How to Eat An Early Lunch In Spain

Here's the secret: Order a second breakfast at 11 am. (Or as I call it, lunchfast.) You will not regret it. Spanish breakfasts can be quite hearty and American lunches tend to be light. It's the perfect solution to the age-old problem of "how do I adapt to Spanish eating schedules."

Jamón York and butter breakfast sandwich :)

Here is a sample of waht you can order in Spain for breakfast (Strictly speaking Madrid and Seville since that is what I know):

_My beloved Sandwich mixto (grilled ham and cheese)

-Pincho de tortilla and a trozo de baguette

-Jamon serrano and olive oil on hearty toast

-Toast with jamon york (regular deli ham and butter)

-Tomato con aceite and tomate

It's usually under 5 euros, comes with coffee, you can also order a fresh-squeezed orange juice if you're feeling fancy. Delicious and tides you over until the group lunch at 3:30 pm.

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There are so many ways in which I am a total guiri, but perhaps the guiriest of all about me, is my eating schedule. I have tried for years and years to adapt to the Spanish dining schedule of the 3 pm lunch and guys. It's a miracle I can make it until 1:30 pm for a lunch. Back home in the US, I eat breakfast at 5:45 am, a snack at 9 am, I eat lunch at 11 am, and I eat dinner at (whispers) 4:30-5:00 pm. As you can imagine, I spent many years being hangry in Spain, waiting around to eat.

But, and this brings me to the point of this story, what i failed to observe in my hanger years, was that there are actually many, many eating opportunity windows in Spain.

Breakfast is served from 8 am to noon. (It is hard to find a breakfast place open before 8 am; my theory is because the sun comes up so "late" in Spain nobody is out that early for eating? idk. Shout out to La Estrellita in Triana (across from Quironsalud's Infanta Maria Luisa Hospital) that is open at 6 am for the crazies such as myself who absolutely need the torrefacto-ist of torrefacto coffees and a tomato toast early.)

Spanish lunch is served, at the earliest, at 1:30 pm and as late as 4:00 (especially on weekends, when breakfast hours might even extend until 1pm)

Dinner is served, at the very earliest, 8 pm and latest, 11 pm.

There is an intermediate snacking time, "la merienda" where you can go out for a coffee and a cake (or a beer/cocktail/wine) between 5 pm and 8:30 pm.

But, I have come up with a solution, which I will share with you. It is called, breakfast for lunch, or as I term it, lunchfast. (Alternate name: the "funcionario second breakfast" since so many funcionaries take a coffee break mid-morning, as they goshdarnwell should after passing those oposiciones!). When in Spain, I eat two breakfasts--usually something like coffee and yogurt and cereal at home. Then, I eat a second breakfast that is more hearty at 11 am, like a sandwich mixto (grilled ham and cheese) with a coffee, or a pincho de tortilla and baguette right before the bars turn off their toasters (this is a thing. when the barman turns off and cleans the toaster, the toast/breakfast hour is over). 

Then, I either 1) eat a dinner-lunch at 3:30 (especially if I want something specific like paella or a menu del día that's a lunch-only option)* and then have a pastry/coffee snack around 7 pm. OR I have the snack at 4 pm and eat dinner at 8:00 pm along with all the other early bird diners. (Upside: you'll never wait for a table at 8 pm. Downside: you may have to wait for the cooks to fire up the deep fryer for your San Jacobo and french fries plato combinado.)

Yes I tend to go to sleep around midnight while in Spain and get up around 7 instead of my usual unpleasant-but-necessary 5:45 am wake-up.

Is it a perfect system? No. Do I end up going to fast food restaurants that serve food all day long sometimes? Yes. But at least, I shall never be hangry again--and neither should you!

Sidenote: what is UP with all the brunch restaurants in Spain?? Who is brunching when Spanish breakfast already lasts all morning?  Isn't the purpose of brunch to eat breakfast foods late and to linger? and possible to drink alcohol before noon? These are all things you can already do at a Spanish bar, so why the brunch infestation in Seville/Madrid? 

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*This tapita lunch (paella, tortilla, ensaladilla) lunch made possible by my 11 am lunchfast