The 10.30pm dinner: is British food culture becoming more Spanish?

The Guardian

09-06-2025

Name: 10.30pm dinners.
Age: Previously unheard of.
Appearance: The new face of UK nightlife.
I'm sorry, you must have tried to access a Spanish publication by mistake. No, this is a new British trend. Do keep up.
The only way a British person will eat their dinner at 10.30pm is if a) they have been drinking and b) that dinner takes the form of a kebab in a polystyrene tray. I hate to burst your bubble but, according to the Times, a number of upmarket London restaurants have started to embrace late-night dining.
But that's so late. Don't be a wimp. Mountain in Soho now has a latest reservation slot of 10.30pm. At weekends, Speedboat Bar (also in Soho) is open until 1am. And Noodle and Beer in Chinatown stays open until 4am from Thursday to Saturday.
OK, but why? Well, there are a couple of possible explanations. One is that this is a sign of our continuing Covid bounce back; a hint that we might tentatively be returning to our dining habits of old.
I never ate at 10.30pm in the first place. Then how's this? London's nightlife has all but died. Pubs close early and there are fewer and fewer places to go out dancing. If people want to stay out late, eating is all they have left to do.
That isn't much of an incentive. Well then, how's this? Jeremy King, who operates Arlington and The Park, has offered diners a 25% discount if they eat after 9.15pm at The Park and 9.45pm at Arlington.
A late-bird special! Now you're talking my language. Exactly! Get on board. Spain's entire dining culture happens late at night, and they love it.
That depends on who you ask. Last year Spain's labour minister said that eating late was a result of the country's gruelling work hours, and that those hours directly contributed to poor mental health. But still!
Are there any other health issues to consider? Oh yes, three years ago Harvard Medical School ran a study about eating late. It found that those who ate late at night experienced drops in the hormone leptin, which signals satiety, and they burned off calories more slowly.
In simple terms, please? Eat late, put on weight.
So this is silly. No, it's great! Nobody is saying eat at 10.30 every night. But live a little! Go out into the world and enjoy all it has to offer!
Can I be back in time for the end of Newsnight, though? Sure, but you might need to skip pudding.
Do say: 'Dining is the new big night out.'
Don't say:'Mate, last night I got absolutely off my face on gazpacho.'