potlatch, potluck (shared meal consisting of whatever guests have brought); hodgepodge; melting pot; Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see auberge, espagnole.
“Le résultat d'Europe Ecologie confirme une salutaire prise de conscience écologique, mais son recrutement est tellement hétéroclite qu'il ressemble de plus en plus à une auberge espagnole : on y trouve beaucoup plus de gauchistes libertaires et d'opportunistes que de véritables protecteurs de la nature.” — The performance of Europe Ecologie [a former green electoral coalition in France] is evidence of a beneficial increase in environmental awareness, but its recruitment is so broad that it is looking more and more like a free-for-all: it is home to many more opportunists and libertarian leftists than true protectors of nature.
Synonyms: repas-partage
Popularized by the 2002 film L'Auberge Espagnole.