Lanzarote food guide: local specialities and best addresses
Lanzarote's food scene combines the Canarian classics — mojo, papas arrugadas, gofio — with two things unique to the island: dishes literally cooked with volcanic heat, and MalvasÃa wine grown in the ash of La Geria. This guide adds to our Lanzarote page with the dishes and addresses worth knowing.
In a nutshell
- El Diablo: the Timanfaya National Park restaurant, where meat is grilled over the volcano's natural heat.
- Mojo and papas arrugadas: the essential Canarian pairing, just as in Fuerteventura.
- MalvasÃa wine: pairs well with fresh fish or local goat's cheese.
- La Geria: a bodega route for tastings and cellar tours.
El Diablo: eating grilled food cooked by the volcano's heat
The El Diablo restaurant, inside Timanfaya National Park, uses the volcano's geothermal heat to grill food, with no flame or charcoal involved: a system devised by César Manrique, where meat sits directly above a volcanic pit where the temperature exceeds several hundred degrees just a few metres down.
The experience is as much theatre as it is dinner, with a view over the park's lunar landscape. Booking is recommended, particularly for lunch.
Mojo, papas arrugadas and gofio: the Canarian classics
As on the other Canary Islands, a typical Lanzarote meal centres on papas arrugadas (small potatoes boiled in very salty water) served with the two mojo sauces: mojo verde, herby and green, and mojo rojo, made from roasted peppers and chilli. Gofio, a flour made from toasted grains, often accompanies dishes or is served as dessert (gofio escaldado).
MalvasÃa wine and the La Geria route
The white MalvasÃa wine, produced in the volcanic vineyards of La Geria, pairs particularly well with fresh fish or local goat's cheese. Several bodegas along the wine route, such as El Grifo, offer tours and tastings.
Where to eat well in Lanzarote?
Choosing a place that serves the day's catch remains the best rule of thumb along the coast, particularly in villages such as Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen or Órzola, known for its seafood restaurants facing the island of La Graciosa.
And to compare destinations, head back to our Canary Islands guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the El Diablo restaurant?
A restaurant inside Timanfaya National Park, where food is grilled using the volcano's natural geothermal heat, with no flame or charcoal.
What is Lanzarote's culinary speciality?
Mojo and papas arrugadas remain the essentials, paired with locally produced MalvasÃa wine from the vineyards of La Geria.
Where can you taste La Geria wine?
At the bodegas along the La Geria wine route, such as El Grifo, which offer cellar tours and tastings.
Where's a good place to eat by the sea in Lanzarote?
Villages such as Órzola, Playa Blanca or Puerto del Carmen have the best spots for fresh fish.