Spanish meal times: when each kitchen opens
A Spanish restaurant kitchen serves lunch between 13:30 and 16:00 and dinner between 20:30 and 23:30, with a gap in between during which most places offer only drinks and cold dishes.
gelisted editorial team · Updated 15 August 2026
The short version
- Lunch service runs from about 13:30 to 16:00.
- Dinner service runs from about 20:30 to 23:30.
- The gap between 16:00 and 20:00 has limited food available.
- In high season book 2 to 5 days ahead.
Arriving hungry for dinner at 19:00 is the most common gastronomic disappointment a visitor experiences here. The kitchen is not unwilling; it has not opened.
The two windows
Lunch service starts around 13:30 and last orders are taken about 15:30 or 16:00. Dinner begins around 20:30, with the dining room at its fullest between 21:00 and 22:30 and the kitchen closing about 23:00 or 23:30. Outside those windows many places keep the bar open with a reduced offer of cold dishes, sandwiches and desserts.
| Establishment | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|
| Neighbourhood bar | 13:00 to 16:00 | 20:00 to 23:00 |
| Restaurant with a carte | 13:30 to 16:00 | 20:30 to 23:30 |
| Fine dining restaurant | 13:30 to 15:30 | 20:00 to 22:30 |
| Beach chiringuito | 12:30 to 17:00 | 19:30 to 22:30 |
| Tourist area in season | 12:00 to 23:00 | continuous service |
| Breakfast | 08:00 to 11:30 | |
| Afternoon snack | 17:00 to 19:30 | limited offer |
The afternoon gap
Between 16:00 and 20:00 most kitchens rest and staff change shift. Continuous service has spread in heavily visited areas, particularly on the seafront, but it usually means a reduced menu and uneven quality. Anyone needing to eat at that hour will do better in a tapas bar or a place that declares continuous hours on its door.
Booking in season
From June to September, and over Easter, restaurants with a reputation fill days ahead. A margin of 2 to 5 days covers most cases, and 2 weeks for the most sought after. The 20:30 and 22:30 dinner sittings keep availability longest, while 21:30 disappears first. Booking the early sitting usually means a calmer dining room.
Sunday evening and Monday are the most common closing days, so it is worth checking before making the journey.
Using the hours to advantage
Eating at 13:30 sharp gets a table without a booking in almost any restaurant and more attentive service, since the kitchen is not yet under pressure. At dinner, arriving at 20:30 means finishing by 22:00 without hurrying. And to try a heavily booked restaurant, the weekday lunch menu offers the same kitchen at a price 30 to 50 per cent below the evening carte.
Frequently asked
+When is lunch served in Spain?
Between about 13:30 and 16:00, with the dining room busiest around 14:30.
+And dinner?
Between 20:30 and 23:30, with most people arriving between 21:00 and 22:30.
+Can I eat at 18:00?
Only from a limited offer of cold dishes, sandwiches and desserts unless the place has continuous service.
+How far ahead should I book?
Two to five days in high season and up to two weeks for the most sought after restaurants.
+When do restaurants close?
Sunday evening and Monday are the most common closing days.
Sources
- 1Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE (August 2026)
- 2Govern de les Illes Balears, Govern de les Illes Balears (August 2026)