What time do people have dinner in Madrid?

Throughout Northern Europe most families sit down at 19 hrs. to have dinner, but things are a bit different in Madrid.

Madrid is truly Latin and dinners are enjoyed at 21 - 22 o'clock (that's 9 - 10 in the evening), if you go out to dine you will quickly notice that most kitchens are closed until 21 o'clock.

Spanish eating habits
So how do people survive until "late" in the evening you might ask? Well, in general Spanish food habits are as follows:

• In the morning around 8 o'clock they'll have a coffee with milk (café con leche) and a few biscuits (galletas) - I still can't grasp how they can survive on a cup of coffee and biscuits.
• Lunch is typically eaten from 14 o'clock, most go to nearby restaurants to have a three course menu. Spanish tradition dictates that having lunch can't be done in less than 2 hours.
• Afternoon "tea", in the afternoon around 17 o'clock people will have an afternoon snack (merienda).
• Dinner is eaten from around 21 o'clock as described above.

To survive until 21 - 22 o'clock you will need to have a bite in the afternoon, adapt to the local habits and include merienda into your food schedule. If anything, you'll easily find a café open for business.