Food · Tenerife · Spain
What to eat in Tenerife
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Tenerife, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Start with Papas arrugadas con mojo, Rabbit in salmorejo and Gofio. Guachinches are informal places, often a garage or farm terrace, where growers in the north sell their own wine with a short menu of home cooking such as carne fiesta and conejo. Canarian lunch runs from about 1pm to 4pm and dinner from 8pm; resort restaurants serve food all day.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Papas arrugadas con mojo
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 7
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected.
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Dish · Vegetarian
1.Papas arrugadas con mojo
Small potatoes boiled in their skins in very salty water until the skins wrinkle and turn white with salt, served with mojo rojo (red pepper, garlic, cumin and paprika) and mojo verde (coriander or parsley). Heritage varieties such as papa bonita are grown in the north.
Where: Almost every Canarian restaurant serves them as a starter or side; guachinches in the north often use local heritage potatoes.
Dish
2.Rabbit in salmorejo (Conejo en salmorejo)
Rabbit pieces marinated overnight in garlic, paprika, thyme, wine and vinegar, then fried and simmered in the marinade. It is the classic main course of family-run restaurants in the north of the island.
Where: Guachinches and rural restaurants in the Orotava Valley, Tacoronte and La Matanza.
Dish · Vegetarian
3.Gofio
Flour made from toasted cereals, usually maize or wheat, eaten on the islands since before the Castilian conquest. It thickens soups, is kneaded with water or broth into gofio amasado and turns up in desserts and even ice cream.
Where: Supermarkets and local mills sell it in bags; escaldón, gofio stirred into fish or meat broth, appears on traditional menus.
Dish · Vegetarian
4.Grilled goat's cheese (Queso asado)
Thick slices of local goat's cheese grilled until golden and topped with green or red mojo, or with miel de palma, the dark palm syrup made on La Gomera. Fresh, semi-cured and smoked goat's cheeses are made on farms across the island.
Where: Starter menus everywhere; cheese stalls at the Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África sell whole local cheeses.
Dish
5.Fresh local fish (Vieja and cherne)
Vieja (parrotfish) is the local favourite, grilled or simply boiled and served with potatoes and mojo; cherne (wreckfish) and sama are other common catches. Fish is usually chosen from the day's display and priced by weight.
Where: Fishing villages such as La Caleta de Adeje, Los Abrigos and San Andrés, and the harbour in Puerto de la Cruz.
Snack
6.Carne fiesta
Cubes of pork marinated in garlic, paprika, oregano and vinegar, then fried until crisp. Originally a festival food, it is now a standard bar plate served with bread or potatoes.
Where: Guachinches and traditional bars, especially in the north and at village fiestas.
Street food
7.Arepas
Corn-flour patties split open and stuffed with cheese, chicken, black beans or shredded beef, brought home by the many Canarians who emigrated to Venezuela and later returned. They make a quick, low-cost lunch across the island.
Where: Arepa bars in Santa Cruz, La Laguna and many smaller towns.
Drink · Vegetarian
8.Barraquito
Tenerife's signature coffee is served in a tall glass in layers: condensed milk, Licor 43, espresso and frothed milk, finished with lemon peel and cinnamon. Ask for a 'barraquito sin licor' to skip the alcohol.
Where: Any café or bar on the island, especially in Santa Cruz and La Laguna.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Tenerife wine
Volcanic soils and old vines produce Listán Negro reds and Malvasía and Listán Blanco whites under five island denominations of origin, including Tacoronte-Acentejo and Valle de La Orotava. In the Orotava Valley vines are trained in long braided cordons found almost nowhere else.
Where: The Casa del Vino in El Sauzal, guachinches in the north and wine bars in La Laguna.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Honey rum (Ron miel)
A sweet, low-strength rum liqueur flavoured with honey, served chilled in a small glass. Many restaurants offer a shot at the end of the meal.
Where: Restaurants across the island; bottles are sold in supermarkets and airport shops.
Dessert · Vegetarian
11.Frangollo
A Canarian pudding of maize flour cooked with milk, sugar, lemon peel and cinnamon, enriched with raisins and almonds and served cold in slices.
Where: Dessert menus of traditional restaurants and guachinches, especially in the north.
Food experiences
Guachinche lunch
Guachinches are informal places, often a garage or farm terrace, where growers in the north sell their own wine with a short menu of home cooking such as carne fiesta and conejo. Many open for only part of the year after the harvest; the hills around Tacoronte, La Matanza and La Orotava have the most.
Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África
Santa Cruz's arcaded 1940s market sells local goat's cheese, tropical fruit, mojo and fresh fish, with bars inside for a morning barraquito. A flea market sets up beside it on Sunday mornings.
Harbour fish lunch
In La Caleta de Adeje, Los Abrigos or San Andrés, choose your fish from the counter, pay by weight and eat it grilled with papas arrugadas looking over the harbour.
Casa del Vino tasting
The Casa del Vino in El Sauzal, a restored farmhouse above the north coast, has a wine museum and tasting room covering all of Tenerife's denominations of origin, plus a restaurant with sea views.
Quick bites and street food
- Carne fiesta — Guachinches and traditional bars, especially in the north and at village fiestas.
- Arepas — Arepa bars in Santa Cruz, La Laguna and many smaller towns.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 7 are usually vegetarian: Papas arrugadas con mojo, Gofio, Grilled goat's cheese, Barraquito, Tenerife wine, Honey rum and Frangollo. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Canarian lunch runs from about 1pm to 4pm and dinner from 8pm; resort restaurants serve food all day.
- Bread, olives or alioli brought to the table unasked may appear on the bill; say 'no, gracias' if you do not want them.
- Fish is often priced per kilo; ask the price of your piece before it goes on the grill.
- A menú del día in towns away from the resorts gives two courses, a drink and dessert at a fixed lunchtime price.
- In resort areas, restaurants with locals at the tables are a better bet than those with touts outside.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected. Locals leave small change in bars; in restaurants rounding up or leaving about 5–10% for good service is appreciated.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Buenos días | Good morning |
| Gracias | Thank you |
| La cuenta, por favor | The bill, please |
| ¿Dónde para la guagua? | Where does the bus stop? (guagua = bus) |
| Un barraquito, por favor | A layered Tenerife coffee, please |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much is it? |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Tenerife famous for?
Papas arrugadas con mojo, Rabbit in salmorejo, Gofio and Grilled goat's cheese. Small potatoes boiled in their skins in very salty water until the skins wrinkle and turn white with salt, served with mojo rojo (red pepper, garlic, cumin and paprika) and mojo verde (coriander or parsley).
+Is Tenerife good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Papas arrugadas con mojo, Gofio and Grilled goat's cheese.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Tenerife?
Tipping is not expected. Locals leave small change in bars; in restaurants rounding up or leaving about 5–10% for good service is appreciated.