“MP” next to a dish means “market price”: the restaurant is not printing a fixed amount because the cost of the main ingredient moves with supply and demand. You will see it most on fresh seafood, premium meat and seasonal products. It is a legitimate practice in many countries, but in Spain the rules on showing prices are strict, so the practical answer here is simple: ask for the exact price, and the basis it is charged on, before you say yes.
TL;DR
- MP, MKT and “market price” all mean the same thing: the price follows what the ingredient costs right now, not a fixed menu figure.
- It is used mainly for fresh seafood, shellfish, premium cuts and seasonal products whose cost swings.
- MP does not necessarily mean the price changes every day, but it does mean you cannot know the price from the menu alone.
- In Spain, prices must be clear before you consume, with taxes included, and some regions restrict the phrase “según mercado” outright.
- Ask three things: the price, whether it is per portion, per unit or per weight, and the total for your table.
Table of Contents
- What “market price”, MP and MKT mean
- Which dishes get a market price
- Why restaurants use it
- What makes a seafood price move
- What the rules say in Spain
- Does MP mean the price changes every day?
- How to order an MP dish without a surprise
- Our view at Els Pescadors
- Eat the day’s catch at a price you know
- FAQ
- Sources
What “market price”, MP and MKT mean
The three labels are interchangeable. USA TODAY explains that MP and MKT are standard menu shorthand for an item whose price changes with current supply, demand and sourcing conditions, instead of being listed as a fixed amount. “Market” here is the wholesale market where the restaurant buys, not the restaurant’s own idea of what the dish is worth.
You may also meet the Spanish and Catalan versions: según mercado, preu de mercat or P.M. If you want to decode the rest of a Spanish menu while you are at it, our guide to Spanish restaurant menu words covers the seafood and allergen vocabulary travelers run into.
What the label does not tell you is just as important. It does not say how much the dish costs today. It does not say whether the price is for one plate, one piece, or a weight of product. And it does not say how the price compares with the rest of the menu. In practice, an MP item is often the most expensive thing on the page, which is why consumer advice quoted by USA TODAY is to ask for the current price before ordering.
Which dishes get a market price
Market pricing is reserved for ingredients whose cost is unstable or seasonal. According to the same USA TODAY report, typical examples are fresh seafood, premium or specialty meats, seasonal produce, truffles, caviar and other limited-supply products. Square describes the same logic and singles out lobster, oysters and crab, with fruit, vegetables or meat possible too.
In a Barcelona seafood restaurant, the candidates are easy to guess:
- Whole fish sold by the kilo, such as turbot, sea bream or sea bass
- Lobster and other large crustaceans
- Prawns and shrimp of a particular origin
- Razor clams, barnacles (percebes) and similar shellfish with short seasons
- Sea urchin and other specialty items
A plate of fried anchovies or a rice dish built on a stable ingredient is rarely priced this way, because the restaurant can calculate its cost weeks ahead.
Why restaurants use it
The reason is cost volatility. Clover explains that restaurants use market pricing to absorb fluctuating ingredient, supplier and seasonal costs while protecting their margins. That is a general restaurant-industry explanation, not Spain-specific legal guidance, but it matches what any kitchen buying fresh fish will tell you.
Think of the alternative. If a restaurant prints a fixed price for a wild fish and the catch is small for a week, either it loses money on every plate or it reprints the menu. If it prints a high fixed price to stay safe, the dish looks overpriced in good weeks and nobody orders it. A market price lets the kitchen keep the product on the menu in both situations.
There is a sustainability angle too. Restaurants that build menus around what is actually landed, rather than a fixed list of products available all year, tend to rely on fluctuating items. The operator guide on sustainability in food services looks at how sourcing choices and costs shape what ends up on a menu, which is the same pressure that pushes some dishes toward market pricing.
What makes a seafood price move
Several things sit behind the number you are eventually quoted:
- Supply and demand. USA TODAY lists supply, demand, seasonality, weather, supply-chain conditions, labor costs and input costs as the forces that can change a market price.
- The cost of catching wild fish. Today reported that seafood prices reflect the costs and risks of getting wild seafood to market, including harvesting, bait, fuel and labor.
- Season and size. A fish in peak season is cheaper than the same fish out of season, and a large specimen is priced differently from a small one.
- Handling. Live or very fresh product costs more to move and keep.
We go deeper on the cost side in why seafood is expensive, and on how sourcing feeds into set menus in how seafood sourcing shapes Barcelona tasting menu prices.
An illustration of how the total gets built
Imagine, purely as an example, a menu that quotes a whole fish at €9 per 100 grams. The kitchen brings a 1.4 kg fish. That is 14 portions of 100 grams, so the fish costs 14 × €9 = €126 before drinks, sides and any service charges. Nothing in that sum is dishonest, but if you only saw “MP” and assumed a main-course price, the bill would be a shock. The number that matters is the price per weight and the weight of the piece you are given, which is why the question “how much does that specific fish weigh?” is a good one.
What the rules say in Spain
This is where Spain differs from the United States, where most English-language explanations come from. Spanish consumer law is built on one idea: you must know the price before you consume.
National rule. Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 says that restaurants must show prices clearly before the customer contracts or consumes, including taxes and mandatory supplements.
Catalonia. The Agència Catalana del Consum states that menu or sign prices must be the total price, VAT included. If prices differ between bar, table and terrace, or if supplements apply, the establishment must show the price for each case clearly and visibly, and menus must state the overall price and what it includes. The same authority adds, on its page about total and complete prices, that consumers are entitled to sufficient, easily accessible information about prices and about factors that could raise them, and that when a service price cannot be calculated in advance, the provider must prepare a quotation.
Andalusia. The regional consumer service Consumo Responde goes furthest in its recommendations for restaurants: prices must be shown clearly and separately for each service, including those whose value fluctuates, and it states that the expression “precios según mercado” is prohibited. It also says molluscs and crustaceans must be offered by weight or by unit, and when sold by unit the number of units must be stated.
Valencian Community. Article 9 of Decree 36/2023 takes a middle path. When a restaurant offers products whose price fluctuates with weather, season, demand or similar factors and uses “según mercado,” it must add the price daily on a separate sheet attached to the menu. A restaurant charging by weight or unit must state that basis and the price per weight or unit, and different prices for table, bar or terrace must appear in the menu whenever they differ.
So the answer to “is market price allowed?” depends on where you are. The wording and the mechanism vary by region, and these rules are not identical across Spain. The common thread is that a bare “MP” with no way to learn the real price before ordering is a weak position for a restaurant. If you are in Barcelona and a waiter cannot give you a price, or gives you one that does not match what you are charged, the consumer authority pages above are the place to check your rights.
Does MP mean the price changes every day?
Not necessarily. MP signals that the price may vary, not that it moves daily. A fish bought from the same supplier at a steady cost for a week can carry the same price all week. Some regions, as Valencia does, require the current price to be added daily when “según mercado” is used. Elsewhere the governing principle is still that the price must be disclosed before consumption.
In practice, treat it as a price that was correct when the kitchen last checked, and get it confirmed at your table.
How to order an MP dish without a surprise
You do not need to feel awkward about asking. A good restaurant expects the question, and answering it well is part of good service. Here is a simple routine.
- Ask the price in full. “What is the price of the sea bass today?” is enough.
- Ask the basis. Is it per portion, per piece, per 100 grams or per kilo? Seafood sold by weight or by unit should be described that way.
- Ask for the weight or count. For a whole fish, ask roughly how big the piece is and how many people it serves. For shellfish sold by unit, ask how many units you get.
- Ask what is included. Sides, preparation, bread and any supplement should be clear. The Catalan consumer authority says prices shown must be total and VAT-inclusive, so the figure you hear should be what you pay for the dish.
- Do the sum for your table. Multiply the quoted rate by the weight, then add drinks.
- Check the bill against what you were told. If it does not match, say so politely at the table, not afterwards.
If you are worried about the rest of the bill, our guides to service charges and tips in Spain and tipping rules in Barcelona explain what is normal and what is not. And if your group wants to settle up separately, see how to split the bill in Spain.
If you prefer to know the price in advance
Market pricing is one way to enjoy fresh seafood. Another is to choose a format where the price is fixed and shown. Set menus and tasting menus state a global price and what it includes, so you can plan the evening around a number. Our comparison of a la carte versus a tasting menu helps you pick the one that suits your evening.
Our view at Els Pescadors
We cook Catalan maritime food in Plaça de Prim, in Poblenou, and we work with daily catch and seasonal, locally sourced products. That means we live with the reality that market pricing is meant to solve: the sea does not give the same thing at the same cost every day.
Our view is that a diner should never have to guess. Variable products are fine, but the price is part of the dish, and you should hear it before you decide, in the same plain way you hear the name of the fish. We would rather a guest ask and choose something else than be surprised at the end of a good meal.
For guests who want the freshness without the uncertainty, the structure of the meal matters. A seasonal set menu turns a fluctuating market into a price you know in advance, because the kitchen takes on the work of balancing what is best that week. That is the thinking behind our seasonal proposal, and it is why we explain sourcing so openly in articles like what makes seasonal fish menus authentic.
When you read a menu anywhere in Barcelona, look for three signs of an honest restaurant: the price is visible or readily given, the unit is stated for anything sold by weight, and the staff can tell you where the product came from without hesitation.
— YellowRock
Eat the day’s catch at a price you know
If you would like to taste what the market brought in without working out the sum at the table, look at our Menú de Temporada, published at €39 per person. You can also browse the daily menu and our tasting menu to compare formats before booking a table.
FAQ
What does MP mean on a menu?
MP stands for “market price”. It tells you the dish has no fixed price because the cost of its main ingredient changes with supply and demand. You will most often see it on fresh seafood, premium meat and seasonal products, and you should ask what the price is before ordering.
What does MKT mean on a menu?
MKT is simply another abbreviation for “market price”, used in the same way as MP. USA TODAY reported that both are standard shorthand for an item whose price follows current supply, demand and sourcing conditions.
Can a restaurant in Spain just write “según mercado”?
It depends on the region. Andalusia’s consumer service says the expression is prohibited, while Valencian rules allow it only if the current price is added daily on a separate sheet attached to the menu. In every case, prices must be clear before you consume, and in Catalonia menu prices must be total and VAT-inclusive.
Is a market price dish always more expensive?
Often, but not always. Market pricing is applied to costly or volatile ingredients such as lobster, oysters or fresh wild fish, so these dishes tend to be above the average on the menu. The only reliable way to know is to ask for the figure and the basis it is charged on.
What should I ask before ordering an MP dish?
Ask for the price, whether it is per portion, per unit or per weight, and the approximate weight or number of pieces you will receive. Then multiply to get the total for your table. That takes less than a minute and removes the risk of a surprise at the bill.
Sources
- What does ‘MKT’ even mean? (USA TODAY, 2025)
- What Is a Market Price Item? (Square)
- What are market-price menu items (Clover)
- What Does ‘Market Price’ Mean For Seafood On Menus? (Today)
- Bars i restaurants (Agència Catalana del Consum)
- Preus: preu total i complet (Agència Catalana del Consum)
- En un restaurante, ¿tienen que mostrarme los precios antes de consumir? (Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs)
- Recomendaciones establecimientos de restauración (Consumo Responde)
- Decreto 36/2023 (Generalitat Valenciana)
- Sustainability in Food Services: 2026 Operator Guide
