A Mediterranean Lunch

TravelInterior

18 Jul

Lunch Like A Local

When Tom and I moved to Valencia three years ago, the first thing we noticed was just how well the Spanish do lunch. It’s not rushed. It’s not something you eat at your desk. It’s a ritual — long, slow, full of flavour and conversation, often followed by a nap or a swim. Over the past three years, we’ve been quietly taking notes — on terraces, in tiny village restaurants, with neighbours and new friends — and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this:

Lunch is sacred.

Whether you're on the coast of Spain, the hills of Provence or a sun-bleached Greek island, the Mediterranean way of lunch is about more than food. It’s about a feeling. One that says: pause here, stay a while.

Here’s how to bring a little of that Mediterranean magic to your own table — wherever you are.

The Table

Rustic beauty. Artisan Tableware.

The fun starts with setting the table — and in the Med, it really is an art form. A Mediterranean table is never too perfect. And that’s its charm. It’s a little wrinkled, a little wild, and always layered with different textures and colour (and a little soul).

Start with a linen tablecloth in soft ivory or washed terracotta — something that looks better when it’s lived-in.

No Mediterranean lunch is complete without a vast array of ceramics: plates in all shapes and sizes, collected over time, never matching too much. Think hand-painted bowls, florals mixed with stripes, and patterns that feel like sunshine. Each piece should feel like it has a story — or at least a past summer behind it.

Our Onda Sharing Platter was made for moments like this — set in the centre, piled high with grilled peaches, anchovies, or whatever’s fresh from the market. Beautiful, functional, and made for passing hands.

Add a splash of colour with glassware. Our Mallorcan glassware in multicoloured confetti and sunshine-orange swirl, brings a playful glow to the table — perfect for wine, water, or both (we always say both).

Finish with wildflowers in a jug or a sprig of rosemary in a bud vase.

And voila, the table is made.

There’s a magic to Mediterranean lunch — the kind that stretches well into the afternoon, where time slows and the table becomes the centre of everything. It’s not just about food (though of course, the food is everything); it’s about sharing, sun-drenched conversation, and beauty in every detail — from what you wear to what you serve on.

The Menu

Seasonal & Simple

Mediterranean meals are simple, beautifully thrown together, and made to share. A table full of flavour, colour, and texture. Serve everything family-style — scattered across the table on ceramic sharing platters made for passing around and enjoying together.

Starter

Heirloom tomatoes with basil, sea salt + sourdough

Main

Grilled sea bream with herb oil

Burrata with grilled peaches, honey + mint

Chickpea, cucumber + preserved lemon salad

Dessert

Fresh figs + melon slices

Drink

A cold carafe of pale rosé

Host’s Tip: Don’t overthink it — serve food you can prep ahead and leave the rest to flow.

Wine first. Then olives. A story. A refill. A pause. More bread. More laughter. Maybe a swim. Maybe a nap.

The Setting

Laidback Setting

If you can, always eat outside. Find a spot under dappled shade — a striped parasol or under shade in your garden (with the option to run inside if and when it start to rain)

Use what you have — folding chairs, a long bench, cushions on the floor. You don’t need a perfect terrace or a spotless house — just open doors, easy food, and the kind of setting where people can help themselves and lose track of time.