Understanding the Spanish Dining Timetable
Originally published in Eater
With seven distinct meals in a day, here’s when to eat everything in Barcelona
People have always come to Barcelona with grand ambitions. Now that visitors are slowly ebbing back into the city, they want to see all the sights, absorb all the culture, and of course dive deep into the city’s famous cuisine, bouncing effortlessly between vermouth bar and paella specialist without missing a beat. But too often, travelers end up losing out on some of Barcelona’s best eating thanks to the intricacies of the Spanish timetable, where meals likely happen at a different hour than many foreigners (Americans, anyway) are used to. Try to eat lunch too early — say, noon — and you’ll be searching fruitlessly for something other than a bocadillo, a single slice of jamón on baguette. Get caught hungry before the restaurants open for dinner around 9 and you’ll find yourself emptying your wallet for snacks and abandoning crucial stomach space. The rules are just different here — traditionally there are six distinct meals, for one — and adapting faster means eating better. Noshing like a local is a delicate dance, so here’s a quick guide to help you make sure you don’t miss a meal.
A tapas bar in Barcelona.
The Timeline
7 - 9 a.m.
Desdejuni / Desayuno (Breakfast)
The workday in Spain generally begins at 9 a.m., so breakfast at home falls some time before that. With the 10 a.m. almuerzo on the horizon, many Spaniards skip this step altogether, but those who eat at home might indulge in a slice of bread with olive oil and tomato, a few slices of jamón, or some fruit.
10 - 11 a.m.
l’Esmorzar / Almuerzo (Mid-Morning Snack)
Almuerzo is an indispensable part of the local diet. It’s built into school schedules, and for many adults it’s the first meal of the day. It’s mostly designed to stave off hunger until a typically heavy three-course lunch, so most tuck into a simple sandwich, a slice of quiche-like tortilla made with egg and potatoes or other veggies, or just a croissant and a coffee.
12 - 2 p.m.
La Hora del Vermut (Vermut Hour)
At noon on weekends, bars are crowded with friends and families having a drink — often vermouth, sometimes not — and chatting over small bites like canned cockles, ensaladilla rusa (a potato salad), and anchovy-stuffed olives. It’s an essential ritual, and a good way to get an early meal in if you can’t wait for the traditional lunch hour. And if fortified wine at noon sounds like a bit much, you can also order it after dark.
Patrons gather outside a vermuteria in Barcelona.
Vermut and assorted snacks at Morro Fi.
2 - 3:30 p.m.
El Dinar/La Comida (Lunch)
La comida is the main event of the day, and is not to be missed. It’s typically three filling courses, including a starter, a main plate, and either dessert or coffee. During the week many places serve a menú del día, a fixed-price lunch special offering a few choices for each course. With the influx of foreign companies to the city and the economic impulse to catch up with Northern European productivity standards, this meal is becoming less important. Old habits die hard, though, and while some stay near the office and have a quick bite, many still sit for a menú at midday.
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
El Berenar/La Merienda (Mid-Afternoon Snack)
Merienda is typically when children head home from school with a croissant or foil-wrapped entrepà (sandwich) in one hand and a Cacaolat (Barcelona’s favorite brand of chocolate milk) in the other — something to tide them over until dinner, still hours away. While kids’ merienda is portable, you can take a seat and enjoy yours with an afternoon coffee, even if it’s descafeinado (decaf). Just don’t order a cafe con leche this late in the day.
Pre-dinner drinks in Gràcia.
8:30 - 10 p.m.
La Hora del Aperitiu/La Hora del Aperitivo (Pre-Dinner Drinks)
When people get off work, aperitivo hour begins. In Barcelona, this is less a ritualistic meal than it is in Madrid, and more an excuse to meet a friend for a beer and some snacks like pimientos de padrón, tiny Catalan arbequina olives, and marinated sardines while you’re figuring out what to do for dinner.
9 - 11 p.m.
El Sopar/La Cena (Dinner)
When eaten at home, this meal can be very light, sometimes even just a plate of steamed vegetables with olive oil or a bowl of yogurt and some fruit. That said, Barcelona’s restaurants are getting back to being packed, especially in the summer, and the food can range from classic Catalan feasts to ramen to chicken wings.
So You Screwed Up?
Here are eight great all-day restaurants for when your timing’s off
As Barcelona turned into a popular travel destination, cafes and restaurants recognized the tourist’s dilemma and began serving food all day long. If you’re still struggling to acclimate to the schedule, here’s a list of fail-safes.
Billed as a creative space for social good, Robot House focuses on specialty coffee and farm-to-table bowls, plus craft beer and natural wine, but they also have a small bookshop and host regular talks. Carrer de Provença 316, 08037; Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed weekends.
This small, unpretentious tapas bar offers unconventional selections like octopus bao and confit leeks with papada and hollandaise. The menú del día is a great deal if you can snag a seat. Carrer de Bonavista 8, 08012; Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to midnight; Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight; closed Sunday.
Although it’s become quite popular, and therefore occasionally crowded, since it opened, this converted factory is worth a visit for the stunning renovation alone. That said, there are four well-executed restaurants inside, popular with locals and tourists alike. Diners can choose from a seafood spot, a tapas bar, a steakhouse, and a Spanish delicatessen offering light meals. Passeig de Gràcia 24 Bis, 08007; 12 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.
Bar Central
This hidden spot inside La Central bookshop is worth seeking out. The cafe opens out onto a gorgeous plant-filled garden terrace where you can have a light lunch and a vermouth or a scoop of ice cream on a hot day. Carrer d’Elisabets 6, 08001; no website; Sundays 12 p.m to 8 p.m.; Monday - Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Bar Veraz is inside the swanky Barcelona Edition hotel. Not only does the menu have a good blend of tapas, brunch plates like shakshuka, and pizza topped with burrata and black truffles, but they also offer a rare all-day brunch on weekends. Avinguda Francesc Cambó 14, 08003; 7:30 a.m. to 12 a.m. daily.
This small bar has a thoughtfully curated wine list, organic sangria, craft beers and vermouths, and classic tapas like moixama (cured tuna and marcona almonds), croquetes with sobrasada and honey, or bunyols (salt cod fritters). Carrer de Provença 340, 08037; Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.; closed weekends.
This mostly vegetarian restaurant focuses on creative combinations like squash blossoms with cashew cream, pico de gallo, and goji berries. Their homemade juices are delicious. The Raval location has a rooftop terrace open in the summer months. Carrer dels Tallers 74b, 08001; Monday - Friday 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Babula Bar offers a menu marrying international foods like grilled octopus with chimichurri and Japanese-inspired steak tartare. The space has a cozy cocktail bar vibe where you can seek a quiet moment amid the bustle of Barcelona life. Carrer de Pau Claris 139, 08009; Monday - Tuesday 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.; Wednesday - Sunday 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.