Which Spanish phrases matter most here?

“¿Tienen menú del día?” (Do you have a set lunch menu); “¿Qué hay de primero?” (What is there for the first course); “De primero tenemos lentejas, ensalada o gazpacho.” (For the first course we have lentils, salad or gazpacho). The full list is above.

Can I hear how they sound?

Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.

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 Spain. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Spanish phrases for ordering the lunch menu of the day in Spain

At a weekday lunch, ask “¿Tienen menú del día?”. The waiter explains what comes with it: “El menú incluye pan, bebida y postre o café”. Pick a first course and a main: “De primero, la sopa, y de segundo, el pollo”. Then say what you’ll drink: “Para beber, agua sin gas”.

Try it · about two minutes

At a local restaurant at lunchtime you order the fixed-price menu: a first course, a main, and dessert or coffee.

Sound on: the waiter speaks Spanish. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

How does the conversation usually go?

You sit down with a colleague at a busy restaurant at lunchtime. A board by the door mentions a menú del día, and the waiter comes to your table.
You
¿Tienen menú del día?
Do you have a set lunch menu?
Waiter
El menú incluye pan, bebida y postre o café.
The set menu comes with bread, a drink, and dessert or coffee.
You
¿Qué hay de primero?
What is there for the first course?
Waiter
De primero tenemos lentejas, ensalada o gazpacho.
For the first course we have lentils, salad or gazpacho.
You
De primero, el gazpacho, por favor.
For the first course, the gazpacho, please.
Waiter
Y de segundo tenemos pollo asado, merluza o filete de ternera.
And for the main course we have roast chicken, hake or veal steak.
You
De segundo, el pollo asado, por favor.
For the main course, the roast chicken, please.
Waiter
¿Qué van a beber?
What would you like to drink?
You
Para beber, agua sin gas.
Still water to drink.
Waiter
¿Quieren postre o café?
Would you like dessert or coffee?
You
De postre, el flan, por favor.
For dessert, the flan, please.

Which Spanish phrases do you need?

¿Tienen menú del día?
Do you have a set lunch menu?
¿Qué hay de primero?
What is there for the first course?
De primero tenemos lentejas, ensalada o gazpacho.
For the first course we have lentils, salad or gazpacho.
De primero, la sopa, y de segundo, el pollo.
The soup to start, and the chicken for the main course.
Para beber, agua sin gas.
Still water to drink.
¿Qué van a beber?
What would you like to drink?
El menú incluye pan, bebida y postre o café.
The set menu comes with bread, a drink, and dessert or coffee.
¿El café entra en el menú?
Is coffee included in the set menu?
¿Quieren postre o café?
Would you like dessert or coffee?
¿Se puede pedir medio menú?
Can you order a half set menu?

What is worth knowing in Spain?

How a menú del día works

1
It’s a lunchtime offer, usually on weekdays, at one fixed price.
2
You pick a first course and a main course from a short list.
The soup to start, and the chicken for the main course.
3
Bread and a drink come with it, then dessert or coffee.
Still water to drink.

Look for the board

The menú del día is often written on a board or sheet by the door, with the courses and one price. Read it before you sit down, then order from it.

Half a menu

Some restaurants will let you take less than the full set, such as fewer courses. It never hurts to ask.

¿Se puede pedir medio menú?

Can you order a half set menu?

Questions about this situation

Which Spanish phrases matter most here?: “¿Tienen menú del día?” (Do you have a set lunch menu); “¿Qué hay de primero?” (What is there for the first course); “De primero tenemos lentejas, ensalada o gazpacho.” (For the first course we have lentils, salad or gazpacho). The full list is above.
Can I hear how they sound?: Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.
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 Spain. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Related situations in Spanish

All situations in Spanish

Practise these phrases in Frasa

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AI-generated. May be inaccurate.