The Early, Late and In-Between Lunchtimes Around the Globe (2024)

I'll never forget the time I was in Southern Portugal roaming around at 4 pm looking for a late lunch. I went from closed restaurant to closed restaurant, getting hangrier and hangrier as the minutes wore on. I finally found out that lunch ends at 3:30 pm and restaurants takes a break serving food until dinner. I wish I knew sooner what time is customary for lunch. So I did some digging, and jotted down my own observations from my travels to let you know what time people eat lunch around the world.

England

Lunch in England is served between the hours of 12-1:30 pm. It's usually a hot meal — bring on the fish and chips.

Spain

The Early, Late and In-Between Lunchtimes Around the Globe (1)

Spaniards are all about eating late (probably because they go out so late). People start pouring into restaurants for lunch between the hours of 2-3 pm. They usually take their time and enjoy it before taking a siesta (aka food coma).

France

The Early, Late and In-Between Lunchtimes Around the Globe (2)

Restaurants usually open around 11:30 am for lunch in France. As with my dilemma in Portugal, try to grab lunch food before 1 pm, because anytime after you're sh*t out of luck. Most restaurants in France offer fixed menus calledle menu du jour, but the best part is that it's customary to include a cheese course during lunch. We can get behind that.

Australia

Aussies typically eat lunch between 12-2 pm, and you know they love their vegemite. Australian-style crumpet anyone?

China

The Early, Late and In-Between Lunchtimes Around the Globe (3)

Lunch is between 12-2 pm in China. Lunch is a rushed meal consisting of noodles or rice with vegetables or meat, followed by a quick nap.

India

The Early, Late and In-Between Lunchtimes Around the Globe (4)

India is a huge country, so there are different customary times to eat for different regions. Lunch is typically served four hours after breakfast and if you try to grab lunch after 4 pm, you might as well have dinner.

South Africa

The Early, Late and In-Between Lunchtimes Around the Globe (5)

South Africans eat lunch around 12:00-2:00 pm. Just like the US. There isn't really a traditional cuisine that is indigenous to South Africa, but they do love meat. And wine, of course.

Qatar

The Early, Late and In-Between Lunchtimes Around the Globe (6)

It's customary for the main meal in Qatar to be midday, aka lunch. Midday meal is a big gathering on Friday after prayers. And food is usually served as large dishes to be shared among the table.

Portugal

The Early, Late and In-Between Lunchtimes Around the Globe (7)

In Portugal, it's customary to eat lunch between the hours of 12:00-3:00 pm. After that, most restaurants close until 7:30 pm. Trust me, I know from first hand experience. You don;t know hanger until you're roaming around Algarve, Portugal at 4:00 pm looking for a place to eat. All of the kitchens were closed and I wanted to cry. Note to self, always have snacks on hand when traveling.

Brazil

The Early, Late and In-Between Lunchtimes Around the Globe (8)

For Brazilians, lunch is between 12-2 pm. A popular Brazilian lunch snack is Pão de Queijo, a chewy, gooey, cheese ball. Perfect with an ice-cold cerveza.

Japan

The Early, Late and In-Between Lunchtimes Around the Globe (9)

In Japan, lunch is served from 11-2 pm and it's usually a light, quick meal. Sushi for the win.

The Early, Late and In-Between Lunchtimes Around the Globe (2024)

FAQs

What is it called when you eat between lunch and dinner? ›

Linner is a late lunch or almost dinner meal. The name comes in reference to brunch, being a combination of the words "lunch" and "dinner" or "supper." Dunch comes in reference to brunch, being a combination of "dinner and "lunch." An alternate historical term is Russin.

What should be the time gap between lunch and dinner? ›

Dinnertime should follow the same schedule as your earlier meals, making sure there is no more than four to five hours between lunch and dinner. Some people will need to eat a snack between lunch and dinner because eating dinner at 4 or 5 pm is not always realistic.

What countries eat dinner really late? ›

Spain isn't as mellow about meal times as you might think. For years, the European country has been notorious for its super-late dinner time, usually around 10 p.m., coupled with its nationwide policy for taking a siesta in the mid-afternoon.

Is lunch at 12 or 1? ›

Lunch: Lunch is usually eaten around midday, between 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM.

What is the meal between lunch and breakfast called? ›

Brunch is a meal, sometimes accompanied by alcoholic drinks (typically champagne or a co*cktail), taken sometime in the late morning or early afternoon – the universally accepted time is 10am-1pm. The meal originated in the British hunt breakfast. The word brunch is a portmanteau of breakfast and lunch.

What is the food eaten in between meals called? ›

Technically, a snack is any portion of food that is consumed between the traditional three meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. We often think of snacks as smaller in portion size than a meal.

Is eating dinner at 5 too early? ›

Canadeo, who says the best time to eat dinner according to several studies is between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., agrees that leaning on the earlier side is better. “Researchers found that when eating earlier, they had better blood sugar regulation and improved fat metabolism, which is a factor in fat storage,” Canadeo says.

When should you stop eating before bed? ›

It's best to stop eating about three hours before going to bed. That allows plenty of time for your body to digest the last food you ate so it won't disrupt your sleep, but leaves a small enough window before sleep that you won't go to bed feeling hungry.

What is the best time of day to eat? ›

Eat a healthy breakfast in the morning. An earlier dinner is best and make this the last food intake of the day. Stay away from late-night eating. Remember that your body operates on a 24-hour clock but food is best consumed starting in the morning to the early evening hours which are 5:00-7:00 PM for optimal health!

What time did USA eat dinner? ›

While the average time for dinner in the U.S. is reported to be 6:22 P.M., most people eat it anywhere between 6:00 and 8:00 P.M. That said, there is always the rare American that has either earlier or later dinners, based on their lifestyle and work schedules.

Is it okay to eat just dinner? ›

For most people, there are no serious dangers involved in eating one meal a day, other than the discomforts of feeling hungry. That said, there are some risks for people with cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Eating one meal a day can increase your blood pressure and cholesterol.

Is it OK to eat dinner really late? ›

Research suggests that, if possible, it's best to avoid eating for three to four hours before your usual bedtime, Dr. St-Onge said. That timing is likely better for your long-term health, and may also reduce symptoms of acid reflux, which can interfere with sleep, Dr. Hanlon added.

What time is lunch in Australia? ›

In Australia, a light meal eaten in the period between 10:30 am and noon is considered morning tea; an actual lunch will be consumed between 12 and 2 PM.

What do Americans eat for lunch? ›

Sandwiches: Sandwiches are a popular choice for lunch in America. They can be made with various types of bread, such as sliced bread, bagels, or wraps, and filled with a variety of ingredients like deli meats, cheese, vegetables, and condiments.

Does 9 5 include lunch? ›

It refers to "being at work", not "actively heads-down working on something". If you come in at 9am, do work, have lunch, make coffee, work more, suffer meetings, work, chat at the water cooler, work again, and leave at 5pm, you're working 9-5. Software engineers are usually not tracked hourly.

What is a Lupper? ›

Noun. lupper (countable and uncountable, plural luppers) (slang, humorous) A meal or snack eaten between the normal times for lunch and supper.

Is it lupper or linner? ›

Linner (meal), a meal between lunch and dinner also known as lupper.

Is it linner or lunner? ›

linner is a combination of lunch and dinner - like brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch! I'm having linner now - typically at around 4pm for a late lunch and then won't have dinner!

What is the afternoon meal called? ›

The word 'lunch' refers to the part of the meal that's consumed during the afternoon. The word 'dinner' refers to the main meal of the day that's consumed during evening or at night. Usage. It is used as a noun.

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