At what time do most Lisboans eat dinner? Very late like Barcelona and Rome? I remember traveling with children in Barcelona and being put in the "tourist ghetto" section of a restaurant when we showed up for dinner at 7 pm. (Yes senyor, I understand that dinnertime should be later, but the kids were tired!)

So what is the standard time in Lisbon? (Only two adults on this trip.)

Also, I wouldn't consider going to dinner on a weekend night in my home city without reservations. What about Lisbon in May? I'm not talking about the tippy top restaurants, just normal places with good food. Should I make a reservation every night?

We were in Lisbon in April 2018, and I remember going to dinner around 7PM or so. And lots of people were at the restaurants, tourists and locals. So I don't think it's like Spain where restaurants are empty at 7PM and people don't eat until 9 or 10PM or 11PM.

We never made reservations when we were there. But we might have been in Lisbon during the week, not on the weekend. Not sure if that makes a difference.

One of our favorite restaurants in Lisbon is Cervejaria Ramiro, frequented by the late Anthony Bourdain. They serve primarily fish and shellfish. They might offer one meat dish. The food is excellent. We arrived there at 6:30PM (according to my notes), and we had a 40-minute wait. Not sure if they take reservations.

Hi
Regular restaurants usually start dinner about 7pm.
Fast food, serve food thru out the day - the same with pastry shops ( just pastries, no meals) pastry shops that serve meals usually only do it at lunch time.
Depending on the restaurant ( if it is famous) and the time of year ( tourist season) you may need reservations to specific restaurants.
If you're going to regular restaurants you don't need reservations, especially at 7 pm - you might be the first person there.
Keep in mind that mom and pop restaurants tend to close early.
Also for you info don't assume that everything that is brought to the table is part of your meal and included in the price.
Bread, olives, appetizers, butter cheese, etc. will require a extra charge so if didn't order it send it back or don't touch it.
The exception is if you are having a complete meal deal which may include all items brought to the table, this is offered by some restaurants but it differs for every restaurant.
I always ask if it is included or a extra charge if I didn't ask for a item , just to avoid misunderstandings.
Happy travels

Thanks. I just made a reservation for Taberna Sal Grosso. It's on Eater's Essential Lisbon Restaurants list, and isn't expensive. The write up said that it is small and difficult to get a reservation, so I went for it. Of course, when we arrive in 108 days, will they really have us on the list?