This is the newest in the small chain of restaurants in Lanzarote called Salmarina. The other two are in Playa Honda and Playa Quemada. On the strength of a good experience at the others, we decided to try the new one for a Sunday lunch.
Salmarina is literally front line to the ocean, and although they have tables and chairs outside, we chose to go inside as it was a hot day. The frontage opens up nicely to provide a sea breeze through the restaurant. The tables are beautifully laid with table cloths and linen napkins, and the staff are smart in white shirts and black trousers.
The theme of the decor is Ocean, with lots of sea green and blue, and the ambience is chilled.
The menu is focused on KM0, with as much local produce as possible used, and as you’d expect, there’s a wide range of fish, although both steaks and chicken are available too.
The waiter explained the specials of the day to us, which included either whole fish to share, or individual portions of smaller fish, and we were delighted to find that they had La Santa Red Prawns available as a special – one of our favourite dishes.
We shared the prawns, which were served on a bed of sea salt, and were as fabulous as ever. We also chose to share a platter of Salmon, smoked in Uga, which was served with lightly toasted bread, capers, chopped boiled eggs and a side salad. The Uga salmon comes from Norway, and is served in thicker slices than many, and is all the more delicious for it.
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For her main, Julie chose a Zarzuela de Pescado y Marisco. This dish consists of all kinds of fish, cooked in a really rich sauce made from tomatoes, garlic and onion and fish stock. The dish was served to her from the pot, and it had white fish, mussels, limpets, squid, prawns and potatoes in it. The sauce was amazing, and the fish fell apart in chunks, having been perfectly cooked. She described it as a hearty stew.
I went for Langoustines cooked in Cava. These were very large and the sauce was full of garlic and cream and complemented the shellfish perfectly. It came with some rice and some small potatoes.
We really enjoyed both dishes thoroughly. The service had the perfect blend of friendliness and attention, and we didn’t want for anything. We washed the meal down with a bottle of Yaiza wine, which always goes perfectly with fish.
We don’t usually have desserts, but because the mains had been so nice, and not too filling, we decided to try two. Julie had the Bienmessabe, which is a local dessert, made from almonds and palm honey, and served with ice cream. I normally find it too sweet, but this one was well balanced. I had chocolate mousse, which I immediately declared to be the best I’d ever had!
One nice touch on the service is that I ordered Espresso at the same time as my dessert. Normally, it arrives straight away, and I end up drinking it before eating the dessert, but in this case, the waiter waited until I’d finished my last course, before asking me if I was ready for my coffee.
Our bill worked out at €60 a head, but we selected more expensive dishes and a good wine. You could eat two course with a house wine for considerably less.
Salmarina is Paseo La Chalanero in La Santa. You can book a table by calling 928 172 271.
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