The Spanish are proud of their healthy Mediterranean diet with a perfect balance between meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, olive oil and other natural products. Times, however, are different than in most other countries, where the most striking is the warm and extensive food at lunchtime between 2 and 3 pm and the late dinner between 9 and 10 pm. If you want to eat out: restaurants are opened for lunch from 13.00 to 15.30-16.00 and from 20.30 until 23.00 for dinner (but most of them won’t get busy until 21.00 – 22.00 pm).
Breakfast (el desayuno)
In Spain, breakfast, or el desayuno, is the smallest meal of the day. The Spanish start the day off with something simple such as a fresh juice, a sweet roll, or a sweet breakfast pastry like a Magdalena (lemon flavoured cake) and a “cafe con leche”, coffee with a lot of steamed milk. Another popular breakfast dish is “churros”. A lightly fried dough shaped into long “sticks” with deep ridges, sprinkled with sugar or honey. It usually gets served alongside thick hot chocolate in which you dip the churros, it’s a great way to start the day.
Morning snack (el almuerzo)
Because the normal breakfast is not enough until lunch, practically everyone takes a second breakfast between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., which for some is a first breakfast. This can be described as a morning snack or “el almuerzo”.
The “almuerzo” is usually a coffee with a “pan con tomate” which is a simple toasted bread rubbed with ripe tomato, garlic, and olive oil, sometimes also accompanied with Jamon Iberico. There is also the possibility to take a “bocadillo” a sandwich with cheese or ham or other toppings. In addition, people also eat a lot of sweet sandwiches such as croissants, and sandwiches with chocolate or cream filling.
Lunch (la comida)
Lunch “la comida” is the most important meal of the day in Spain and consists of at least 3 parts, a starter (primer plato), a main course (segundo plato) and a dessert (postre). The starter is usually a soup, a dish with eggs or a salad. Then comes the main course with fish, meat and potatoes or a paella and then there is a dessert which is often a piece of fruit or a pudding. Many working Spaniards often eat a “menu del día” in a nearby restaurant. These are often complete multi-course all-inclusive meals for very discounted prices (8 / 15 euro).
Afternoon snack (la merienda)
The evening meal or “la cena” is served between 9 pm and sometimes even as late as 11 pm, so often one needs something between lunch and dinner. In the late afternoon, between 5 and 7 pm, there is the “merienda”, a light meal or snack. That’s why the tapas bars are full again until about 8 pm. The tapas usually involves a caña (small glass of beer) or una copa di vino (a glass of wine).
Dinner (la cena)
Unless one eats out of the house, the evening meal is lighter than the midday meal. In general, however, people eat between 9 pm and 10 pm. Since for most Spaniards lunch (la comida) is more important and more attention is paid to it, dinner (la cena) is often lighter and consists of something small like bread, soup, salads, etc.
