Dining in Spain
So perhaps you're going to Spain for the first time. Lucky you! We hope you'll love it as much as we do. If you're unfamiliar with Spanish culture and what a typical day looks like (food-wise), we're here to help.
Time Zone Impact?
Let's start with a wee bit of background. Spain is on (or perhaps beyond) the western edge of the Central European Time zone. So, the days can seem long, with daylight until 10 PM in the summer. Why is this? It wasn't always the case. Spain's western neighbor, Portugal is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT); which is one hour earlier. Spain used to be on GMT. But in 1940, Francisco Franco's government decided they wanted to be on the same time zone as Germany. History buffs will want to dig into this a little more. Though the Franco regime ended almost 50 years ago, the time zone was never changed back. Now for the part you came here for...
Various Meals Throughout the Day
Some say that the long days in Spain are the reason why Spaniards tend to have various meals throughout the day, mostly smaller meals, with the main meal being in the middle of the day. Here is a breakdown of the various meals in Spain and when they are eaten.
El Desayuno (Breakfast) - The same time as many cultures, maybe 7:00 or 8:00 AM
El Aperitivo - A snack about half way between breakfast and lunch, say 11:00 AM
La Comida (sometimes called El Almuerzo) - Lunch, at about 2:00 or 2:30 PM
La Merienda - An afternoon snack, truly you could do tapas any time. Various times.
La Cena - Supper or dinner, a light meal at the end of the day, maybe 10:00 PM
El Desayuno
Breakfast is not going to be a problem for most visitors because it is served first thing in the morning. Spaniards might have a continental breakfast like a roll, some toast, or a pastry with a café con leche (coffee with milk) juice, or their beverage of choice. Cola Cao is a chocolate drink, like chocolate milk and can be cold or hot. Wherever you find yourself in Spain you'll find cafeterias and bars that will serve this type of breakfast. But you'll also be able to get things like churros, Spanish hot chocolate, Spanish tortilla, omelettes (they will be called "tortilla francesa"), and other more hearty options. We do our best to recommend restaurants in our blog articles when it's called for. Several of our articles on Madrid have restaurant recommendations, for example. This photo was taken at El Laurel Café and Taberna, in the Plaza de Bib-Rambla in Granada, Spain. It was the perfect breakfast to start our day!
La Comida or El Almuerzo
Let's talk about about lunch. Restaurants may not be open for lunch until 12:30 or 1:00 PM. Tourists who prefer to eat lunch earlier may find it easy to get a table near the 1:00 PM hour since that is a little on the early side for Spaniards. Don’t be discouraged if a restaurant is sparsely occupied when you dine earlier than locals. It’s not necessarily an indication of the quality of the establishment. Many places will have a "menú del día" which is like a three course, prix fixe meal, usually served with a beverage. They are often advertised in the window or on a tent sign on the sidewalk. You can also make a reservation or just find a place that looks good, get a table and order from the menu (la carta). Whatever you choose to do, you won't have to rush. In Spain they have the "sobremesa" which is basically hanging out at your lunch table having more beverages and conversing well past the end of your meal. The menú del día will probably only include the first beverage if it's included at all. So, if you indulge in more, the price will probably be higher than what was advertised. But, hey, you're on vacation, right?!
El Aperativo
If you decide to have lunch on the early side, you might not need to have an aperitivo (late morning snack). But if you opt to have lunch at 2:00 or so, you're likely to get a little hungry sooner and the aperitivo will be your excuse to try some croquetas (croquettes), some pan con tomate (garlic-rubbed toast with grated tomato and olive oil), or some other tasty spanish treat. In September 2024 our flight had arrived around 9AM. So, by the time we got to our hotel and checked in, we knew we were going to be hungry. So, we had made plans to meet a good friend for an aperativo at 11AM. We had a beer, a few tapas, and lots of great conversation.
La Merienda
You'll want to have a merienda or tapa at some point during the afternoon to tide you over until dinner time, if you plan to try living like a Spaniard. But you don't have to... These photos were taken at a few different places in Madrid. The first one is gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp) taken at Casa del Abuelo, the restaurant that allegedly invented this dish more than 100 years ago. The second photo is a glass of vermouth, a popular beverage in Spain, often enjoyed with an aperativo. This was at a place in the Malasaña neighborhood (we don't recall the name of the place). The next two photos are of pintxos we enjoyed at different places in the Mercado de San Miguel in central Madrid.
La Cena
Let's talk about your dinner options and timing. In Spain dinner or supper is much later than many travelers want to dine; especially when young children are involved. Dinner tends to be a lighter meal and can be as late as 10:00 or even 11:00 PM. Many restaurants will still be open somewhat earlier and have a full menu. You can also do tapas in the early evening as your dinner. This is a fun way to spend the evening and the tapas and pintxo options are seemingly endless.
Whatever you choose to do, just take it slowly and savor every bite. And most of all, take the time to enjoy the company of your friends and family. After all, dining at any hour of the day is almost an art form in Spain. And you don't want to miss this aspect of their culture.
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