What time do people in Portugal generally eat dinner and lunch. We've learned that lunch IS at noon in many countries. Miss that time and you are not going to find much to eat. Also we found that we were often among very few diners when arriving at 6:00 or even 6:30. The dinner dining experience would be more enjoyable with a few more people around.
Any idea what to expect in Portugal?
Thanks for your help.
Lunch is rarely before 1:00 pm. A lot of restaurants close at 3:00 and then reopen around 7:00. Dinner is usually 8:00 and after. Even though a lot of restaurants close for several hours in the afternoon, not all do this. And, one lovely thing about Portugal is that no one urges you to race through your meal. Even if they close at 3:00, if you are still at your table - drinking wine and talking - they will not tell you to leave.
Kathryn's hours above are Lisbon eating hours. Where are you visiting?
On the Algarve, lunch for most is between 12 and 2, but cafes and restaurants in the tourist resorts are open all day and would be happy to serve you. Many places offer a set price lunch (tourist menu) which is better value than evening time.
In the evening on the Algarve, most people eat from 7 pm as they will have been at the beach all day. Those with young families may eat slightly earlier, so at 6pm, your company will be noisy!
The hours are much better than Spanish dining hours, with lunch at 3pm and dinner at 11pm!
"The hours are much better than Spanish dining hours, with lunch at 3pm and dinner at 11pm!" -allegedly the Spainish eat so late because they are on an artificial time zone, two hours ahead of actual daylight. See here: http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170504-the-strange-reason-spaniards-eat-late
Portugal is on a different time zone, UTC (UTC+1 in summer) versus UTC+1 (UTC+2 in summer) used in Spain.
Se eating at 7 pm in Portugal is the same as 8 pm in Spain!
