‘It’s part of our history’: can the menú del día survive Spain’s changing eating habits?
The traditional Spanish 'menú del día' is facing challenges from modern dining habits and economic pressures. Despite predictions of its demise, the fixed-price lunch remains a significant cultural institution in Spain.
Why it matters
It highlights the tension between preserving cultural heritage and adapting to the evolving economic realities of the modern hospitality industry.
A pedestrian walks past a board showing a menú del día , a fixed-price offering originally dreamt up in the 1960s to attract tourists./Getty Images A pedestrian walks past a board showing a menú del día , a fixed-price offering originally dreamt up in the 1960s to attract tourists./Getty Images Spain ‘It’s part of our history’: can the menú del día survive Spain’s changing eating habits? Established under the Franco dictatorship, the lunchtime ritual is in decline but all is not lost
Sam Jones in Madrid Sat 24 Oct 2026 07.00 BST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google A little before lunchtime each working day across Spain , evidence of one of the lingering, if less notorious, legacies of the Franco dictatorship is carefully traced in chalk, marker pen and printer ink.
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