There’s so many foodies restaurants in Lanzarote, even after living here for 2 decades, we still have a waiting list of those we want to try!
Véro and Antonio are two foodies living on the island, they run the cooking school, Cook in Lanzarote, based in Uga. The couple have kindly shared some of their favourite foodies restaurants to recommend for you, focussing on local cuisine.
Fresh Fish in El Golfo
El Golfo is famous for it’s fresh local fish restaurants, but it can be difficult deciding which one to pick once you arrive and walk along the front. Our first tip is to head for Casa Rafa – Restaurante el Mar, situated on the Avenida Marítima, they are open from Tuesday to Saturday 11:00 – 22:00 and Sunday 11:00 – 18:00 in the summer, closing an hour earlier in the winter months. This is the restaurant that Véro and Antonio like to eat fresh fish cooked a la plancha (on the grill), it’s the best place on the island for this dish, in their opinion. If you’re in El Golfo and wanted to try a gofio dish, apparently Casa Azul serve an excellent gofio escaldado.
Wrinkly Potatoes in La Villa de Teguise
If you’ve had Canarian cuisine in Lanzarote, you will have been served papas arrugadas, these are the small wrinkly & salty potatoes, normally accompanied by red or green mojo sauce. Our second tip is to dine at Restaurante Hespérides situated within Casa Leon on the cobbled street, Leon y castillo in the heart of the historic old capital, La Villa de Teguise. The restaurant is open from Monday to Saturday 12:00 – 23:00 and Sunday 10:00 – 22:00. The reason given for eating these local potatoes at Hespérides, is that they use an ancient variety of spud called Papa Bonita de Lanzarote, which makes the dish even more special.
Limpets in Punta Mujeres
Limpets are known as lapas in Lanzarote, and are normally served with the green mojo sauce, bursting with coriander flavour. Our third tip isn’t a conventional restaurant, Bar La Piscina is a small tapas bar on the seafront with a handful of tables overlooking the natural swimming pool. La Piscina is situated on Calle Virgen del Pino and open everyday from 6:00 – 21:30. La Piscina is a popular place and inexpensive, if you’re lucky to find a free table, enjoy the view and locals playing cards / dominoes inside.
Gofio in Famara
Gofio was one of the staple foods in the Canaries. This flour made from toasted grains can be mixed with a variety of ingredients to provide savoury or sweet dishes. Our fourth tip is to visit Restaurante el Risco in Famara, not only to taste a gofio dish, but because their location is right on the beach and they have an amazing chef. El Risco is situated on Calle Montaña Clara, it’s open from Monday to Saturday 12:00 – 22:00 and Sunday 12:00 – 17:00. Art enthusiasts will also like the César Manrique wall found here.
Goat in Uga
Goats provided the main source for meat on the island, and cooked well it can be amazing. Our final tip is to visit one of their local restaurants called Casa Gregorio in Uga to taste some fabulous Canarian cuisine. Their dishes are characterised by recipes passed down from their grandmother’s kitchen. Ask for cabrito frito if available. Casa Gregorio is situated on Calle Joaquín Rodríguez and open 6 days a week from 10:00 – 23:00, closed on Tuesdays.
One thing you will find in common with all these restaurants, is that they are situated out of the holiday resorts. If you want to discover the best of Lanzarote, we encourage you to hire a car and explore the island at your leisure, it’s a beautiful place and so much more than just beach & sunshine.
Thanks to Véro and Antonio for sharing some of their favourite restaurants, please do visit their website for more information on their cooking classes available in Lanzarote and for more information on foods to try in Lanzarote.
