How to make a set lunch menu

What a set lunch menu is

In Spain, almost every restaurant serves a menú del día at lunchtime: starter, main, dessert or coffee, bread and a drink, for one fixed price. In the UK it’s the set lunch (“two courses £18, three courses £22”); in the US, the prix fixe lunch or lunch special. The idea is the same everywhere: a short choice, a fast service and a price that office workers and regulars can count on.

The classic structure

A well-planned set lunch menu can be understood in ten seconds:

• Starters: three to five options. Mix a soup, something fresh (a salad, a chilled soup in summer), a pasta or grain dish and a vegetable dish.
• Mains: three to five options. At least one meat and one fish; if you can, a vegetarian main too.
• Dessert or coffee: a homemade pudding, some fruit and something light.
• What’s included: bread, a soft drink, a glass of house wine, tea or coffee. Whatever you offer, write it down.

You don’t need many dishes: a few done well beat a long list that floods the kitchen at half past one.

The price

On a set menu the price is the star: one price, large and easy to see. Underneath, an “includes” line that leaves no room for doubt:

Two courses £18 · Three courses £22 · Bread and filter coffee included

Other common situations:

• Supplements: next to the dish, with the amount in full view: “Lamb cutlets (+£3)”.
• Two or three courses: if you offer both, show both prices together, as above.
• Weekend menu: if the price changes, make it a separate menu, not a footnote.

What the rules say (and what to check)

• The final price. In the UK, prices shown to consumers must include VAT, and since April 2025 any mandatory charge has to be part of the headline price. In the US, prices are usually shown before sales tax; any mandatory service charge should be shown clearly.
• No surprises. Supplements, bread or a cover charge that you bill separately must be shown before the customer orders.
• Local rules. If you’re unsure how to display prices or charges, ask your local trading standards service in the UK, or your city or state consumer office in the US.
• Allergens. Your duties are the same as with the main menu, even though the dishes change every day. See allergens on the set lunch menu.

The date

Adding the date stops yesterday’s menu from staying up and shows the food is cooked today. It can fill itself in (“Tuesday 13 October”) or be your own text if you plan the week ahead (“Week of 12–16 October”).

Your two-minute routine with MenuDesign

1. Open yesterday’s menu. It stays saved in your browser, no account needed.
2. Change the dishes. As you type, the app suggests dishes you’ve used before, with the allergens and labels you gave them. Check them if the recipe has changed.
3. The date fills itself in. Or type your own if you prefer.
4. Check the price, the “includes” line and the supplements. They rarely change, but a quick look avoids mistakes.
5. Export. A5 two per sheet for the tables, A4 or an A3 poster for the door, a post or story for social media and 16:9 for the TV in the dining room.

Formats that work

They all come from the same menu: you write it once.

Common mistakes

• Names that say nothing: “Chef’s stew”. Stew of what? Better: “Beef and ale stew with mash”.
• Forgetting the vegetarian option, which more and more people ask for.
• Yesterday’s date, or an undated menu that has been on the door for a week.
• Hidden supplements that customers only find on the bill.
• Unreadable chalkboards scribbled in a hurry. If you use a board, put a printed menu on the tables as well.

MenuDesign has a set lunch menu template in the Chalkboard style, so you can start in a minute. It’s free, like everything else. For a ready-made page with today’s date, open the daily menu maker.