Typically, these hot weather countries have a long afternoon siesta (nap) and people commune for dinner later in the night, starting at 10pm or even later. In fact, Spain is known as a country with the latest dining time (but as an Indian, I'll contest to that!)
Spain isn't as mellow about meal times as you might think. For years, the European country has been notorious for its super-late dinner time, usually around 10 p.m., coupled with its nationwide policy for taking a siesta in the mid-afternoon.
In America, the average dinner time is 6:22 p.m. Some folks choose to eat well after 9 p.m. Dorothy Bain, a 63-year-old retired nurse in Laurinburg, North Carolina, sometimes cooks steak for dinner, sometimes chicken. What's constant is when she eats dinner—always between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Spain's famously late mealtimes are due to the fact that the country has been geographically in the wrong time zone since World War II! During all that time, Spaniards have eaten at the same time they always have in regards to the position of the sun in the sky.
While there are no strict meal times in Japan, most Japanese people will consume meals at approximately the following times: Breakfast: 06:00-07:00. Lunch: 12:00-13:00. Dinner: 18:00-20:00.
The French tend to eat lunch and dinner later than Americans do. Lunch is noon to about 2:30 p.m. Dinner is 8 to 11 p.m. Many restaurants close in the late afternoon to prepare for dinner service.
The Typical Italian Dinner
Italian dinner or la cena, usually from 8:00 to 10:00pm, is another time that Italians enjoy sitting down together and socializing. Dinner can be much later than 10:00pm, especially if eating out or dining at a friend's house.
2. Expect to eat dinner a little later. Unlike in some European countries, such as Germany and the Netherlands, where people tend to enjoy an early evening meal at around 18:00, the French prefer to wait until later to eat their dinner.
And then in Mediterranean countries like Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, dinners are a party reserved for much later. Typically, these hot weather countries have a long afternoon siesta (nap) and people commune for dinner later in the night, starting at 10pm or even later.
In the United Kingdom, the name for this evening meal varies between “tea” and “dinner”. A recent survey found that six out of 10 Britons eat the same food every day. According to the map, most Europeans eat dinner between 7pm and 8.30pm. Enjoy a ratatouille in France during this time, or pierogies in Poland.
Australian families usually have dinner between 6 and 7pm, but I see older people having dinner as early as 5pm and young busy professionals can have dinner as late as 8 or 9pm.
Australia. In Australia, a light meal eaten in the period between 10:30 am and noon is considered Morning Tea; an actual lunch will be consumed between 12 and 2 PM.
Lunch - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m. Dinner (sometimes called Supper) - The main meal. Eaten anytime between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. (Evening meal)
But in Germany, the traditional dinner time is much earlier: you'll find many German households having their evening meal between 5 and 7 pm.
Chinese dinners typically fall between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. In China, most workers return home at around 6 p.m., which marks the beginning of the dinnertime hour. On average, the Chinese eat their largest meal of the day between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Meal times
Dinner is usually served from 6 pm to 9.30 pm. Many restaurants and pubs, especially in the cities, also offer continuous (11 am-10 pm) hot dishes.
The average times for meals in Sweden are generally from 8 to 11am for the standard continental breakfast, noon to 2:30pm for lunch, and as early as 5:30pm for dinner to around 8 or 8:30pm.
Why do Italians eat so late? The simple answer is that it is consistent with the traditional culture of avoiding the heat of the day. Also, since the workday is divided in half by a long pausa, people don't finish work until around 7:30 or 8:00.
Greece—CR Elena Paravantes
Greeks typically have four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, afternoon coffee and dinner. Traditionally the largest meal was lunch, but many have changed their habits to a more Westernized style of living.
Italians Eat Dinner Late
Things in Italy just tend to start a bit later than what we're used to in North America. If you're an early riser you'll find yourself with the streets to yourself, and if you're used to having dinner at 5:30pm you'll find yourself in short supply of open restaurants.
In Paris, there are two distinct service times: Lunch is typically from around 12 until 2:30, and dinner around 7:30-11 p.m. If you are hungry in between, you can always step into a patisserie or boulangerie.
What time is dinner in Greece? In a country that never sleeps, no time is "too late" for dinner. You will find most eateries open until past 12 at midnight. Regardless, traditionally, dinner in Greek homes is served at around 8-9 pm.
11:00pm – Midnight.
A typical Spaniard eating schedule is as followed:
– Comida (lunch): anywhere from 1pm to 3pm, depending on your schedule. – Merienda (mid-afternoon snack): anywhere from 5pm to 7pm. – Cena (dinner): anywhere from 8:30pm to 11pm.