Spain’s 10pm dinner is disappearing and it could change your nights out

In Spain, the tradition of dining at 10pm is slowly fading away, potentially altering the country's iconic late-night mealtime. According to new restaurant booking figures from CoverManager, 50% of dinner reservations in Spain are now made before 9pm - up from just 27% a decade ago. This shift is evident when examining specific booking times, with reservations for 8pm tripling since 2016 and those for 10pm falling from 30% to 15% of bookings.

The once common 11pm dinner is now far less frequent, with reservations at that hour dropping from 5.7% in 2016 to just 1.9% today. While nine o'clock remains the most popular booking time, the overall trend is clear: Spaniards are increasingly opting to eat earlier. This change contrasts sharply with other European countries, where dinner typically begins around 7:30pm to 8pm.

Spain's late meals stem from factors such as the country's one-hour ahead clock, traditional split working day, and the established late-night dining routine that developed during the pandemic. However, the rise of tardeo (late afternoon socializing) and personal preferences for better sleep and family time are contributing to the shift towards earlier dinners.

While a 10pm dinner is still popular, particularly on weekends and during summer, the traditional assumption that Spanish dinners start at 10pm is becoming harder to defend. This significant change may surprise those accustomed to the country's late-night eating habits.