A question about European late dinners

We live in Wales and we eat around 6 most evenings.

I eat around 8. I am half german though
Lots of families arent getting in from work till 6.

BBbevan - I think UK falls in more with earlier dinner than mainland Europe. Correct me if I am wrong!

What is the busiest time in a restaurant, here it is 6:30 or 7:00 reservations that fill up.

We always eat dinner at 7 pm.

I usually work backwards from bedtime, whether I’m in Spain or Wales and allow three hours between eating and sleeping otherwise I’m tossing and turning all night!

In southern Europe my experience is that people do eat later, sometimes much later. People often work into the evening and then dine when it cools down a bit later. In Greece or Italy you will often see whole families, little children included, sitting down to eat at 9pm or later.

I'm in the UK and we eat around 7pm. In the UK restaurants seem to be busiest between 7.30pm and 9pm.

In Italy many people work later into the evening because of the long lunch break so it makes sense to eat later. To fill in the time you can always join the Passeggiata when you walk the streets so others can admire you. Children normally stay up and eat with the adults.

In the UK most people won't be arriving home from work before about 6pm so if a meal has to be cooked and children put to bed they won't be eating very early.

Im glad this question was asked because its something i have wondered about.

I prefer dinner at 7/8pm. My DGS has his at 5/6ish but that's too early for me.

At home I eat at 7 pm, if I eat out it would be 9 pm.

We have connectable 6.30 as my husband finds eating any later than this is uncomfortable and indigestion keeps him awake.

Connectable!!! It was meant to be dinner!

Not just Europe. In the Middle East they eat late..again they have a longer midday break and eat larger lunch so makes sense.

I used to eat dinner about 7pm but have gradually brought it back so I now eat by 6 pm. Mainly for digestive reasons; less heartburn at bedtime.

I like to have my supper before 7pm. My husband and I have our main meal at about 12:30pm - 1:00pm.
He grew up on a farm, and keeps to the way he ate as a child, breakfast, dinner, tea and supper.

As I work till eight and don’t get in till about 20 past I usually eat about 9 pm not ideal but not much I can do about it…

It is a problem when I have English guests as I usually I eat dinner at about 8pm onwards. If eating out 8.30. However 7 pm for young children.

MiniMoon

I like to have my supper before 7pm. My husband and I have our main meal at about 12:30pm - 1:00pm.
He grew up on a farm, and keeps to the way he ate as a child, breakfast, dinner, tea and supper.

My farming relatives had that routine but I could never understand how the men could go back to work on a farm after eating their dinner. Normally it makes you feel sleepy if you eat your main meal in the middle of the day.

Our children ate after school their hungry time and then when they were home from college work etc. I always gave them toast and tea for supper.
My husband always ate later but since we retired we eat earlier if we are out for dinner we eat early evening too. It must be our age we don’t eat out late these days.

I eat my evening meal when I want to, at whatever time suits me depending on what I have done during the day. I hate being in a routine, part of the joy of retiring was to get up when I want to, eat when I want to and go to bed when I want to!
So my evening meal can vary from around 6pm to 9 pm, no routines in my house!

It was always 8pm in our house when the children were small as DH didn't get home from work until 7.45. The children had a meal at 5pm and were in bed by 6.30, they were always awake at 6.30am regardless of the time they went to bed and we had to leave for school at 7.45.
Now it depends, if I'm working I probably won't eat in the evening as I don't get home until 7.30-8 and that's too late for me. Otherwise we eat at 7.

Just 'Europe' always seems such a sweeping generalisation. There are so many variables involved (geography, weather, age, class etc) as well as 28 different countries with different cultures.
I once saw a post on a travel forum asking which was the best sort of shoes to wear in Europe!

Personally, I hate eating late. We have our main meal 4.30-5.00, a throwback to my own school days when tea was on the table soon after we arrived home. When our own children were young, DH came home for hot meal at that time then returned to work on the farm till dusk.

I like to have eaten, washed up, showered and sitting down to watch the 6 o’ clock news.

Dislike going out for meals that start at 7-8pm, which is why we very rarely do it.

We eat when it's ready!!