Meal times in Madrid: lunch at 2pm, dinner at 9pm and the menú del día

In Madrid, people have lunch between 2pm and 4pm and dinner between 9pm and 11:30pm, one to two hours later than in most of Europe, and many kitchens close between the two services. Turning up at a restaurant at 7pm is pointless: the room is empty and the menu limited, or the kitchen is closed. This guide gives the usual time of each meal, what you can eat in between (tapas, churros, vermouth) and how to make the most of the menú del día, the weekday lunch deal. For dishes and addresses, see our guide to where to eat in Madrid, which this one complements without repeating it. Information checked in October 2026.

The meals of the day

The counter of a tapas bar in Madrid

Meal	Usual time	What people eat
Breakfast (desayuno)	8am - 10:30am	Café con leche, tomato and olive-oil toast, sometimes churros
Vermouth (vermut)	12:30pm - 2pm, mostly at weekends	A draught vermouth, olives, crisps, tinned seafood
Lunch (comida)	2pm - 4pm	Menú del día on weekdays, a longer meal at weekends
Afternoon snack (merienda)	6pm - 7:30pm	Chocolate and churros, pastry
Dinner (cena)	9pm - 11:30pm	Tapas and raciones, or a restaurant

Lunch is the main meal and dinner is often lighter. At weekends, lunch easily drags on until 4pm or 5pm.

What is open between meals

Between 4:30pm and 8:30pm, many restaurants no longer serve hot dishes. To avoid going hungry:

Tapas bars serve at the counter all day: a tapa or a ración with a caña will keep you going until dinner.
Chocolaterías and cafés serve chocolate and churros or pastry at snack time.
Covered markets, such as the San Miguel market, have tasting stalls with no set service hours.
Non-stop restaurants exist, especially around the Puerta del Sol and the Gran Vía, but the quality is more uneven.

Conversely, booking a table at 7:30pm guarantees an almost empty room. After 11:30pm, most kitchens stop taking orders except in late-night bars: see our guide to Madrid at night.

The menú del día

On weekdays, most restaurants offer a menú del día at lunchtime: starter, main course, dessert or coffee, bread and a drink. Its average price in Madrid was around €15 in 2026, a little less in residential districts and more near the Gran Vía and in Salamanca. The dishes of the day are often chalked on a board outside the door. It is the cheapest way to try home-style cooking. The menú is mainly a weekday lunch offer; in the evening and at weekends it is rarer or more expensive. The full budget for a trip is detailed in our Madrid travel budget guide.

Practical tips

Book well-known addresses, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Ask for "agua del grifo" for free water: see our guide to tap water in Madrid.
Tipping is not compulsory: details in our guide to money, payments and tipping.
On Sundays, many restaurants run as usual but some close: see what is open on Sundays in Madrid.