Food prices in Spain (in cafes and groceries) - 2021

Paella, gazpacho, jamon and tapas are such sonorous words! We tell you what to try in Spain. Features of cuisine, prices for food in cafes, restaurants and shops in 2021.

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We have lived in Barcelona, ​​Madrid and the cities of Andalusia and share with you our impressions of Spanish cuisine: what to look for, what dishes to try, how to choose places, how much the food costs and which stores are better to buy.

Exchange rate: 1 euro ≈ 87 RUB.

What to try in Spain

At first glance, Spanish cuisine is simple and uncomplicated. Potato omelet, cold tomato puree soup, rice with seafood - nothing exotic and interesting. However, the devil is in the details: just try this tomato soup on a hot day, and it will seem to you that you have never eaten anything tastier.

Almost all articles on food in Spain advise you to try the same thing - paella, jamon, tortilla, tapas. These names are on everyone's lips and these are really the most popular dishes:

• Paella (paella / paeia) - a dish of rice with meat, poultry or seafood. All this can be mixed - Mixed Paella. The most famous are the Valencian paella (Paella Valenciana) and the black paella with cuttlefish ink (Paella negra, or Arroz negro).
• Gazpacho (gazpacho) - cold tomato soup, especially good in the heat.
• Tortilla de patata - Spanish omelet or potato tortilla.
• Jamón (jamon) - dry-cured pork leg. There are two main types of delicacy - serrano and ibérico. Served in thin, almost translucent slices.
• Tapas - this is a variety of snacks. It can be olives, nuts, sandwiches, salads, seafood, ham, sausage - whatever.

Spicy pork sausage is also worth trying. chorizo ​​(chorizo), blue cheese cabrales (cabrales), dry-cured sausage fuetcovered with edible white mold.

Note for sweet tooth

In our opinion, the most delicious sweetness is flan... This is a pudding made from eggs, milk and sugar. It happens with caramel, cheese and other additives. It is inexpensive, especially in stores - 1-3 € for 4 pieces.

We advise you to try Spanish pastries at the famous bakery chain Granierwhich sells fresh croissants, muffins and cakes. There are cafeterias at the bakeries.

It's nice to eat ice cream in the heat - go to Heladería... We advise you to try pistachio, chocolate and violet ice cream, as well as refreshing sorbets! Price - from 1.2 € per ball. Banana Split of 3 balls - 6.5 €.

The main national sweet is considered churros con chocolate (churros with chocolate)... These are fried choux pastry rings or sticks that resemble donuts. It is customary to eat them dipped in hot chocolate. They cost 3-4 €. We didn't like this dessert.

Prices for food in cafes and restaurants in Spain - 2021

Food prices in Spain in 2021 are acceptable by European standards - both in cafes and restaurants, and in stores. The cost depends on the level of the institution and the location. The main rule, as in any country, is to get out of the too touristy streets.

Prices in a cafe in Spain

Breakfast. The simplest one - coffee with a sandwich or croissant - costs from 2 €. Coffee with churros - from 3.5 €. A richer breakfast (for example, continental) costs 5-8 €. Usually the Spaniards limit themselves to a cup of coffee and a sweet bun, churros or a sandwich.

Dinner. Complex business lunch (menu del dia) costs 8-12 €. On tourist streets and trendy cafes - from 12 €.

Dinner. This is the most expensive meal of the day. One dish costs from about 8-10 €, a glass of wine - from 2 €. As a rule, the most modest dinner with a glass of wine costs about 12 € per person, but usually it is not limited to one glass and one course.

The Spaniards eat late and prefer tapas to a traditional dinner in a cafe and restaurant: a company or couples order beer or wine, and a variety of snacks to accompany them. Drinks usually cost € 1-4 and tapas prices vary greatly. Read more about them in the section on fast food.

Menu del dia - a way to save money on lunch. These are business lunches, which include first, second, drink and dessert / coffee. Valid from approximately 12:00 to 16:00 (times may vary from location to location). Usually, at the entrance to the establishment, the price for the menu is already written, sometimes you need to ask. Drinks are not always included in the price.

Prices in restaurants in Spain

Breakfast. You can have breakfast for about 10 € per person. As a rule, restaurants open before lunch, and some even after a siesta. They are rarely open in the morning. The Spaniards usually have breakfast in a cafe - churros, a sandwich or a bun with coffee.

Dinner. The most profitable is menu del dia. In restaurants, a business lunch costs from 8 to 25 € per person - the price depends on the level of the institution and the location. For example, in Granada, in the Albaycín area, we saw the most expensive business lunch (25 €) in a restaurant overlooking the Alhambra.

Dinner. Usually costs 20-30 € per person. We didn’t have dinner in restaurants because it’s expensive. It is more profitable to eat in tapas or cafes.

Important. Remember siesta! The opening hours of the establishments are different. Someone rests from 14 to 16-17 hours, and some, on the contrary, from 16 to 20-21 hours.

Prices for drinks in Spain

The drinks are called bebidas. Since Spain is hot in summer and mostly thirsty, it is useful to know about the prices of drinks - we spent a lot of money on them.

Here's what we tried:

• Tinto de verano - wine with soda and ice, a popular soft drink. Costs from 1.5 € per glass. Many people drink it!
• Sangria is no less popular sangria - from 3 € for a glass and from 9 € for 1 liter.
• Cerveza is a beer. It is important to know the names of the glasses: caña (0.2 l) - from 1 €, pinta - from 3 €, and jarra or vaso (1 l) - from 8 €.
• Agua - water, 0.5 l - from 1 €.
• Vino is wine. Everything is complicated with him, they chose at random. There are tintos - red and blancos - white, as well as sherry (sherry) - jerez. Usually wines cost from 2.5 € per glass (copa) and 15 € per bottle (botella).
• Zumo - juice. From 2.5 € per glass.
• Cafe - coffee. Espresso - from 1.5 €, cappuccino - from 2 €.
• Té - tea. Usually it can be ordered in special teahouses - teteria. They are more common in the south of the country. Price - from 2.5 € for a small kettle for 1 person. We advise you to take Moroccan.

What is useful to know about Spanish establishments

• Don't forget about the siesta: cafes and restaurants may be closed from 2 pm to 5 pm or from 4 pm to 8 pm.
• The cost of meals usually includes VAT - IVA includo... This is written in the menu.
• Eating on a terrace outdoors is usually € 1 more expensive than indoors.
• Do not order several dishes at once: food in Spain is sometimes served in impressive portions, and in the heat you don't really feel like eating.
• The weekend in cafes and restaurants in Spain usually falls on Monday and Sunday. Also consider siesta.
• Tips in cafes and restaurants are often included in the order price. However, it is considered good practice to leave a bonus in the form of 5-10% of the check amount.
• Don't be annoyed by the slowness of the waiters. The ordered dish is cooked, not heated in the microwave.
• According to Spanish law, drivers are allowed to drink a glass of wine or beer and get back behind the wheel.

A little about fast food

If you are planning the maximum budget vacation and the prices in a cafe in Spain seem high to you, then you are on the road to fast food establishments.

Tapas Is Spanish fast food and a whole food culture. Locals love to meet in the tapas in the evenings for a glass of wine or a beer. Snacks are sometimes brought to drinks for free, but we only met this once - almost everywhere you have to pay for them. Tapas can mean anything from salted nuts and olives to a potato tortilla or a ham sandwich. Snacks can be ordered by the piece (tapa) - from 2-3 to 7 € depending on the type. Or you can order a plate (plato) of tapas of one or different types - from 8 to 18 €. It is very convenient to order such a plate for several people - everyone can try different snacks.

An interesting chain of eateries - 100 Montaditos, or "100 sandwiches". As you may have guessed, these establishments are known for their large selection of tapas. In addition to quality beer and Tinto de verano, you can have a snack here with sandwiches with a variety of fillings. There is an Euromania promotion in the pub, when on Wednesday and Sunday montaditos from the menu cost only 1 €.

Since the middle of the 20th century, the network has been very popular in Spain Rodilla... She specializes in making triangular sandwiches as well as baking.Two sandwiches with coffee or tea cost 3.30 €.

There is also a sandwich chain Pans and Company... They use fresh natural products and also bake their own bread. A large sandwich with chicken and vegetables, fries and a drink cost about 4 €.

A more familiar shawarma can be purchased in Turkish kebabs from 3.5 € - for example, in Shawarma King in Granada. There you can also dine with a large plate of rice, two kebabs, a green salad and a drink for 8-10 €.

Food prices in Spain in 2021

Looking to save money on food in Spain? Then we advise you to rent an apartment and cook simple dishes yourself - for example, omelets for breakfast and seafood for dinner. Usually the apartments have a kitchen with a set of necessary utensils and a stove, as well as a refrigerator.

We did just that. At breakfast, they traditionally ate flan, jamon and some delicious bun, as well as brewed coffee. For lunch we usually went to a cafe and ordered menu del dia. For dinner, they again cooked their own - mussels, shrimp, seafood cocktail, or simply had a light dinner with sherry, fruit, blue cheese and ham. Purchased in supermarkets Mercadona, Dia and Carrefour - prices in these stores throughout Spain are quite low.

Here are some prices for food in Spain and groceries in stores in 2021 (using the example of the above, but mostly - Mercadona).

Fruit cost (price per 1 kg) in Dia and Mercadona supermarkets:

• mango - 2.7 €;
• apples - from 2 €;
• bananas - 0.8 €;
• oranges - 1 €;
• grapefruits - 1.25 €;
• watermelon - 0.55 €;
• melon - 0.55 €;
• cherries - from 2.5 €;
• avocado - about 6-7 €.

The cost of vegetables (price per 1 kg):

• cucumbers - 0.9 €;
• tomatoes - 1.4 €; potatoes - 0.87 €;
• onions - 0.6 €;
• salad (1 head of cabbage) - 0.8 €.

In addition to shops and supermarkets, you can buy groceries from local markets. But not for tourist, like Boqueria in Barcelona, ​​but for local residents. There is a selection of meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, spices, dairy products, as well as all kinds of sweets.

Advice: pay attention to store opening hours. We are used to the fact that supermarkets are often open 24/7, but this is not the case in Spain. Sunday is usually a day off, and on weekdays the store can close at 22 or 23 hours.

Review of the best restaurants in Spain (according to tourists' reviews)

Madrid

Plunge into the atmosphere of a Madrid pub and have a bite for 2 € local tapas in the restaurant Casa Labra... The establishment is located in the center and is popular with the locals.

Not far from the Royal Palace in Madrid, there is a restaurant for more demanding gourmets La Candela Restò... Here you can taste gourmet cuisine inexpensively and appreciate the special hospitality of the staff.

Barcelona

One of the best establishments of Catalan cuisine - restaurant Uma... In a small establishment with 5 tables, a chef works, who, before the start of culinary accomplishments, approaches all the guests, introduces himself, shows the kitchen, and only after that begins to act.

A place for the knowledgeable - restaurant in Barcelona Tast-Ller... We advise you to book in advance, as the visits are scheduled for a long time in advance. In the reviews, people point out that quite a moderate fee is charged for the works of art created here.

Tenerife

For a romantic and family dinner, the restaurant is suitable Tasca Tierras del Sur... The owner deserves special attention - he greets the guests and makes sure that the visitors are satisfied.

Solid portions with meat and fish dishes are served in the restaurant Oliver's With A Twist... The crowded restaurant in Tenerife, which was chosen by the British, is famous for its comfort and non-standard cuisine.