Portuguese · Restaurante
Ask about the dish of the day (prato do dia): what to say in Portuguese
Lunch at an ordinary restaurant. The best value is the dish of the day, but it's not on the menu.
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How it's done. Many restaurants offer a prato do dia or menu do dia at lunch - a dish of the day at a fixed price, often with a drink and coffee.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
YOU START
Qual é o prato do dia?
Kwahl eh oo PRAH-too doo DEE-uh?
What's the dish of the day?
Or say:O que é que recomenda?
Oo k eh k rih-koo-MAYN-duh?
THEY SAY
Hoje temos bacalhau com natas.Ohzh TEH-moozh buh-kuh-LYOW kohn NAH-tuhsh.
Today we have cod with cream.
They might also say:
É frango grelhado com arroz.
Eh FRAHN-goo grih-LYAH-doo kohn uh-ROOSH.
It's grilled chicken with rice.
Temos peixe grelhado ou carne de porco.
TEH-moosh paysh grih-LYAH-doo oh kahrn d POR-koo.
We have grilled fish or pork.
2
YOU REPLY
Quanto custa o menu do dia?
KWAHN-too KOOSH-tuh oo mih-NOO doo DEE-uh?
How much is the set menu of the day?
THEY SAY
São nove e cinquenta, com bebida e café.Sow nov ee seen-KWAYN-tuh, kohn bih-BIH-duh ee kuh-FEH.
It's nine fifty, with a drink and coffee.
They might also say:
Custa doze euros, com sopa e sobremesa.
KOOSH-tuh doz EH-oo-roosh, kohn SOH-puh ee soo-brih-MEH-zuh.
It's twelve euros, with soup and dessert.
3
YOU REPLY
Então vou querer o prato do dia.
Ayn-TOW voh kih-REHR oo PRAH-too doo DEE-uh.
Then I'll have the dish of the day.
THEY SAY
Muito bem.MWEE-too bayn.
Very good.
They might also say:
Perfeito.
pir-FAY-too.
Perfect.
4
YOU FINISH
Obrigado!
oh-bree-GAH-doo!
Thank you!
Or say:Muito obrigado!
MWEE-too oh-bree-GAH-doo!
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “Portuguese for life in Portugal”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
é
eh
verb
is
prato
PRAH-too
noun
dish
dia
DEE-uh
noun
day
Hoje
Ohzh
adverb
today
temos
TEH-moozh
verb
have
bacalhau
buh-kuh-LYOW
noun
cod (bacalhau)
20 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
O que quer dizer isto?
Oo k kehr dee-ZEHR EESH-too?
What does this mean?
Pode falar mais devagar, por favor?
Pod fuh-LAHR mighzh dvuh-GAHR, poor fuh-VOR?
Can you speak more slowly, please?
Similar situations
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