What time do people eat out in Barcelona?

dinnertime. It's widely known that people in Spain like to eat late, and Barcelona is no exception. Around here, some restaurants catering to tourists can open around 6 or 7, but most really tend to get going around 9:00pm. Again, tapas and drinks are most popular.



People Also Ask

Most of Barcelona's clubs don't get going until after 1am with some closing around 3am or 4am, but with a large majority remaining open until later.

MORE DETAILS

Tapas is traditionally a drink and bite to eat, so when you meet for tapas in Spain, it's usually around 1:30 to 3pm or 8:30 to 10:30pm. If you stick to the traditional Spanish times for tapas, you're guaranteed to get the freshest food and the best atmosphere.

MORE DETAILS

Why do they eat so late in Spain? 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.

MORE DETAILS

Set your clock to Spanish time Logically, when people go out at night, they don't leave the house til after midnight. It is completely normal to be out til 5 or 6, or even til the sun comes up. So prepare accordingly. Take a siesta during the day and have a late-afternoon coffee if you are planning a night out.

MORE DETAILS

Dinner: 9–11 PM Dinner in Spain may be late, but as with all Spanish mealtimes, it's definitely worth waiting for. Cena, or dinner, is usually much lighter than it would be in many other countries.

MORE DETAILS

Tipping Your Servers: Tips aren't expected in Barcelona, but they are always appreciated. Credit cards – tipping is possible with a card, just be sure you ask them to add it to the total as they run your card. There's no space on the credit card receipt when it comes time to sign.

MORE DETAILS

In the evening, local women dress more stylishly, particularly when dining out. If you are going to an average to high quality restaurant, you'll be more comfortable wearing something more dressy. And don't forget about your shoes… the Spanish love shoes, and for them a pair of shabby shoes can let down a whole outfit.

MORE DETAILS

You won't necessarily be turned away if you're dressed casually, however, an evening out in Barcelona generally means you should be looking good and well dressed. Avoid wearing casual shorts in the city, save them for the beach, wearing them elsewhere will generally label you as a tourist.

MORE DETAILS

Timings for a night in Barcelona At weekends, bars only start filling up around midnight, after people have had a leisurely dinner that kicks off at about 9 or 10 pm. Barcelona night clubs don't get busy until bars shut, which tends to be around 3 am.

MORE DETAILS

Tips aren't expected in Barcelona, but they are always appreciated. Credit cards – tipping is possible with a card, just be sure you ask them to add it to the total as they run your card. There's no space on the credit card receipt when it comes time to sign.

MORE DETAILS

Punctuality is not highly important in Spain. People can arrive half an hour late to a social function with no questions raised. If someone turns up late and apologises, people are likely to respond with something like “no pasa nada” – meaning “It's not that important”.

MORE DETAILS

Spain has a dysfunctional time system that deprives everyone in Spain of an hour of sleep every day. In addition, Spanish workers typically work 11-hour days, from 9am to 8pm. With dinner at 9pm and a couple of hours of TV, they tend not to get to bed before midnight.

MORE DETAILS

Tipping in Spain works differently: The customer actually has the option to not leave any tip at all. However, restaurants expect a 10% tip on each bill—although it's not a formal rule, and that percentage is much lower than tipping practices in other countries.

MORE DETAILS

Nightlife in Barcelona doesn't start until midnight, but it keeps going until sunrise. Sounds like a plan? Well, the truth is that most Barcelona nightclubs start opening around 10pm, but unless it's a venue by the beach (i.e. that tourists can easily find), it won't start getting busy with locals until that late.

MORE DETAILS

Friday Night Almost every bar in town will be open until 2 or 3am and serving drinks. After that it's time to move your feet, and on Friday night every nightclub in the city will boast a packed dancefloor from 2am to sunrise.

MORE DETAILS

Useful information for nightlife: Remember that nightlife starts at around 10 pm for bars, midnight or 1 am for discos. The bars close around 2:00 on weekdays and 3:00 on weekends. Clubs and discos open around midnight and rarely close before 6 or 7 in the morning ... ;-) Check our page Barcelona Nightlife for tickets.

MORE DETAILS