Restaurant Menus in Spain

Food & dining

Tapas define Spanish dining as fundamentally social: small plates meant for sharing, unhurried, often eaten standing at a bar while moving between venues over an evening. Meal times run notably later than most of Europe, with dinner commonly starting at 9 or 10pm. Regional specialities are strong and specific — paella from Valencia, jamón ibérico nationwide, pintxos in the Basque Country. The menu del día, a fixed-price multi-course lunch, remains an everyday institution rather than a special occasion. Spain also has its own distinctly local fast-casual format in montaditos — small, cheap sandwiches sold by the piece, epitomised by chains like 100 Montaditos — and churros con chocolate as a breakfast-or-snack tradition eaten at any hour.