https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed If you live in Spain or come here regularly on holiday, you’ll probably have noticed that Monday is the day when many bars and restaurants stay closed and you have far fewer options than any other day of the week. But why is this? https://www.thelocal.es/20241015/why-do-many-bars-and-restaurants-in-spain-close-on-mondays Tue, 15 Oct 2024 19:47:23 +0200 why-do-many-bars-and-restaurants-in-spain-close-on-mondays Terraces are popular throughout the year in Spain, but it’s the summer season when they really come alive. In a historic new agreement, this could all be set to change. https://www.thelocal.es/20260428/spains-bar-and-restaurant-terraces-to-close-during-heatwaves Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:59:46 +0200 spains-bar-and-restaurant-terraces-to-close-during-heatwaves One of the best ways to integrate into life in Spain is to buy your fruit and veg at your local greengrocer in Spain, called a 'frutería'. Follow our tips on how to shop at them. https://www.thelocal.es/20260424/a-guide-to-shopping-at-your-local-fruit-and-veg-store-in-spain Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:29:57 +0200 a-guide-to-shopping-at-your-local-fruit-and-veg-store-in-spain Spain may be better known for its wines than its beers, but it has some excellent varieties to choose from. Here's what 'cerveza' to order in different parts of the country. https://www.thelocal.es/20260413/cervezas-the-beer-to-order-in-different-regions-of-spain Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:30:28 +0200 cervezas-the-beer-to-order-in-different-regions-of-spain Spain's new law to help reduce food waste came fully into force on April 3rd 2026. Here's how it'll affect you, from being able to ask for doggy bags at all restaurants to getting great supermarket deals on 'ugly' but perfectly good fruit and veg. https://www.thelocal.es/20250408/seven-key-points-from-spains-new-food-waste-law Tue, 08 Apr 2025 14:53:18 +0200 seven-key-points-from-spains-new-food-waste-law Low wages, chronically high unemployment and rising prices never seem to prevent Spaniards from enjoying drinks and meals out with friends and family. New data illustrates how much importance Spaniards give to these eating rituals. https://www.thelocal.es/20260325/152-times-a-year-the-stats-that-show-spaniards-love-for-eating-out Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:21:14 +0100 152-times-a-year-the-stats-that-show-spaniards-love-for-eating-out If eating and drinking what the locals have and paying the right price for it matters to you, there are several tell tale signs that certain restaurants in Spain are tourist traps and only in it for the money. https://www.thelocal.es/20240708/how-to-spot-restaurants-in-spain-that-are-tourist-traps Mon, 08 Jul 2024 09:46:00 +0200 how-to-spot-restaurants-in-spain-that-are-tourist-traps A recent survey by the Pew Research Centre delved into what people feel proudest about in their country, with Europeans pointing to history, food and culture among the main reasons. https://www.thelocal.es/20260228/culture-politics-food-what-makes-europeans-proud-of-their-country Sat, 28 Feb 2026 12:49:34 +0100 culture-politics-food-what-makes-europeans-proud-of-their-country Spain's Consumer Affairs Ministry has announced that it will implement rules to ban the sale of energy drinks to people under the age of 16. https://www.thelocal.es/20260226/spain-to-ban-sale-of-energy-drinks-to-under-16s Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:07:39 +0100 spain-to-ban-sale-of-energy-drinks-to-under-16s Spaniards are known to be pretty puritanical when it comes to paella. Not only in terms of ingredients, but when to eat it and even which day. https://www.thelocal.es/20260226/why-paella-is-eaten-for-lunch-and-not-dinner-in-spain-and-mainly-on-thursdays Thu, 26 Feb 2026 09:58:57 +0100 why-paella-is-eaten-for-lunch-and-not-dinner-in-spain-and-mainly-on-thursdays If you're in Catalonia in winter one of the best local traditions you can take part in is a 'calçotada', a ritual which sees friends and families gobble up flame-grilled calçots (a type of green onion) with a delicious sauce. https://www.thelocal.es/20200127/recipe-how-to-make-eat-and-enjoy-calots Mon, 27 Jan 2020 08:47:51 +0100 recipe-how-to-make-eat-and-enjoy-calots Spain is well known as a gastronomical destination famous for its jamón, tortilla and paella, but it is also home to a few stranger foods that you might not have heard of. https://www.thelocal.es/20230705/14-unusual-foods-you-wont-believe-are-eaten-in-spain Wed, 05 Jul 2023 16:17:51 +0200 14-unusual-foods-you-wont-believe-are-eaten-in-spain Spaniards love food, and even when they're not eating or talking about it, the chances are they're using it to describe something else. Here's the lowdown on the most amusing foody expressions in Spanish. https://www.thelocal.es/20190321/7-foody-phrases-that-dont-mean-what-you-think Thu, 21 Mar 2019 10:30:12 +0100 7-foody-phrases-that-dont-mean-what-you-think British pub chain Wetherspoons has opened its first establishment outside the UK and Ireland, and the Costa Blanca is the chosen spot. Find out how much you'll have to pay for a pint. https://www.thelocal.es/20260210/wetherspoons-opens-its-first-pub-in-spain-at-alicante-airport Tue, 10 Feb 2026 11:07:40 +0100 wetherspoons-opens-its-first-pub-in-spain-at-alicante-airport Ernest Hemingway famously said that Spaniards “delay the day”, and when it comes to eating, this is certainly applicable. https://www.thelocal.es/20241002/why-do-spaniards-eat-so-late Wed, 02 Oct 2024 14:32:56 +0200 why-do-spaniards-eat-so-late Every culture has a particular food associated with Christmas and in Spain there is nothing more typically festive than the Roscón de Reyes, the 'Cake of Kings'. Here's what you need to know about this tradition and its fascinating origins. https://www.thelocal.es/20201216/what-you-need-to-know-about-spains-festive-roscon-de-reyes-cake Wed, 16 Dec 2020 11:00:29 +0100 what-you-need-to-know-about-spains-festive-roscon-de-reyes-cake Nougat fudge and seafood aren’t the only foodstuffs Spanish people eat during the Christmas period. Here’s what Spaniards are wolfing down the most during the festive season according to official data. https://www.thelocal.es/20191218/turrn-or-tangerines-what-spaniards-really-eat-and-drink-during-christmas Wed, 18 Dec 2019 09:23:23 +0100 turrn-or-tangerines-what-spaniards-really-eat-and-drink-during-christmas Take a stroll through any Spanish supermarket during the festive season, and you'll surely spot the turrón aisle. Spaniards love it, and it's everywhere at this time of year. But what is turrón, exactly? And why is it so popular at Christmas? https://www.thelocal.es/20211224/turron-ten-things-you-didnt-know-about-spains-sweet-christmas-treat Fri, 24 Dec 2021 09:54:53 +0100 turron-ten-things-you-didnt-know-about-spains-sweet-christmas-treat If you're travelling to the UK from Spain this Christmas you might be thinking of bringing gifts of Spain's delicious cheeses and cured meats - but a change in British import rules is still in effect. https://www.thelocal.es/20251222/can-you-bring-spanish-meat-or-cheese-into-the-uk-this-christmas Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:03:52 +0100 can-you-bring-spanish-meat-or-cheese-into-the-uk-this-christmas This little-known tip is one that many long-time residents and even Spaniards don’t know about. https://www.thelocal.es/20251211/perejil-the-herb-you-can-get-for-free-in-spain Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:45:03 +0100 perejil-the-herb-you-can-get-for-free-in-spain