A little before lunchtime each working day across Spain , evidence of one of the lingering, if less notorious, legacies of the Franco dictatorship is carefully traced in chalk, marker pen and printer ink.

Beckoning to hungry workers from blackboards, whiteboards and pieces of paper hastily taped to windows, the competitively priced menú del día , or daily set-price lunch, has been part of everyday Spanish life for more than half a century. But while 4m menús are still served each weekday, Spain is slowly losing its appetite for the familiar ritual.

Back in 2009, the country’s best-known chef, Ferran Adrià, went so far as to pronounce it dead – a victim of changing eating habits, economic downturns and bistro-style restaurants trying to charge €20-€30 (£17-£25) for what should be a simple starter, a hearty main and a choice of pudding or coffee … with bread and a drink thrown in.

Seventeen years later, however, the diagnosis seem a little premature.…