Menu del dia or Menu de peregrino?

[sonhador]

Menu del dia or Menu de peregrino? Which do you prefer? Why? Mostly because I'm curious.

 

[SabsP]

Del dia. Sometimes only 2 € more expensive than the peregrino one but more choice . I find they offer more fresh veggies and the meat and fish is not always lomo or merluza.
And if you are afraid it will break the bank more this way : just skip one coffeebreak or instead of a bocadillo for lunch buy some supplies for your own picknick.

So yes Menu del dia!

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Menu del dia or Menu de peregrino? Which do you prefer? Why? Mostly because I'm curious.

Hi , del dia for me to.
Wish you well,Peter.

 

[jpflavin1]

Menu del dia or Menu de peregrino? Which do you prefer? Why? Mostly because I'm curious.

Sonhador:

As long as there is ice cream (helado), especially ice cream cake (pastel de helado), it is a good meal.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Charlotte Helbig]

Triple like Joe!
Although I haven't yet experienced a menu de peregrino, I have always found the menu del dia a good value and, as been stated above, a few more choices. It also usually includes a small bottle of vino tinto.
Buen Camino.

 

[Mike Savage]

Given the choice I always opt for menú del día.

 

[Tincatinker]

Menu del Dia; every time. If you are not certain which to choose just sit, quietly, with a drink and watch how many locals choose the Menu Peregrino. Coincidentally, if there are not any local people settling down to lunch then you are in the wrong comedor.

 

[trecile]

It also usually includes a small bottle of vino tinto.

As does the Menu de Peregrino.
I usually always ended up with the Peregrino meal, because I don't think that the menu del día is usually offered in the evening, and that's when I prefer to have my main meal, especially when wine is included.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

There's a difference?

 

[Tincatinker]

There's a difference?

No Jeff, not really. Please regard my post as a bit of 'cruise ship bluff'. There really isn't any difference between the three-courses plus a drink made from locally sourced ingredients, in season, and traditionally served between about 2 & 4pm for the local labourers, office workers and jubilados and the enselada/pasta/sopa de ajo - lomo/pollo/pesce - yogurt/flan traditionally served between 6 & 8pm to the local peregrinos.

The driver, the comfort perhaps, to the provider is that they will never serve the same pilgrim twice (well maybe in a year or so but never yet in a week) whereas if they are going to hold on to their local trade then they will have to provide buen provecho 6 days a week.

And pace @trecile the menu is provided in that afternoon slot and is the main meal of the day to many Spaniards. An evening meal that goes much further than soup & bread is for special occasions.

The CF has its own sub-culture catering to all these weirdos who have to be in bed by 10 (though I suspect that rule was introduced simply to make sure that the decent restaurants weren't over-booked ). I suppose it comes down to 'when in Rome do what the Romans do' though of course when that particular bunch of imperialist bullies were in Spain all they did was build roads and aqueducts and bridges and nick all the tin (pun intended).

 

[notion900]

Honestly I have never had bad food after a 25km walk and a couple of glasses of wine.

 

[notion900]

The driver, the comfort perhaps, to the provider is that they will never serve the same pilgrim twice.

But there's always the Sword of Damocles, the dreaded Trip Advisor hanging over them.
Look what happened in my neighbourhood. The customer has now entered local folklore as the 'Lemongrass Supergrass'.

 

[Tincatinker]

@notion900 thanks for that - but please be careful what you post. My spam blockers went into overtime and I'm not interested in how smudgy Nationwide are. We try to keep this place as free of 'social-media-advertising-its-just-information-and-hey' as possible: which isn't very, obviously. I did film the guy screaming "ketchup, I want ketchup. What kinduv restrant doesn't have ketchup?' but I've never posted it because I didn't want to upset his mum. I would have cheerfully exposed him as a complete ******** but I couldn't stop feeling sorry for his mum.

And as I have posted previously I used to make a reasonable living posting reviews on Tripe Advertiser which is why I view it as lest a Bronze sword and more a rubber-chicken.

Be careful out there everybody...

 

[Coleen Clark]

@notion900 thanks for that - but please be careful what you post. My spam blockers went into overtime and I'm not interested in how smudgy Nationwide are. We try to keep this place as free of 'social-media-advertising-its-just-information-and-hey' as possible: which isn't very, obviously. I did film the guy screaming "ketchup, I want ketchup. What kinduv restrant doesn't have ketchup?' but I've never posted it because I didn't want to upset his mum. I would have cheerfully exposed him as a complete ******** but I couldn't stop feeling sorry for his mum.

And as I have posted previously I used to make a reasonable living posting reviews on Tripe Advertiser which is why I view it as lest a Bronze sword and more a rubber-chicken.

Be careful out there everybody...

Speaking of Rubber Chicken, I prefer Menu del Dia, but I have had a few meals on the path that took more wine than others to swallow.
That being said, sometimes the paella at the donativo hit the spot better than the Pilgrim's Menu the night before.
Ya rolls the dice and ya takes ya chances.

 

[jsalt]

Menu del Dia. At lunch time. The Pilgrim Menu at 7pm is for all the foreigners (i.e. non-Europeans) whose main meal of the day is usually in the evening. The Spanish have their main meal at lunch time (which is why you get only coffee, toast and jam for breakfast). They had to introduce something to keep the foreigners happy and they came up with the Pilgrim Menu, which is a cheap version of the Menu del Dia. It fills you up, so you are stuffed full when you go to bed at 10pm. I prefer to do as the Spanish do, have the Menu del Dia at lunch time, relax for another hour or two, walk another hour or two, and in the evening have a glass of vino tinto and some tapas.
Jill

 

[Camino Chrissy]

No Jeff, not really. Please regard my post as a bit of 'cruise ship bluff'. There really isn't any difference between the three-courses plus a drink made from locally sourced ingredients, in season, and traditionally served between about 2 & 4pm for the local labourers, office workers and jubilados and the enselada/pasta/sopa de ajo - lomo/pollo/pesce - yogurt/flan traditionally served between 6 & 8pm to the local peregrinos.

The driver, the comfort perhaps, to the provider is that they will never serve the same pilgrim twice (well maybe in a year or so but never yet in a week) whereas if they are going to hold on to their local trade then they will have to provide buen provecho 6 days a week.

And pace @trecile the menu is provided in that afternoon slot and is the main meal of the day to many Spaniards. An evening meal that goes much further than soup & bread is for special occasions.

The CF has its own sub-culture catering to all these weirdos who have to be in bed by 10 (though I suspect that rule was introduced simply to make sure that the decent restaurants weren't over-booked ). I suppose it comes down to 'when in Rome do what the Romans do' though of course when that particular bunch of imperialist bullies were in Spain all they did was build roads and aqueducts and bridges and nick all the tin (pun intended).

I thought the albergues' closed their doors at 10pm to reduce the numbers of late night partiers from disturbing the rest of the sleeping angels in their bunks.

 

[Glenn Rowe]

Honestly I have never had bad food after a 25km walk and a couple of glasses of wine.

With emphasis on the words you wrote AFTER the 'and', of course...!

For me it would be "e dos cervezas..."

 

[Hutton24]

Honestly I have never had bad food after a 25km walk and a couple of glasses of wine.

The couple of glasses of wine make any bad meal ok lol

 

[Kanga]

Menu del Dia for me too. Between 2 and 4pm. If eating out at night I prefer a few tapas.

 

[notion900]

@notion900 thanks for that - but please be careful what you post. Be careful out there everybody...

Baffled: it's a link to the local paper in London Evening Standard. Not spam or social media.

 

[The Austrian]

Neither. A la Carte or Tapas.
One Pilgrim's meal was enough for me.

 

[Dsavid Keyte]

Menu del dia or Menu de peregrino? Which do you prefer? Why? Mostly because I'm curious.

Menu del dia, without a doubt

 

[Dougyharry]

No Jeff, not really. Please regard my post as a bit of 'cruise ship bluff'. There really isn't any difference between the three-courses plus a drink made from locally sourced ingredients, in season, and traditionally served between about 2 & 4pm for the local labourers, office workers and jubilados and the enselada/pasta/sopa de ajo - lomo/pollo/pesce - yogurt/flan traditionally served between 6 & 8pm to the local peregrinos.

The driver, the comfort perhaps, to the provider is that they will never serve the same pilgrim twice (well maybe in a year or so but never yet in a week) whereas if they are going to hold on to their local trade then they will have to provide buen provecho 6 days a week.

And pace @trecile the menu is provided in that afternoon slot and is the main meal of the day to many Spaniards. An evening meal that goes much further than soup & bread is for special occasions.

The CF has its own sub-culture catering to all these weirdos who have to be in bed by 10 (though I suspect that rule was introduced simply to make sure that the decent restaurants weren't over-booked ). I suppose it comes down to 'when in Rome do what the Romans do' though of course when that particular bunch of imperialist bullies were in Spain all they did was build roads and aqueducts and bridges and nick all the tin (pun intended).

Yes - what did the Romans ever do for Spain??

 

[John Sikora]

Normally, I'd opt for the del dia as well since it's only a couple of euros more expensive in most cases. Don't forget to look at the specialty of the house as well. Sometimes for 5-10 euros more you can get what the cook likes to cook. If its something you like it's worth it just because of the freshness of the food, the fun of often having the chef or owner come out and talk about what they cooked, and to get something different besides pork loin, chicken legs, cod, and sausage. Just for a treat.

 

[jpflavin1]

Yes - what did the Romans ever do for Spain??

They built infrastructure like roads, aqueducts etc.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Menu del dia hands down. But ask the hospy where to go as quality my varry greatly. While I still remember menus de dia from 3 years ago with fondness I canno say that about any tourist trap, sorry!, pilgrim menu.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

... and if three courses at 12 euros is too much for you, there are often "Platos Combinados," usually 6 euros, for a plate of eggs, sausage, fries, some kind of meat, bread, and a drink. Usually carb-heavy "bar food" that's delicious if not overly nutritious. No dessert or bottle O wine, but wth.
Pilgrim fuel, quick, cheap, and easy.

 

[Nanc]

neither- TOO much food ( though some places do sell a 1 entre pilgrim menu, I didnt' eat bread nor drink wine, and didn't care for dessert most of the time
I went ala cart- lentil soup plenty filling enough
or a plate of pulpo , morcilla with eggs, ensalada mixta etc

 

[jo webber]

a plate of eggs, sausage, fries, some kind of meat, bread, and a drink

That sounds like a perfect meal to me.

 

[Coleen Clark]

neither- TOO much food ( though some places do sell a 1 entre pilgrim menu, I didnt' eat bread nor drink wine, and didn't care for dessert most of the time
I went ala cart- lentil soup plenty filling enough
or a plate of pulpo , morcilla with eggs, ensalada mixta etc

I will sit next to you and help you out. I will take your bread, your dessert, and if I have to (sigh) oh all right, I'll take your wine too. You're welcome dear.

 

[Nanc]

ok next time we go together and split !

 

[Melensdad]

Menu del dia or Menu de peregrino? Which do you prefer? Why? Mostly because I'm curious.

NEITHER

Eat local food in the local bars, cafes and restaurants!

Granted that is not always possible, but is is possible in more places than people think. Find a local place, meet the local people, interact and learn/immerse yourself in the local culture.

The pilgrim meals are typically awful. We made it our practice, after a few attempts at pilgrim/daily meals, to avoid them at almost all costs. We walked past the places that had the signboards out from advertising for pilgrims. Our best meals were at kitchen tables of Spaniards and at local establishments that feed locals.

 

[SabsP]

NEITHER

Eat local food in the local bars, cafes and restaurants!

Granted that is not always possible, but is is possible in more places than people think. Find a local place, meet the local people, interact and learn/immerse yourself in the local culture.

The pilgrim meals are typically awful. We made it our practice, after a few attempts at pilgrim/daily meals, to avoid them at almost all costs. We walked past the places that had the signboards out from advertising for pilgrims. Our best meals were at kitchen tables of Spaniards and at local establishments that feed locals.

Euh sorry but the menu del dia is what the locals eat...That is just the essence of the menu del dia : local food in local establishments for the local workers!

 

[Jacobus]

Menu del dia or Menu de peregrino? Which do you prefer? Why? Mostly because I'm curious.

My preferences have evolved as my caminos accumulate. I considered nothing other than albergues and menu de peregrinos on my first.
On my second I stayed in a pension on 2 occasions and ate a few del dias.
My third saw pensions, hotels and proper restauraunts. On my fourth I stayed in private accomodation mostly and ate in tapas bars where available and proper restaurants serving recognizable food groups. Not that the menu's weren't enjoyable. I wanted to change my experiences.
Later Caminos saw me in Parador accomodation and a few other up scale places that had outstanding restaurants.
I was always solo or as solo as one can be while walking in a pod otherwise known as a Camino Family.
Wine was always a factor and as I learned more about Spanish and Portuguese wines I selected eateries that offered reservas.
In June I will be sharing camino Portuguese with my daughter. As this is her first I anticipate and I am actually planning for a return to basics. I feel strongly for no reason that I can point out that albergues and menus must be experienced in order to appreciate the Camino.

 

[camino-david]

1. Menu del Dia is better quality than Menu de Peregrino and worth the extra euros
2. I have never seen a 'small' bottle of wine in Spain - always the 750ml size

 

[Dougyharry]

They built infrastructure like roads, aqueducts etc.

Monty Python - What did the Romans ever do for us?

 

[jpflavin1]

NEITHER

Eat local food in the local bars, cafes and restaurants!

Granted that is not always possible, but is is possible in more places than people think. Find a local place, meet the local people, interact and learn/immerse yourself in the local culture.

The pilgrim meals are typically awful. We made it our practice, after a few attempts at pilgrim/daily meals, to avoid them at almost all costs. We walked past the places that had the signboards out from advertising for pilgrims. Our best meals were at kitchen tables of Spaniards and at local establishments that feed locals.

This is great advice assuming you speak Spanish. Otherwise it will be a quiet meal with a lot of smiling..

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Melensdad]

This is great advice assuming you speak Spanish. Otherwise it will be a quiet meal with a lot of smiling..

Ultreya,
Joe

I speak only enough Spanish to order Whisky, secure a bed and find a bathroom. My advice stands.

Euh sorry but the menu del dia is what the locals eat...That is just the essence of the menu del dia : local food in local establishments for the local workers!

Many of the tourist restaurants offered both. Neither good. We sought out places that primarily catered to locals wherever possible.

 

[sonhador]

I just want to do a quick thank you to everyone for taking the time to respond! It's nice to get a lot of different viewpoints sometimes. 7 weeks to go now!

 

[Glenn Rowe]

I speak only enough Spanish to order Whisky, secure a bed and find a bathroom. My advice stands.

Mi Espanol de California is only slightly better. During our nearly month-long self guided tour of southern Spain a few years back, I found that as long as I tried (often with a sheepish grin), the locals would often work very hard to help.

I found it possible to get along fairly well with only limited Spanish words and phrases, particularly if they are accompanied by smiles & gestures, and seasoned/flavored with both humor and gratitude.

 

[november_moon]

Yes, the Menu del Dia is a Spanish tradition - it started as a way for workers to have a cheap meal mid-day without going home. Some places the Menu del Dia will be better than others, and in some places, it will be really REALLY good.

As for the pilgrims menus, some will be barely edible and some will be quite good - and sometimes, regardless of the quality of the food, these meals will be the most memorable of the Camino because of the company and the setting. And in some places, the pilgrim menu is the only option for dinner, so you go with it, whatever it is

 

[Marbe2]

Sometimes I pick neither...dia is my preference of the two! Sometimes, I pick a meal. Recently got decent lamb chops, potatoes and salad for 10 euros plus bread (.80) and ordered 1.5 liters of bottled water for 2 and for 12.80 euros I ate well!

 

[marbuck]

Casa Rural's are the best for food and accommodation. You will always get a wonderful meal, the rooms are always good and the wine is always better. If ever I walk the CF again I will try and stay in as many CR as possible. It will cost you more but the experience is worth it.

 

[Pelegrin]

Yes, the Menu del Dia is a Spanish tradition - it started as a way for workers to have a cheap meal mid-day without going home. Some places the Menu del Dia will be better than others, and in some places, it will be really REALLY good.

As for the pilgrims menus, some will be barely edible and some will be quite good - and sometimes, regardless of the quality of the food, these meals will be the most memorable of the Camino because of the company and the setting. And in some places, the pilgrim menu is the only option for dinner, so you go with it, whatever it is

Menú del dia started in 1965 and was set by Franco's minister Manuel Fraga in order to regulate the food offered in restaurants to tourists.
At that time he also developed the Paradors network.
In 1993, being President of Xunta de Galicia, Manuel Fraga relaunched the Camino de Santiago.

 

[Deleted member 29041]

For me, it usually depends on how the dice falls on that particular day.

If the route has me close to a convenient place around lunch time, I'll go for a del dia, watching the other pilgrims hasten by, and have a bocadillo and some fruit in the evening. Or some tapas, if I'm feeling social and have room in my budget.

Other times, there are no convenient stops within the right time frame, and it may be a la carte in the evening, while the bocadillo will serve as my lunch in stead.

At times I'll have met some interesting person(s), and it will most likely be the pilgrims menu . I'll survive.

Five days till I'm back on The Way. Innards slightly aflutter I plan on hitting a nice pulparia for lunch, one of the first days. Time will show.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

NEITHER

Eat local food in the local bars, cafes and restaurants!

.

And where do you think these are served? And what do you think the locals eat if not the memu del dia?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Many of the tourist restaurants offered both. Neither good. We sought out places that primarily catered to locals wherever possible.

Time to get off the Frances perhaps and see what the rest of Spain eats in restaurants where there is little or no tourist trade?

 

[Melensdad]

Time to get off the Frances perhaps and see what the rest of Spain eats in restaurants where there is little or no tourist trade?

There are plenty of places to eat local food along the Frances. Granted the smaller villages have almost no choices but that is when you visit the deli and bakery and buy meats, fresh made bread, local cheeses, etc. We got lucky and hit market day a couple times when the trucks were bringing in produce, meats, fish, etc. There are many options. We tried to meet locals, got treated to local food at their dinner tables a few times.

And where do you think these are served? And what do you think the locals eat if not the memu del dia?

Sure the menu del dia is better but most locals don't eat at the same places most pilgrims eat. My point is to seek out the locals and eat where they eat.

 

[peregrina2000]

An easy way to solve this dilemma is to walk on Caminos where there are no "menús de peregrino." That would be almost every Camino other than the Francés, Norte, Primitivo, and parts of the Vdlp-Sanabrés. I'm only half joking here, especially for those of you who are really trying to eat where the "locals" eat. The popular caminos are pretty much a bubble -- Melensdad is right, IME, most locals don't eat at restaurants where the menú del peregrino is on offer.

The downside of these less congested caminos is that you cannot eat an evening meal before 9, but if you manage to get to your day's destination before 3, check-in to and shower, you will easily make it to a late lunch. I've even had lunch as late as 5 pm in places. That means a few tapas will be all you want or need before bedtime, or even just a yoghurt,nuts, etc.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Sure the menu del dia is better but most locals don't eat at the same places most pilgrims eat. My point is to seek out the locals and eat where they eat.

I beg to differ. I find myself eating exactly where the locals eat. When there is one or two places to eat in a town, we eat in the same places. A restaurant cannot stay in business catering to the handful of pilgrims it gets in high season. Restaurants have added a pilgrim menu thinking it's what we want, but did not open to cater to us, at least not off the Frances.

Ask to eat in the comedor, not the front dinning room, you may be surprised to see half the village eating in there, and ordering from the carta.

 

[peregrina2000]

I beg to differ. I find myself eating exactly where the locals eat. When there is one or two places to eat in a town, we eat in the same places. A restaurant cannot stay in business catering to the handful of pilgrims it gets in high season. Restaurants have added a pilgrim menu thinking it's what we want, but did not open to cater to us, at least not off the Frances.

Ask to eat in the comedor, not the front dinning room, you may be surprised to see half the village eating in there, and ordering from the carta.

I think you two are talking about two different types of places. In a small village on the Camino Francés, every eating establishment in town caters to the pilgrim population. Locals have no options. But in cities and bigger places, getting out of "camino central" will lead you to places where there is no menú del peregrino, virtually no peregrinos, and lots of "locals."

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I think you two are talking about two different types of places. In a small village on the Camino Francés, every eating establishment in town caters to the pilgrim population. Locals have no options. But in cities and bigger places, getting out of "camino central" will lead you to places where there is no menú del peregrino, virtually no peregrinos, and lots of "locals."

As I said, except on the Frances.

 

[The Essex Three]

But why are the meals so devoid of vegetables?

 

[Mike Savage]

I remember quite a bit of zucchini and asparagus when I walked the Francés.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Not infrequently, the Menu del Peregrino can be the Menu del Dia with a discount (if so, they ask to see your credencial, and stamp it).

As for which do I prefer ?

erm ... yes ?

Is that the right answer ?

 

[Eswee]

Is the menu del Dia only available in Spain, or is it available in Portugal as well?

 

[mspath]

Is the menu del Dia only available in Spain, or is it available in Portugal as well?

There is a similar mid-day meal, menu do dia, available in Portugal. Usually this is only available on working days; it is always a good value.

 

[Eswee]

There is a similar mid-day meal, menu do dia, available in Portugal. Usually this is only available on working days; it is always a good value.

Thank you.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Is the menu del Dia only available in Spain, or is it available in Portugal as well?

And in France too -- menu du jour.