How to Survive Spanish Mealtimes – Just When Should You Eat While In Spain?

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How to Survive Spanish Mealtimes – Just When Should You Eat While In Spain?

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Totally Spain

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Tweet One of the regular questions we get asked by clients is about Spanish mealtimes. Do Spaniards really eat a three-course meal at lunch? Yes. Do Spaniards really eat their evening meal after 9pm? Yes. How can we be sure we are eating the right food at the right time? Hmmm.

We recommend our clients try to adapt to the Spanish mealtimes – especially in smaller towns and when travelling out of peak season. Not only is it the best way to eat authentic Spanish food, it’s a pleasure to watch a busy restaurant or bar working to capacity in Spain.

What’s Eaten When in Spain 08:00+ Breakfast. It’s hard to generalise but in the North the basic breakfast will include a freshly squeezed orange juice, and a

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coffee with a bun or sweet pastry. And in the South, you’ll find the juice and coffee plus a toasted baguette, with olive oil to drizzle and fresh tomato puree as a jam. Countrywide at breakfast buffets you’ll find cured meats such as jamon Serrano and chorizo plus a selection of cheeses. Egg dishes including the Spanish tortilla may also be on offer. The larger hotels will serve other egg dishes and cereals such as mueslis.

11:00+ Snack. Do not miss this mini-meal, if you’ve had a light breakfast, an early breakfast or know you’ll having a late lunch.

Bars offer deals that include a coffee with a slice of Spanish tortilla or a savoury sandwich for less than 3 EUR.

Pan con tomate or bread with tomato is served for breakfast in the South of Spain. Photo credit: topsynette via photopin cc

Mid-morning snacks at a bar in Spain featuring Spanish tortilla and other savoury snacks

13:30+ Aperitivo. At weekends, friends and families meet for a pre-lunch drink which often runs into lunch. You’ll see platters of squid, prawns, and Jamon being washed back with martinis, local vermouths, sherries, grape juices, white wines and beers.

Use the restaurants’ boards to direct you to what’s open when. Photo credit: Gonmi via photopin cc

14:00+ Lunch. It’s a three-course affair. Summer starters include salads, gazpachos and vegetable-based dishes. In the cooler months you’ll find soups with white beans, chick-peas and lentils. Second courses will often be protein-high; usually a meat or fish dish. During the week, most Spaniards skip dessert and opt for a coffee. If you have a sweet-tooth, you’ll find plenty crèmecaramels, baked cheesecakes and rice puddings plus many local specialities. And you may be offered a ‘chupito’ which is usually a local liquer in a shot glass.

17.30+ Afternoon snack. Very important for those who didn’t arrive in time to have a three course lunch. In the summer months, have an ice-cream from an ice-cream vendor and in winter, look out for churros with hot chocolate.

Chocolate and churros are the best wintertime warmer. photo credit: djwtwo via photopin cc

20:30+ Drinks & Tapas. As per the lunchtime aperitivo, this can often carry on and replace the evening meal. After two or three tapas, you won’t be able to eat much more. Enjoy the many red and white wines by the glass. And remember, it’s commonplace to move from one bar to another.

Tapas are a great appetiser and also useful if you wish to eat an early lunch or an early dinner. Photo

credit: Anvica via photopin cc

Some of the better tapas bars will publish their daily specials outside

21:30 Dinner. Depending on what you’ve eaten beforehand, you have many options ranging from shared platters of food called raciones in a bar or tavern. In a restaurant, if you aren’t very hungry, you can either share a dish or two – or ask for half portions.

But if you had a light lunch, or no lunch at all – explain this as waiting staff will not expect their diners to be ordering large quantities of food.

A evening meal with some flair. Photo credit: Renée S. Suen via photopin cc

Gin & tonics are very popular after 11pm at night. photo credit: alberto rincon garcia via photopin cc

23:00+ Copas. At roughly this time, Spaniards switch from drinking wines or beers to spirit-based drinks such as a gin & tonic, a mojito, a rum and coke or one of the many local specialities such as a Pacharan in the Basque Country. This often co-incides with a change of location away from the foodie bars to the music bars, Jazz bar or open-air bars. One piece of advice – the measures are very generous!

Missed or Skipped a Meal and Now You’re Hungry?

Here’s a few tips for the days when you aren’t able to synchronise with local times: • Find a bar with Spanish tortilla – you’ll usually see it behind the counter under a protective glass so you won’t even need to ask.

If you can’t find anywhere with tortilla, ask for a ‘bocadillo’ which is a baguette usually filled with a cured meat and/or cheese.

• All-day tapas restaurants, which you’ll find in the larger cities, will take the edge off your hunger. Patatas bravas or croquetas will usually do the trick.

• Ask your hotel about early or late dining. Hotel restaurants, some of which are very good nowadays, can offer dining from as early as 8pm. And if you need late dining – that’s even easier. Many restaurants will accept reservations up until or after midnight.

• Most towns and cities will have great delis either as a standalone store, inside a supermarket or at a stall in a food market. Pick up a half baguette or some breadsticks, ask for a few slices of cured meats (or buy them pre-packed), grab some cheese and olives – and bring it all back to your bedroom for a gourmet picnic.

• Get online. We searched eltenedor.es for restaurant reservations in Barcelona for 7pm and many restaurants were available. For more details on eltenedor.es online reservation system, see our post.

Pick up some olives, cured meats and cheese at a deli or food market to keep the hunger at bay if you miss a meal.

Photo credit: SantiMB via photopin cc

The bocadillo or baguette roll is a handy filller when you are between mealtimes or on the move.

Photo credit: JaulaDeArdilla via photopin cc

A light supper of grilled fish or seafood can be a good option if you have little appetite but have made a dinner reservation. Photo credit: jlastras via photopin cc

What To Order When You’re Not Hungry?

Sometimes the opposite can happen. You find yourself eating breakfast, lunch and dinner out, and if you’re not getting enough time to exercise, you can start to feel very sluggish. Or perhaps you’re jet-lagged and have no appetite but you’ve made a dinner reservation and can’t cancel. Or maybe you’re on a controlled diet and want to eat something simple?

• Almost all restaurants will be able to rustle up a mixed salad – ensalada mixta – as a starter, whether it’s on the menu or not.

• The lightest option for a second course would be a thin steak – filete a la plancha – or the grilled fish or grilled prawns – pescado a la plancha or gambas a la plancha. If these options can’t be accommodated, ask for something light ‘ligero’ or a ‘media porcion’ – a half portion.

• Order fruit for dessert or skip it altogether and have a coffee, decaf coffee or herbal tea.

Tapas in San Sebastian – the perfect snack food – when you are peckish or starving! Photo credit: kasi metcalfe via photopin cc

Considering a trip to Spain and want to experience Spanish gastronomy? We can recommend where to visit, get a booking in a Michelin star restaurant, arrange a cooking class, make sure you try the best barfood and visit an artisan food producer too. Have a look at some of our ideas in our Suggested Gastronomic Tour for Small Groups.

Tempted to arrange an Insider Tour of Spain?

Get in touch with the experts at Totally Spain. Phone Spain on +34-942-637358, from the USA on 1-888-717-4514, and from the UK on 0871-6660214 or SEND US AN EMAIL or REQUEST A QUOTE

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