Country menu guides
What does MP (market price) mean on a menu?
"MP" or "market price" in place of a price means the dish has no fixed price: it changes with the day's catch or supply, so the restaurant tells you the price when you ask. It's most common for lobster, crab, oysters, whole fish and truffles. Always ask the price — and, if it's sold by weight, roughly how heavy your portion will be — before you order.
- On the menu
- MP · M.P. · S.Q. · S/M · prezzo di mercato · precio según mercado · 時価jika (時価)
- Meaning
- Market price — the price isn't printed because it changes with supply; ask before ordering.
How it's written in different countries
- English-speaking countries: MP, M.P., Mkt or market price. Some menus write AQ ("as quoted"): ask for the price.
- Italy: S.Q. (secondo quantità, priced by quantity or weight) or prezzo di mercato. Fish and steak are often listed per etto (100 g) — see etto and S.Q..
- Spain: S/M or según mercado, precio según mercado, or a price per kilo (€/kg) for seafood. Andalusia bans the "según mercado" wording, so menus there must give a price, often per kilo.
- France: selon arrivage (depending on the catch), prix du marché, or sometimes S.G. (selon grosseur, priced by size) for lobster and fish.
- Greece: fresh fish is priced per kilo (τιμή κιλού, timí kiloú) and weighed.
- Japan: 時価 (jika) at sushi bars and seafood restaurants.
- Thailand: ราคาตามท้องตลาด (rakha tam thong talat), or prices per kilo or per khit (100 g).
Why restaurants use it
Seafood and seasonal luxuries such as truffles change price from week to week. Rather than reprint the menu, the restaurant quotes the day's price — honest when given up front, but a common source of bill surprises.
What to do
- Ask before ordering: "How much is it today?" and whether it's per piece, per person or per kilo.
- For anything sold by weight, ask how heavy your portion will be, or ask to see the fish weighed before it's cooked. A 1.2 kg fish at a per-kilo price costs 1.2 times that price.
- Check the bill against what you were told.
A photo of the menu in MenuGuide translates the dish names, but a market-price item has no printed price to convert: only the staff can tell you today's price.
Frequently asked questions
What does MP mean on a menu?
MP stands for market price. The dish has no fixed price because its cost changes with supply, so the restaurant quotes the current price when you ask. It's typical for lobster, crab, oysters and whole fish. Ask the price, and whether it's per piece or by weight, before you order to avoid a surprise on the bill.
What does S.Q. mean on an Italian menu?
S.Q. means "secondo quantità", according to quantity. The price depends on how much you're served, usually by weight, as with whole fish, shellfish or a Florentine steak. Ask for the price per etto (100 g) or per kilo and how heavy your portion will be before ordering, so you know roughly what it will cost.
What does 時価 (jika) mean on a Japanese menu?
時価 (jika) means market price. You'll see it at sushi bars and seafood restaurants next to items like sea urchin, tuna belly or seasonal fish whose cost varies. Ask "ikura desu ka?" (how much is it?) before ordering, or choose a set course with a fixed price if you'd rather know the total in advance.
Is market price negotiable?
Usually not, but it should be clear before you order. You can ask the exact price, the weight and how it will be charged, and decline if it's too much. At fish tavernas and seafood restaurants, choosing a smaller fish or sharing one is a common way to keep the bill under control.
