Food & Dining

Food & Dining in Spain

Spanish cuisine is one of the country's greatest attractions—fresh, diverse, and deeply tied to regional identity and culture.

Dining Schedule

Very important to understand:

• Breakfast: 7-9am (light—coffee + pastry)
• Lunch: 2-3:30pm (main meal)
• Dinner: 9-11pm (lighter than US dinner)
• Kitchen closes: Often by 11pm weekdays, midnight+ weekends

For expats: Adjust or you'll struggle to find food!

Menú del Día

Incredible value (weekday lunch):

• 3 courses + drink: €10-15 typical
• Starter + main + dessert + bread + drink
• Available Monday-Friday lunch
• Quality varies but often excellent
• Best deal in Spanish dining

How it works:

• Multiple starter options
• Multiple main options
• Dessert or coffee
• Wine, beer, or soft drink included
• Most restaurants offer it

Tapas Culture

Varies significantly by region:

Southern Spain (Sevilla, Granada):

• FREE tapas with every drink
• Small portions
• Bar hopping common (tapeo)
• Order drink, get free food

Madrid:

• Pay for tapas separately
• Raciones (large portions)
• More formal sit-down

Barcelona:

• Pintxos (Basque-style)
• Pay per item
• Not traditional Catalan culture

Basque Country:

• Pintxos bars exceptional
• Small bites on bread
• Pay per toothpick/item
• San Sebastián: World-class

Regional Cuisines

Catalunya (Barcelona):

• Pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato)
• Escalivada (roasted vegetables)
• Esqueixada (salted cod salad)
• Crema Catalana (dessert)
• Mediterranean influence

Basque Country:

• Pintxos (small bites)
• Bacalao pil-pil (cod)
• Marmitako (tuna stew)
• Txakoli (local wine)
• World-renowned cuisine

Andalucía:

• Gazpacho (cold soup)
• Salmorejo (thicker gazpacho)
• Pescaíto frito (fried fish)
• Jamón ibérico (cured ham)

Valencia:

• Paella (rice dish—lunch only!)
• Horchata (tiger nut drink)
• All i pebre (eel stew)

Galicia:

• Pulpo a la gallega (octopus)
• Percebes (goose barnacles)
• Empanadas
• Albariño wine
• Exceptional seafood

Spanish Staples

Jamón ibérico: Cured ham (€3-20/100g)

Tortilla española: Potato omelette

Pan con tomate: Tomato bread

Croquetas: Fried bechamel balls

Patatas bravas: Fried potatoes with sauce

Churros con chocolate: Breakfast/snack

Grocery Shopping

Supermarket costs (monthly, one person):

• Budget: €180-250 (Mercadona, Lidl, Dia)
• Mid-range: €250-350 (Carrefour, Alcampo)
• Premium: €350-500 (El Corte Inglés)

Where to shop:

• Mercadona: Most popular, good quality/price
• Lidl, Aldi: Budget options
• Carrefour: Large selection
• El Corte Inglés: Premium, expensive
• Local markets: Fresh produce, authentic

Fresh markets:

• La Boqueria (Barcelona)
• Mercado de San Miguel (Madrid)
• Mercado Central (Valencia)
• Better prices, fresher produce

Restaurant Costs

Tipping: 5-10% for good service (not mandatory like US)

Wine Culture

Inexpensive and excellent:

• Restaurant wine: €3-8/glass, €10-25/bottle
• Supermarket: €3-10/bottle (good quality)
• Regions: Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, Rías Baixas
• Wine with lunch normal

Coffee Culture

Types:

• Café solo: Espresso (€1.20-1.80)
• Café con leche: Coffee with milk (€1.50-2.50)
• Cortado: Espresso with dash of milk
• Americano: Less common

Culture:

• Morning ritual
• Standing at bar cheaper than sitting
• Quick, not lingering (unlike Italy)

Dietary Accommodations

Vegetarian:

• Growing options
• Traditional diet heavy on meat/fish
• Cities better than rural
• "Sin carne" (without meat)

Vegan:

• Challenging outside major cities
• Barcelona, Madrid: Good options
• Traditional cuisine not vegan-friendly
• Specify "vegano estricto"

Gluten-free:

• "Sin gluten" options increasing
• Celiac disease recognized
• Dedicated GF restaurants in cities
• Supermarkets have GF sections

Halal:

• Available in cities (Muslim populations)
• Less common in small towns
• Check before ordering

Food Delivery

Apps:

• Glovo (most popular)
• Just Eat
• Uber Eats
• Deliveroo

Costs: €2-5 delivery + 10% service fee typical

Eating Out Tips

1. Lunch > Dinner for value (menú del día)
2. Ask for "la cuenta" (the bill—won't bring it automatically)
3. Tipping optional (5-10% for good service)
4. Bread usually charged (€1-2)
5. Share dishes (raciones meant for sharing)

Spanish Food Etiquette

• Don't eat dinner before 9pm (kitchen might not be open)
• Lunch is leisurely (not rushed)
• Paella is LUNCH ONLY (never dinner)
• Coffee after meal, not during
• Loud restaurants = normal, not rude