What are the five meals of the Spanish day?

Five times to eat

1. el desayuno Breakfast, 7–9 Small and quick, usually at home: a café con leche and a slice of toast, or a few biscuits.
2. la media mañana Mid-morning, about 11 Many workers go out to a bar for a coffee and something to eat. In many areas this second breakfast is called almuerzo.
3. la comida Lunch, 2–3.30 The main meal of the day. On working days many people take the menú del día in a bar or restaurant near the office.
4. la merienda Afternoon snack, 5–6 Children have it when they get back from school: a sandwich, fruit or a pastry. Before dinner, many adults have a drink and a tapa with friends.
5. la cena Dinner, 9–10.30 Light at home: an omelette, a salad, a little fish. Many restaurants do not open for dinner before half past eight or nine.

• In Spain people have lunch and dinner later than almost anywhere else in Europe.
• The word comida means both food in general and the midday meal: ¿Vienes a comer? usually means are you coming for lunch.
• Almuerzo is a slippery word: in much of Spain it is the mid-morning snack; in Andalusia, the Canaries and much of Latin America it means lunch.
• A menú del día is a first course, a main course, dessert or coffee, bread and a drink for one price. It began in 1964 as the compulsory menú turístico; it has long since stopped being compulsory.
• Between lunch and dinner many kitchens close for a few hours, so a restaurant may not serve a hot meal at six or seven. Bars will still give you a drink, a tapa or a sandwich.

El día tiene cinco momentos para comer: el desayuno, la media mañana, la comida, la merienda y la cena.

The day has five times to eat: breakfast, mid-morning, lunch, the afternoon snack and dinner.

La comida es entre las dos y las tres y media, más o menos.

Lunch is between two and half past three, more or less.

La cena es entre las nueve y las diez y media de la noche.

Dinner is between nine and half past ten at night.

¿A qué hora abre la cocina?

What time does the kitchen open?