Which Portuguese phrases matter most here?

“Qual é o prato do dia?” (What is the dish of the day); “Pode trazer a ementa, por favor?” (Could you bring the menu, please); “Vou querer o frango, por favor.” (I’ll have the chicken, please). The full list is above.

Can I hear how they sound?

Not yet: this page has no recordings so far. Each phrase comes with its meaning in English.

How can I practise this conversation?

Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Portugal. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Portuguese phrases for ordering the lunch menu of the day in Portugal

At lunchtime ask “Qual é o prato do dia?”. Many Portuguese restaurants offer a lunch special, often with soup, a drink and coffee. Order with “Vou querer o frango, por favor”, answer “Para beber, o que vão querer?” with “Água, por favor”, and finish with “Uma bica, por favor” and “A conta, por favor”.

Try it · about two minutes

At a local restaurant at lunchtime you order the set lunch: soup, a main, a drink, and coffee or dessert.

You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

How does the conversation usually go?

It’s one o’clock on a weekday, and the restaurant is filling up with people on their lunch break. You and a colleague are at your table.
You
Qual é o prato do dia?
What is the dish of the day?
Waiter
Hoje temos frango assado ou bacalhau com natas. Vem com sopa, bebida e café.
Today we have roast chicken or cod with cream. It comes with soup, a drink and coffee.
You
Vou querer o frango, por favor.
I’ll have the chicken, please.
Waiter
Para beber, o que vão querer?
What will you drink?
You
Água, por favor.
Water, please.
Waiter
Quer ver a lista de sobremesas?
Would you like to see the dessert list?
You
Sim, por favor.
Yes, please.
Waiter
Deseja mais alguma coisa?
Would you like anything else?
You
A conta, por favor.
The bill, please.
Waiter
Quer fatura com número de contribuinte?
Would you like an invoice with your tax number?
You
Sim, por favor.
Yes, please.

Which Portuguese phrases do you need?

Qual é o prato do dia?
What is the dish of the day?
Pode trazer a ementa, por favor?
Could you bring the menu, please?
Vou querer o frango, por favor.
I’ll have the chicken, please.
Queria a sopa, por favor.
I’d like the soup, please.
Para beber, o que vão querer?
What will you drink?
Água, por favor.
Water, please.
Quer ver a lista de sobremesas?
Would you like to see the dessert list?
Uma bica, por favor.
An espresso, please.
A conta, por favor.
The bill, please.
Quer fatura com número de contribuinte?
Would you like an invoice with your tax number?

What is worth knowing in Portugal?

Finding the set lunch

Look for a blackboard or a paper slip by the door. Prato do dia and menu do dia both mean the lunch special. What comes with it (soup, a drink, coffee or dessert) varies, so check the board. They are mostly served on weekdays.

Qual é o prato do dia?

What is the dish of the day?

How the set lunch goes

1
Pick your main. The soup usually comes first.
2
Choose a drink. It often comes with the set lunch.
Água, por favor.Water, please.
3
Finish with a coffee or a dessert, then ask for the bill.
A conta, por favor.The bill, please.

Coffee after lunch

Many people end lunch with a coffee rather than dessert. In Lisbon it is uma bica; elsewhere in Portugal, ask for um café.

Uma bica, por favor.

An espresso, please.

Questions about this situation

Which Portuguese phrases matter most here?: “Qual é o prato do dia?” (What is the dish of the day); “Pode trazer a ementa, por favor?” (Could you bring the menu, please); “Vou querer o frango, por favor.” (I’ll have the chicken, please). The full list is above.
Can I hear how they sound?: Not yet: this page has no recordings so far. Each phrase comes with its meaning in English.
How can I practise this conversation?: Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Portugal. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Related situations in Portuguese

All situations in Portuguese

Practise these phrases in Frasa

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AI-generated. May be inaccurate.