How To Eat Out Like A Local In Spain
Eat late
Eating at midday in Spain you are not eating lunch but finishing off your breakfast. Bars in Spain serve their desayuno (breakfast) offers until around midday. Lunch doesn’t come for another couple of hours after this, which means the Spanish lunch hour doesn’t start until at least 2pm.
And in the evening?
Well, trying to a have meal at 7.30pm would be a sorry state of affairs. Most kitchens would still be closed. But if you were lucky enough to stumble across an open establishment, you would have eaten, finished, and left the premises before the first Spanish guests had even arrived. Dinner doesn’t start until at least 9pm and many people will sit down for their meal as late as 10pm. It’s hard to find restaurants that are serving food earlier than 8-8.30pm.
Eat your main meal at lunch
Some parts of the world say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, others say it’s dinner, but in Spain the whole universe revolves around la comida.
Lunch consists of no less than a first course, second course, dessert, coffee, and of course, a healthy serve of vino.
There are restaurants and bars all around the country that serve a menu del día – a lunch menu offering all of the above from anywhere to 7 – 15 EUR. But even at the higher end of the price range, this is still an excellent deal and a great way to enjoy the great Spanish tradition of la comida.
Enjoy a lighter dinner
As lunch is the main meal of the day the Spanish generally eat a much lighter dinner. They may still sit down at the table with family and friends, but instead of having a full meal they may just share some plates of cured meats, cheeses, and other simple items. Or perhaps they will head out and meet friends or family over a drink and some tapas or pintxos (depending which part of the country you are in).
Patience is a virtue
In Spain the food is only half of the point of eating out. Eating out is also a social affair and is done for enjoyment. People are not in a hurry and the moment is supposed to be savoured.
