Menú del Día, it’s a wonderful thing

I do love the tradition of vermut in Madrid. A close second (if I had to rank them) is the tradition of the menú del día. A weekday lunch. It’s not like any lunch I ever had during my working days, but in Spain, having a three course meal in the middle of your work day is not unusual. It’s a tradition. This hearty ritual serves up a starter, main, dessert, bread, and a drink. All for one fixed price. Only Monday to Friday.

The service is quick. The options are plenty. And the good places get really, really busy. 

So when I first stepped into Restaurante El Bierzo (in the Chueca neighbourhood in Madrid) shortly after opening time I hesitated. It was completely empty. The elderly gentleman showed me to a table by the window and handed me the menu. I placed my order and sat alone with my drink. Still no one. My primero arrived and I was still alone. One bite and any doubts vanished. It was utterly delicious. The pisto con calabaza (similar to a ratatouille with squash) had a slight sweetness from the roasted vegetables and the fried egg on top was good and runny. I did not care I was the lone diner. I cleaned my plate.

I was not alone for much longer. Like a stage ready for the director to call “action!” people started to take their places. The tables filled up as I happily ate my segundo: a flaky white fish (merluza) prepared on the grill (a la plancha) with crisp fries. The noise level continued to build.  By the time my housemade dessert, called natilla, was served, the volume crescendoed. As I enjoyed my creamy custard with a digestive cookie and sprinkle of cinnamon, I noticed every single table was packed. The space was alive with chatter, clinking of plates, and servers shouting orders to be heard above the crowd. People without reservations were turned away.

I was lucky to have my little table by the window. “Tengo suerte,” I said to my server as I paid the bill (14 euros). She said everyone wants to eat around 2 or 2:30 pm so coming early is best.

The last thing I heard as I stepped out on the street around 2:00 pm was her voice “Tiene reserva?” “Tiene reserva?” as hopeful dinners streamed in.

On another day in Madrid exploring the literary district, I joined the lunchtime queue at Restaurante La Sanabresa. The line of hungry dinners quickly lengthened behind me. When I was shown my table the servers were dashing about, carrying baskets of bread, trays of drinks, and plates of delicious looking food.

The 18 euro menú had at least a dozen choices for the primero and segundo. Overwhelmed, I asked my server for help picking a vegetable starter. He recommended the mixed vegetables (verderas mixtas). The perfectly cooked vegetables, a dark leafy green, flecked with slices of carrots and cauliflower florets were pipping hot and intensely garlicky. This was followed by a beautifully cooked whole fish lupina (sea bass) with crispy skin. For dessert I stuck to a traditional dessert (like natilla above). I normally don’t like flans and custards but I thoroughly enjoyed the house flan with a toasty burnt caramel sauce.

La Musa, a contemporary restaurant in Malasaña neighbourhood, had a short menú (12.50 euros). The two options for each course change daily. The place was buzzing when I arrived. The colourful fairy lights strung on the walls gave the funky restaurant a festive vibe. I started with a comforting lentil soup. The main was a tasty stir fry of black noodles tinted with squid ink, chipirones (small squid) and vegetables. It was tasty but also really filling so I chose a café (generally an option on a menú del día instead of dessert).

It is not all restaurants that offer a menú del día but it is a tradition all over Spain. The menú reflects the culinary traditions of the area (like in Valencia where a rice dish was often a starter). I have learned to ask “Hay un menú del día?” if I don’t see one posted. As long as there is something I like (and I feel like a hearty meal!) the menú del día is good value.

And if the place is heaving by 2 pm it’s a good sign. The tables filled with happy diners and animated chatter. It’s a tad chaotic. Transitioning from the boisterous interior, belly full, back into the daylight is an adjustment. The streets feel tranquil. And I feel lucky to have snagged a table.