Eating a menú del dia is one of the small pleasures of everyday life in Spain. But not all menus are equal: some make your day and others make you regret your choice. After years of eating daily menus across Catalonia, we've learned to spot the signs that separate a good menu from a mediocre one. Here are seven tips that really work.
Look for the handwritten chalkboard. If a restaurant writes the daily menu each morning in chalk on a board, it's very likely cooking with fresh produce. It means the chef has been to the market or received the day's deliveries, decided what to prepare, and written the menu accordingly. A printed, laminated menu that never changes usually points to a more standardised kitchen. It's not an absolute rule, but it's right more often than not.
Arrive between one and two. Most restaurants prepare the daily menu in limited quantities, especially the more elaborate first courses and homemade desserts. If you turn up at half past two, the dish you wanted may already be gone. The best time is between one and two: you get the full selection, the food comes out freshly made and the service isn't yet overwhelmed. After two, restaurants fill up and the kitchen pace accelerates.
Ask if the drink is included. It seems obvious, but don't take it for granted. Most daily menus include a drink — water, soft drink, beer or a glass of wine — but some restaurants charge it separately, and the surprise comes with the bill. Ask before you sit down, especially in tourist areas. And check whether coffee is included: many neighbourhood restaurants offer it, but it's not universal.
Look for seasonal dishes. A daily menu offering courgette soup in July, mushrooms in October or escudella in January is cooking with seasonal produce, and that almost always means more flavour and better value (because abundant produce is cheaper). If you see asparagus in December or mushrooms in May, be wary: they probably come from a tin or from very far away.
Compare neighbourhood by neighbourhood. The price of a daily menu varies enormously depending on where you are. In Barcelona's tourist centre you might pay 16-18 euros for an unremarkable menu, while in residential neighbourhoods — Sants, Horta, Sant Andreu, el Clot — you'll find menus just as good or better for 12-14 euros. Neighbourhood restaurants depend on their regulars and can't afford to disappoint: the person at the next table eats there every day and, if the quality drops, won't come back.
Value homemade desserts. The little pot of custard, the house flan, the cake of the day: homemade desserts are a clear sign that the kitchen takes its daily menu seriously. If the dessert options are 'seasonal fruit, yoghurt or ice cream', it doesn't mean the restaurant is bad, but desserts aren't its priority. On the other hand, when you see 'homemade crema catalana' or 'house apple cake', you know someone took the trouble to make them that morning.
Use Menudia to save time. Finding a good daily menu used to mean walking, checking chalkboards and popping in to ask. Now you can browse the daily menus of restaurants near you on your phone with Menudia: you see the dishes, the price, the distance and other users' ratings. It doesn't replace the adventure of discovering a new restaurant on foot, but on those days when you're in a hurry and hungry, it's a tool you'll be grateful for.