When moving to another country, or even just when going on holidays, food is always an important issue. And one thing to check before travelling to a new destination is the time of different meals. After all, you don't want to head out to a restaurant at 6pm to then find that it doesn't open until 8 or 9pm. So, what time do people eat dinner in Portugal? And how does Portugal compare to other European countries? Let's find out.
Routines and habits vary from country to country. Do people eat dinner late in Portugal? The answer is almost always yes, as dinnertime in Portugal happens between 9pm and 10pm on average. This is later than the European average, and only rivalled by Spaniards who usually have dinner between 9:30 and 10:30pm. This is according to the Spanish radio station Cope, which is based on a map published on the Instagram account @LoverOfGeography.
Keep in mind that when eating out in Portugal that most restaurants won't open until at least 7 or 8pm, and most of them will still be pretty empty at that time. Moreover, on Fridays and Saturdays, it’s also very common for dinnertime to be even later, beyond 10pm, and is frequently followed by heading out for a drink at around 11pm.
How dinnertime in Portugal compares to other European countries:
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