We heard that the Prophet ﷺ used to begin with the evening meal before the prayer. ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar said: "Woe to you! What was their evening meal? Do you think it was like the evening meal of your father?" (1)

11 - Chapter: Washing the hands when eating

3760 - Musaddad narrated to us, Ismaʿil narrated to us, Ayyub narrated to us, from ʿAbdullah ibn Abi Mulaykah, from ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAbbas: that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out from the privy, and food was brought to him. They said: "Shall we bring you water for ablution?" He said: "I have only been commanded to perform ablution when I stand up for prayer." (2)

--------------------------------------------
(1) Its chain is strong due to al-Dahhak ibn ʿUthman—who is al-Hizami—for he is truthful and there is no harm in him. Abu Bakr al-Hanafi: he is ʿAbd al-Kabir ibn ʿAbd al-Majid al-Basri.
Al-Bayhaqi also recorded it in 3/74 via Abu Dawud al-Sijistani, with this chain.

(2) Its chain is authentic. Ayyub: he is Ibn Abi Tamimah al-Sakhtiyani, and Ismaʿil: he is Ibn ʿUlayyah.
Al-Tirmidhi (1953) and al-Nasa'i in "Al-Mujtaba" (132) also recorded it via Ismaʿil ibn ʿUlayyah, with this chain.
Muslim (374) and al-Nasa'i in "Al-Kubra" (6703) also recorded it via Saʿid ibn al-Huwayrith from Ibn ʿAbbas.
It is also in "Musnad Ahmad" (1932), (2549), and (3381), and "Sahih Ibn Hibban" (5208).
His saying: "I have only been commanded to perform ablution" — al-Munawi said in "Fayd al-Qadir" 3/200: What is meant by that is the prescribed ablution, and in it is a refutation of those who claim it is disliked to wash the hands before food and after it, and what they adduce—that it is from the practice of the non-Arabs—is not a valid argument, nor does any evidence indicate its consideration.
Imam al-Nawawi said in "Sharh Muslim": The scholars differed regarding the recommendation of washing the hands before food and after it, and the more apparent view is that it is recommended first, unless one is certain of the cleanliness of the hand from impurity.