What is typically on the first course (primer plato) of a menú del día?

The first course (primer plato) of a menú del día is typically a lighter, starchier dish. Common options include: ensalada mixta (mixed salad), sopa de fideos (noodle soup), gazpacho (cold tomato soup), crema de verduras (vegetable cream soup), lentejas estofadas (stewed lentils), paella or arroz (rice dish), pasta, or macarrones (macaroni). First courses are lighter than the second and are designed to precede a more substantial meat or fish main.

What is typically on the second course (segundo plato) of a menú del día?

The second course (segundo plato) is the main protein dish. Common options include: pollo asado (roasted chicken), merluza a la plancha (grilled hake), lomo de cerdo (pork loin), ternera a la plancha (grilled beef), croquetas (fried croquettes), bacalao (cod, various preparations), and chuletas de cordero (lamb chops). The options change daily based on what the kitchen has. Fish options are common on Fridays in many parts of Spain.

← Guides · By Ray Lei · Published 2026-11-14

What is the menú del día in Spain and what does it include?

Q: What is the menú del día?

The menú del día (menu of the day) is a set lunch served by most Spanish restaurants from Monday to Friday, typically between 1pm and 4pm. It includes a first course (primer plato), a second course (segundo plato), and dessert or coffee (postre o café). Bread and usually water or house wine are included. The courses are chosen from a limited daily selection — the server will tell you the options or hand you a small card listing them. It represents a fuller meal than ordering à la carte for the same spend.

Q: How do you order the menú del día?

To ask if a restaurant serves a menú del día, say: ¿Tienen menú del día? (Do you have a set lunch menu?). If yes, the server will hand you a small card or recite the daily options. You choose one item from the first course options and one from the second. Bread arrives automatically. At the end, you choose dessert (postre) or coffee (café). The server may ask: ¿Qué va a tomar de primero? (What will you have as a first course?) and ¿Y de segundo? (And as a second course?).

The menú del día is Spain's traditional weekday set lunch. Available Monday through Friday, roughly 1–4pm, it includes a first course (primer plato), a second course (segundo plato), dessert or coffee, bread, and usually water or house wine. Everything is included for one fixed price. It is how most working Spaniards eat lunch.

The menú del día is one of the most practical and culturally embedded dining traditions in Spain. It emerged from labor regulations in the mid-twentieth century requiring employers to provide midday meals for workers, and evolved into a fixture of Spanish restaurant culture. Today it is available at the majority of neighborhood restaurants in every Spanish city and town, and it remains the way most locals eat a full lunch on a working day.

For travelers, the menú del día is an opportunity to eat an excellent, filling, three-course lunch that includes drinks and bread — without navigating a full à la carte menu or guessing at prices. The catch is that it is only available at lunch, on weekdays, and only for the midday service (typically 1pm to 4pm, though this varies by region and restaurant).

What the menú del día includes

Course	Spanish	Typical options
First course	Primer plato	Salad (ensalada), soup (sopa), lentils (lentejas), rice (arroz/paella), pasta, gazpacho, vegetable cream soup (crema de verduras)
Second course	Segundo plato	Grilled fish (pescado a la plancha), roast chicken (pollo asado), pork loin (lomo), grilled beef (ternera), cod (bacalao), croquettes, lamb chops (chuletas)
Dessert or coffee	Postre o café	Flan (caramel custard), yogurt (yogur), fresh fruit (fruta), ice cream (helado), café solo, café con leche
Bread	Pan	Arrives automatically — crusty bread, usually a baguette-style roll or sliced baguette
Drink	Bebida	Usually water (agua), house wine (vino de la casa), or beer (cerveza). Some include a soft drink. Confirm what is included.

How to order the menú del día

Ask if it is available. When you sit down at a restaurant at midday on a weekday, ask: ¿Tienen menú del día? (Do you have a set lunch menu?). At many restaurants it is offered automatically; at others you need to ask.
Receive the options. The server will hand you a small printed card or recite the day's choices. Options change daily. You will typically choose one item from two or three first-course options and one from two or three second-course options.
Order your courses. The server will ask: ¿Qué va a tomar de primero? (What will you have as a first course?) followed by ¿Y de segundo? (And as a second course?).
Bread arrives automatically. You do not need to order it. In some regions extra bread is charged separately — this is uncommon but worth checking if you are budget-conscious.
End with dessert or coffee. At the end of the meal, the server will ask about postre o café (dessert or coffee). Both are included in the set price.

Menú del día vs. la carta: key differences

Feature	Menú del día	La carta (à la carte)
When available	Weekday lunchtimes only (approx. 1–4pm)	Any time the restaurant is open
Course structure	Fixed: first, second, dessert/coffee, bread, drink	Flexible: order whatever you want from the full menu
Choice	Limited daily options (usually 2–4 per course)	Full menu available
Value	More affordable for a full three-course meal with drinks	More expensive per equivalent amount of food and drink
Who uses it	Locals on working day lunches; travelers who know to ask	Evenings, weekends, visitors who don't know about the menú

Practical notes

The menú del día is a weekday lunch tradition, not available evenings or weekends. On Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes, some restaurants continue to offer a weekend version, but it is less universal. In the evening, you eat from la carta.
Ask what is included in the drink. The standard is water and house wine or beer. Some restaurants include any soft drink; others charge extra for anything beyond water. Confirm before ordering to avoid surprises.
The menu card changes daily. Do not expect the same options two days in a row. The first course options are often lighter starch-and-vegetable dishes; the second course is the main protein.
Regional variation exists. In some regions, particularly in the north of Spain (Basque Country, Galicia), the menú del día may include more courses or more elaborate options. In touristy coastal areas, some restaurants offer a simplified version aimed at tourists.
Not every restaurant offers a menú del día. Fine dining establishments, tapas bars, and some tourist-oriented restaurants do not offer a set lunch. The best menú del día experiences are typically at neighborhood restaurants (restaurantes de barrio) where locals eat regularly.
To scan a Spanish menu and understand what a dish is before choosing it from the menú del día options, ChefBear can translate Spanish menus and explain each dish.

Frequently asked questions

What is the menú del día?

The menú del día is a set lunch served by most Spanish restaurants Monday to Friday, typically 1pm to 4pm. It includes a first course, second course, dessert or coffee, bread, and usually water or house wine — all for a single set price.

What is typically on the first course of a menú del día?

The first course (primer plato) is typically lighter: mixed salad, noodle soup, gazpacho, vegetable cream soup, lentils, rice, or pasta. It precedes a more substantial meat or fish main course.

What is typically on the second course of a menú del día?

The second course (segundo plato) is the main protein: grilled fish, roast chicken, pork loin, grilled beef, cod, croquettes, or lamb chops. Options change daily based on what the kitchen has.

What is the difference between the menú del día and la carta?

The menú del día is a fixed set lunch at a single price, available weekday middays only. La carta is the full à la carte menu, available any time the restaurant is open. The menú del día is more affordable for a full three-course meal with drinks; la carta gives more flexibility and choice.

How do you order the menú del día?

Ask: ¿Tienen menú del día? The server will tell you the day's options or hand you a card. Choose one first course and one second course. Bread arrives automatically. End with dessert or coffee — both included.