last night?
¡Estaba todo riquísimo!
Everything was delicious!
✕Common Mistakes
Estaba todo rico.
Using the regular adjective ‘rico’ loses the extra emphasis that -ísimo provides.
Todo estaba riquísimo.
The adverb todo should precede the adjective, not the verb; otherwise the sentence sounds awkward.
Estuvo todo riquísimo.
Estuvo is the preterite, which describes a completed action; the imperfect ‘estaba’ better conveys the overall impression of the whole meal.
↔Alternatives
¡Todo estaba delicioso!
Everything was delicious!
¡Estaba todo sabroso!
Everything was tasty!
¡Todo estaba riquísimo!
Everything was extremely tasty!
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries, especially in Latin America, riquísimo is a common, informal way to rave about food. The superlative -ísimo can be attached to most adjectives, but with adjectives ending in -co/-ca (rico) the spelling changes to -quísimo to keep the hard ‘k’ sound. Remember that todo placed before the adjective intensifies the whole, not just a part of it, so ¡Estaba todo riquísimo! sounds more enthusiastic than simply ¡Estaba riquísimo!.