The long lunch is one of travel’s most underrated pleasures. It begins with the reasonable intention of having a meal and ends, if things go well, several hours later with empty glasses, a table full of shared plates, and the comforting realisation that there is nowhere else you need to be.
Give lunch the time it deserves
At Awesome Hotel, lunch is best approached as a pause rather than a task. Come in from the pool or the beach when you are ready, not when the clock says you should. Choose a table where the light feels good, settle in, and take a moment before opening the menu.
A well-paced meal has its own rhythm: something bright to begin, a few dishes that arrive in the middle, and just enough room left for a sweet finish or another coffee. It does not have to be elaborate. It simply needs time around the edges.
The makings of a beautiful table
- Order one thing you know you will love and one thing you would not normally choose.
- Share where it makes sense, so the conversation and flavours have room to move.
- Ask for a recommendation when you are undecided; local knowledge is part of the experience.
- Keep a cold drink on the table, especially after a morning in the sun.
- Do not book the next hour too tightly.
Start with appetite, not obligation
There is no single correct lunch order. Some days call for a light plate after a swim; others call for the kind of meal that makes an afternoon nap feel inevitable. Let the day guide you. If you are sharing, make room for different cravings and remember that the dishes people talk about later are often the ones ordered on a whim.
For a table of two, choose a balance of textures and temperatures. For a group, order gradually rather than all at once, so the meal has a little theatre without becoming complicated. The most important ingredient is a pace that lets everyone actually taste what is in front of them.
“The luxury of lunch is not the length of it. It is the decision not to hurry a good moment.”
Let conversation set the menu
The best lunches are shaped by conversation as much as appetite. A first course buys time to catch up. Sharing plates invite a little exchange. Dessert extends the afternoon without asking for another plan. If the table becomes quiet, let it. A comfortable silence beside the sea can be just as memorable as a lively story.
Ideas for stretching the afternoon gracefully
- Move from the dining table to a shaded lounge with coffee.
- Take a slow walk together before returning to the pool.
- Order dessert to share, even if you did not plan to.
- Keep the next activity optional rather than scheduled.
- Save one small recommendation from the meal for your next visit.
Make room for an after-lunch pause
There is a practical reason to allow a long lunch: it creates a natural rest between the brightest part of the day and the late-afternoon return to the water. Take the time to cool down, change, read, or simply look out at the view. When you stop treating rest as empty space, the day gains a welcome sense of depth.
By the time you are ready to move again, the light will be softer and the ocean will be calling you back. That is the beauty of lunch done well. It does not interrupt the day; it gives the day its centre.
