One of the most difficult things to adjust to in Lisbon was the timing of the meals. Particularly, how late everyone eats dinner. While I expected to experience language barriers and other differences in the ways of living, I did not expect to find restaurants opening no earlier than 8 p.m., and people not eating till 9 or 10 p.m.. This was a very drastic change coming from a household where we have dinner around 6 p.m. every day.
On my first day in Lisbon, we walked around the city looking for restaurants at around 6:30 p.m., which seems like a perfectly reasonable dinner hour. However, I noticed many restaurants were just opening or still setting up. People were still drinking coffee and chatting at cafes. It took us about an hour and a half to finally find an open restaurant.
It was a challenge to get used to it at first. I’d be starving before it was dinner time, and I could not understand how people would eat so late and go to sleep right afterwards. But after a few days, I started to see the rhythm. Life in Lisbon is a lot slower. The meals are not rushed. People use dinner as a time to have conversations and bond with friends and family. It was about enjoying each other’s presence and less about trying to quickly finish a meal.
Reflecting on my background, I noticed how my home culture prioritizes efficiency and routine, even when it comes to meals. Eating was often more rushed, rather than taking a moment to slow down and enjoy the food and company. Unlike in Lisbon, where people took hours to eat and socialize.
To adapt to the late mealtimes, I would often eat a light snack in the late afternoon so I wouldn’t be starving before dinner time. I also started to take more time to eat and have conversations with friends during meals. While I may never understand the habit of eating dinner so late at night, I have come to appreciate a lifestyle that values connection over strict adherence to time.
