Menú del día: how Spain's set lunch works and where to find a good one
Walk down almost any street on the Costa del Sol on a weekday around one o’clock and you’ll see them: chalkboards propped outside bars and small restaurants, chalked up with the words Menú del día and a list of dishes. Inside, builders, office workers, shop staff and pensioners sit down to a proper three-course lunch with bread and a drink, and pay less than many tourist places charge for a main course alone.
The menú del día is one of the great Spanish institutions, and one of the best ways to eat well on holiday without spending much. It also tells you a lot about a place: a good one is honest home cooking, a bad one is microwaved disappointment. Here is how it works, what to expect to pay and how to tell them apart.
What you get
The format is almost always the same. You choose a primer plato (first course) and a segundo plato (main course) from a short list, usually three or four options each, followed by postre (dessert) or coffee. Bread is included, and so is a drink: typically a glass of wine, a beer, a soft drink or water. In some places the wine comes as a bottle on the table, and in others you choose between dessert and coffee rather than getting both.
The tradition goes back to 1964, when Spain’s tourism ministry introduced a compulsory, affordable fixed-price ‘menú turístico’ in restaurants. The rule disappeared long ago, but the habit stuck, and today the menú del día is part of working life: a filling, sit-down lunch is still the main meal of the day for many Spaniards.
Good to know
- Usually served Monday to Friday, roughly 13:00 to 16:00
- Average price in Andalusia: €13.40 (Hostelería de España and Edenred survey, November 2025)
- Spanish national average in the same survey: €14.20
- Menu prices in Spain must include VAT (IVA); service charge is not added
- Bread and one drink are normally included; extra drinks are charged separately
- Some places offer a pricier weekend menu (menú de fin de semana)
What it costs on the Costa del Sol
According to a survey of the hospitality sector published in November 2025, the average menú del día in Andalusia costs €13.40, among the cheapest in Spain, against a national average of €14.20. Prices have crept up every year, and on the coast they vary a lot by location. In residential neighbourhoods, industrial estates and inland villages you can still find menus in the low teens. Along the seafront, in the busiest tourist streets and in places like Marbella and Puerto Banús, expect to pay noticeably more, and some upmarket restaurants offer a more elaborate ‘menú ejecutivo’ at a higher price. Treat any price well below the average with some caution: it is usually a sign of shortcuts in the kitchen.
How to spot a good one
- A handwritten board that changes daily. If the menu is printed, laminated and in five languages, it is probably not cooked fresh each day.
- Local customers. Workers in overalls and office lanyards know where the good food is. A full room at 14:00 on a Tuesday is the best recommendation you’ll get.
- Seasonal dishes. Gazpacho and salmorejo in summer, stews and legumes in winter, fish that changes with the market.
- A short list. Three or four dishes per course is a sign of a kitchen cooking for the day, not reheating from a huge freezer.
- Homemade desserts. Look for ‘casero’ next to the flan, rice pudding (arroz con leche) or tarta. Bought-in ice cream is a weaker sign.
Local tip
Arrive around 13:30. You get the full choice of dishes before the popular ones run out, and a table before the local lunch crowd fills the room at 14:00.
What you'll find on the board
First courses are often salads, soups, legumes or pasta: ensalada mixta, gazpacho, salmorejo (a thicker cold tomato soup topped with egg and ham), lentejas (lentil stew), potaje (a chickpea stew), sopa de picadillo, macarrones or a rice dish. Main courses tend to be a choice of meat and fish: grilled pork loin, chicken, meatballs in sauce, fried or grilled fish, squid, sometimes a stew like carrillada (slow-cooked pork cheek). Mains usually come with chips, salad or vegetables.
Useful vocabulary
- Primero / segundo / postre: first course / main course / dessert
- Bebida incluida: drink included
- Pan: bread
- A la plancha: grilled on a hot plate
- Frito / al horno / guisado: fried / baked / stewed
- Casero: homemade
- Postre o café: dessert or coffee (choose one)
- ¿Qué tienen hoy de menú? What’s on the set menu today?
Menú del día or plato combinado?
Don’t confuse the menú del día with the plato combinado, the single plate of, say, a pork chop, fried egg, chips and salad that many cafés serve all day. It is cheaper and quicker, but it is not a sit-down lunch with courses. Beware too of the ‘tourist menu’ boards with photos of paella and sangria on the busiest seafront streets: they may look similar, but they are usually aimed at visitors rather than the daily local trade, and the cooking reflects it.
Vegetarian and special diets
The menú del día has traditionally been meat- and fish-heavy, but it is easier to eat vegetarian than it once was. Many first courses are, or can be made, meat-free: gazpacho, salads, grilled vegetables, pasta and rice dishes. Be careful with the obvious-looking options, though. An ensalada mixta usually comes with tuna and egg, and legume stews are often cooked with chorizo or ham bones. Ask: ¿Esto lleva carne o pescado? (Does this contain meat or fish?) or ¿Me lo puede hacer sin jamón? (Could you make it without ham?). Kitchens are generally willing to help if you ask before ordering. For allergies, restaurants in Spain are required to provide information on the 14 main allergens, so just ask for it.
Dessert, coffee and paying
After the main course, the waiter will ask ¿Postre o café? If the menu includes only one, choose; if you want both, the second is charged separately. Coffee options include café solo (espresso), cortado (with a splash of milk) and café con leche. You’ll need to ask for the bill, as it won’t be brought until you do. The price on the board includes IVA, and tipping is optional: leaving the small change is perfectly normal.
Eating in and eating out on a longer stay
On a longer stay, a weekday menú del día can become a pleasant routine: a proper lunch out, then a light supper at home with something from the market. If you are planning a few weeks or months on the coast, have a look at our long-term rentals, our guide to supermarkets for stocking the kitchen, and our pages on restaurants and tapas. Homeowners renting to long-stay guests can list their property with us.
Top photo: Rafa Esteve, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a menú del día cost on the Costa del Sol?
The average in Andalusia was €13.40 in a survey published in November 2025. On the coast, prices are often higher in tourist areas and lower in residential districts and inland villages.
Is the menú del día available at weekends?
Usually it is a weekday lunch, Monday to Friday. Some restaurants offer a weekend menu, which normally costs more.
Are drinks included in the menú del día?
Normally one drink is included, such as a glass of wine, a beer, a soft drink or water, along with bread. Extra drinks are charged separately.
Is VAT included in the price?
Yes. In Spain the price shown on the menu must include IVA, so the board price is what you pay, unless you order extras.
Can vegetarians eat a menú del día?
Often, yes, especially with first courses like gazpacho, salads and vegetable dishes. Ask whether stews and salads contain meat, ham or tuna, and whether the kitchen can adapt a dish.
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