Spain boasts Michelin-starred restaurants where you can enjoy a fantastic meal for under €50. These gems offer tasting menus or other clever options that won’t break the bank
While the average tasting menu at a one-starred restaurant ranges from €75 to €175, prices climb to between €180 and €250 at two-starred establishments and soar above €250 at three-starred venues. This is often due to logistical challenges or the need to manage high customer demand. Lavish tasting menus are usually the domain of celebrity chefs with multiple stars, like Dabiz Muñoz (DiverXO, Madrid), Jordi Cruz (Abac, Barcelona), or Toño Pérez (Atrio, Cáceres).
However, down-to-earth restaurants with more accessible options for their star-infused dishes do exist. Some feature midday menus or set lunches, allowing diners to sample several dishes from the à la carte menu or fixed-price menus (not necessarily full tasting menus). Typically, these hidden gems tend to be found outside the major cities.
In Silabario (Vigo, Pontevedra), the Galician chef Alberto González boasts the cheapest Michelin-starred menu in Spain: the ‘Berbés’ at just 38 euros, unsurprisingly heavily influenced by the sea. They also offer three other tasting menus at slightly higher prices. Chirón (Valdemoro, Madrid), with Iván Muñoz at the helm, offers an ‘executive menu’ for €35, the only Michelin-starred option at this price point in the Community of Madrid. At Coto de Quevedo (Torre de Juan Abad, Ciudad Real), José Antonio Medina offers two affordable tasting menus, but you can also enjoy dishes from his à la carte menu for under €50, or a market menu for €35.
Chef Jeroni Castell at Les Moles (Ulldecona, Tarragona) offers a remarkable four tasting menus, including a vegetarian option and an à la Carte Menu with half-portions for around €47.90 (daytime) or the ‘Tradició’ menu for €54.90 (evenings). Julen Baz at Garena (Lamindao, Vizcaya) serves fresh, traditional Basque farmhouse cooking without unnecessary frills. His Market Menu is just €48 and consists of six courses but is only available Monday to Friday.
At Ajonegro (Logroño), the culinary duo of Carolina López and Iñaki Murúa create a fusion of Latin American (influenced by her Ecuadorian heritage) and Basque/Northern Spanish cuisine (reflecting his roots). They have tasting menus and a tempting à la carte selection, making it easy to enjoy a delicious meal for under €50 per person. Casa Arcas (Villanova, Huesca), nestled in a small village hotel in the Benasque Valley, offers two options around the €50 mark: the ‘Paseo SL-5’ menu for €37.50 (for hotel guests) and the seven-course ‘Sendero PR-7’ menu for €55.50.
