Generally speaking, one of the best bargains in terms of value for money in Spain is the understandably very popular Menu del Dia offered at lunchtime by literally of thousands of restaurants around the country.

Enjoy the benefit of a Menu del Dia

It’s a great concept whereby you can enjoy either a set lunch or a choice of starter, main course and desert invariably with a drink or a cup of coffee for a relatively low price.

We all know that the Spanish enjoy taking their time over a meal and unlike many of those living in the North of Europe aren’t satisfied with a quick sandwich at their desks.

Manual workers make the most of their lunch breaks and it’s not unusual to see ambulance crews and other ‘emergency’ workers taking advantage of a break in their busy routine.

Franco is credited with the concept of creating the famed Menu del Dia as a way of showcasing Spanish regional cooking and in 1965, he passed a law requiring certain restaurants, especially those in the newly emerging tourist areas, to offer a reasonably priced lunch.

The concept was taken up across Spain and by the 1970s most towns had at least one or two restaurants offering this three course meal at an economic price.

Coping with higher costs

Now, more than ever, with many finding it hard to have a great deal of spare cash, the availability of the Menu del Dia is really important and even some restaurants that are normally quite ‘expensive’ have seen the advantage, especially off season, of making a more affordable menu available.

In November of this year, we at Euro Weekly News invited readers to nominate their favourite restaurant or bar offering a tasty, great value for money Menu del Dia and just to encourage participation, offered €100 to the person whose favourite was chosen so that they could enjoy a few more meals on us.

There were plenty of recommendations although sadly, some people, especially those entering on Facebook forgot to leave any contact details, so they were unfortunately not in the running.

Will you visit the winner?

There were all sorts of restaurant types, mainly Spanish but with some strong Chinese and Indian contenders and in the end, the heartfelt plea from ‘senior’ reader Margaret Conner was chosen and her winning entry can be viewed on the EWN website under the heading ‘Menu del Dia Winning Restaurant’.

She recommended Bar Paco in Javea who offer a three course option with bread and a drink for €13, so if you are in the area visit their Facebook page and drop in for lunch.