Lunch menu tops €20 in Vitoria, Spain

The set lunch menu tops €20 in central Vitoria

The menú del día, historically the refuge of workers who have to eat out, has crossed a symbolic line in Vitoria. In most restaurants in the city centre, the full menu — starter, main course, dessert, drink and bread — now hovers around €20. Restaurateurs admit they are walking a tightrope to keep alive a formula under assault from inflation and rising labour costs. Wags already talk of "Vitoria Gastéis", a pun that sums up the situation better than any indicator.

Invidious comparisons

The figure stings more when you look around. In Murcia, an acceptable set menu can be found for €13, coffee not included. In Arjona, a village in Jaén, the range runs from €15 to €18, with a quality diners have no hesitation in calling poor. In Valencia, the modernised version — brunch for foreign tourists — charges between €14 and €16 for avocado toast, scrambled egg and a drink. Vitoria thus sits at the top of the table, with the aggravating factor that this is not a gourmet formula, but the daily meal of those with no other option.

The warning of the closures

Some analyses suggest that the strategy of raising prices to offset the loss of customers is reaching its limit. More and more restaurants are shutting down. Meanwhile, large chains such as Mercadona are watching closely: if the set lunch becomes a luxury, the packed lunch wins the day. The open question is whether city-centre hospitality can sustain a formula that many already consider beyond the reach of ordinary wallets.