Spain’s plato combinado is more than just a simple meal; it’s a reflection of the country’s history, resilience, and everyday creativity. What began as a response to scarcity eventually became a national icon — a symbol of practicality, comfort, and democratic dining. At Socarrat, we’ve drawn inspiration from that legacy to create our new Bento Box, a modern nod to one of Spain’s most enduring culinary inventions.
A Dish Born Out of Necessity
The plato combinado has humble beginnings. Its roots go back to the late 1930s, during the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. With food shortages and rationing in full effect, the government introduced the Día del Plato Único — the “Day of the Single Dish.”
On those days, restaurants and families were encouraged (and at times required) to serve only one plate instead of the traditional multi-course meal. It was a fiscal and moral measure: one dish per person meant saving ingredients and simplifying service in a time of crisis.
What began as an act of survival became, little by little, a habit. Spaniards learned to enjoy the practicality of having “everything on one plate.”
The Rise of the Cafetería Era
By the 1950s and 1960s, Spain was changing. The country was emerging from isolation, tourism was growing, and the first modern cafeterías began to appear — inspired by American diners and French brasseries. These venues catered to a new kind of customer: workers on the go, travelers, and tourists looking for a quick, affordable, and complete meal.
That’s where the plato combinado found its true form: a generous portion of protein (a steak, a fried egg, or grilled fish), a side of potatoes, a handful of vegetables or salad, maybe some bread — and always everything served on one big plate.
In 1965, the Spanish government even made it official: all cafeterías were required to offer a “plato combinado turístico” — a standardized complete dish with bread, dessert or coffee, and a drink, at fixed prices. It was simple, reliable, and efficient — the culinary expression of a country in motion.
A Reflection of Everyday Spain
Through the 1970s and 1980s, the plato combinado became part of Spain’s collective memory. It was the workers’ lunch, the traveler’s refuge, the family’s quick fix on a busy day. As El Comidista wrote in El País, it’s “a dish that refuses to die” — a time capsule of Spanish life, served with fried potatoes and nostalgia.
But it also reflected the times: convenience over refinement, abundance over balance. According to El País, a typical plato combinado could easily reach 800–900 calories — a generous helping of energy for a laborer’s day, but perhaps too much for the modern, sedentary lifestyle.
Still, its spirit endured. In every small-town café or roadside bar, you can still find versions that haven’t changed in 50 years — living monuments to a period when Spain’s kitchens were guided by necessity and imagination in equal measure.
A Modern Homage: The Socarrat Bento Box
At Socarrat, we see the plato combinado not as something outdated, but as something timeless — a meal built on balance, completeness, and comfort. Our new Bento Box takes that foundation and reimagines it for today’s diner.
Each box captures the essence of the original “one-plate meal”: a harmonious combination of protein, grain, and seasonal vegetables, designed for flavor, freshness, and visual appeal. The structure takes inspiration from Japanese bento culture — tidy compartments, balance, and beauty — while staying true to the Spanish soul of simplicity and satisfaction.
Just as the plato combinado once brought order to postwar cafeterías, our Bento Box brings order (and flavor) to modern life: fast, wholesome, and effortlessly stylish.
From Yesterday’s Cafeterías to Today’s Tables
Spain’s plato combinado tells the story of adaptation — from rationing to regulation, from cafeterías to comfort food. It is proof that food can be practical and poetic at the same time.
With our Bento Box, Socarrat celebrates that legacy — not by recreating the past, but by evolving it.
A complete meal, perfectly balanced, beautifully served.
A taste of history, reimagined for today.
Discover the new Bento Box at Socarrat — Available for delivery & take out at Lunch Time Socarrat Midtown
