Types of restaurants in Spain 2026
🍽️ Restaurant
Establishment with table service, full menu and professional chef. Average ticket: €15–40 per person without drinks.
🥂 Gastronomic restaurant
Haute cuisine, tasting menu, renowned chef. Average ticket: €50–150+ per person.
🍺 Tapas bar
Tapas and small plates at the bar or at the table. Very popular in Andalusia and Madrid. Ticket: €8–20.
⛱️ Beach bar (Chiringuito)
Beach bar, simple menu, premium location. Price is usually 15–25% higher than inland for the same dish.
☕ Cafeteria / Café
Breakfast, sandwiches, affordable daily menu. Ticket: €5–12.
🍕 Gastrobar
Quality cuisine in a casual format. Specializing in cocktails and creative tapas. Ticket: €15–30.
🚗 Take Away / Delivery
No dining room, takeout or delivery only. They operate through Glovo, Just Eat, Uber Eats.
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Full menu with table, menu card and waiter service. The most common type in Spain. Average food cost: 28-33%.
Typically Spanish format. Combinations of tapas and small plates. High turnover, low average ticket.
Breakfasts, afternoon snacks and daily menu. High demand in office areas and urban centers.
Quality fast food. Chicken, bowls, sushi. Exponential growth in Spain since 2020.
Tasting menu, premium product. Higher food cost (30-38%) but a much higher ticket.
Delivery only. No dining room, lower fixed costs. Ideal for urban areas with high online demand.
Breakfast buffet + menu. Needs multi-point management and especially rigorous food cost control.
What type of restaurant is most profitable in Spain?
A restaurant's profitability depends on multiple factors: location, concept, cost management and differentiation. However, according to industry data, fast casual restaurants and ghost kitchens are the models with the highest profitability growth in Spain in 2024-2025.
Controlling food cost is the most decisive factor regardless of restaurant type. Tools like Pricora allow you to monitor the cost of each dish in real time and compare it with market prices in more than 29 European countries.
There are more than 280,000 active hospitality establishments in Spain, with total annual revenue exceeding €120 billion. The digitalization of the sector, driven by the Kit Digital program, is transforming the operational management of all these types of businesses.