Lakshmi Aguirre details economic squeeze on Spain's 14.70 euro set lunch

The average price of Spain's daily set lunch has reached 14.70 euros, according to a new book by food journalist Lakshmi Aguirre. While approximately four million of these meals are still served each weekday, the format is losing ground to faster and cheaper alternatives.

Aguirre’s book, Menú del Día: Everyday Scenes of a First Course, a Second Course and Pudding, examines the financial and social pressures on the tradition. She argues that the meal is currently in trouble but has not yet disappeared. The text traces the origin of the menu to the mid-1960s, when it was created to attract foreign visitors to Spain.

The initial concept was devised by Manuel Fraga, the information and tourism minister under Francisco Franco. The government aimed to show that food was plentiful and affordable after the post-war "years of hunger." The original rules required a soup starter, a main course from at least three options, and a dessert. Prices were fixed between 50 and 250 pesetas.

The format was renamed in the early 1970s to encourage domestic consumption and distance the meal from its tourist origins. Today, many Spaniards are unaware of this history. Aguirre noted that people often react with shock when learning about Fraga's role. "It says a lot about us Spaniards; we forget very quickly," she said.

Current economic conditions make the business model difficult for small, family-run establishments. Rising energy and food costs limit the ability of restaurants to offer a rotating daily menu. Many owners have responded by simplifying their offerings to a single "dish of the day" or by adding Latin American staples to reflect changing demographics in Spain.

Consumer behavior is also shifting. Many workers with limited time now bring food from home or heat supermarket ready meals. This trend has reduced the frequency of dining out for the midday meal. In 2009, chef Ferran Adrià declared the tradition dead, citing changing habits and economic downturns. Seventeen years later, Aguirre believes that verdict was premature.

Aguirre identifies specific markers for a successful venue. She looks for simple dishes, a menu that changes regularly, and fresh ingredients such as chips that are not frozen. She advises against menus featuring words like avocado, burrata, tartare, truffle, or sourdough bread. A sign of a good restaurant, she added, is a child doing homework at a table in the back.

The social function of the meal is a central theme in the book. Aguirre describes the menú del día as a meeting point where families with limited means can eat out and people living alone can find company. "What's being lost is a meeting point," she said. She added that the true value lies in having the time to enjoy the meal, not just the ability to pay for it.