The Culinary Winds Of Change Blowing Through Tenerife
By
Baldwin Ho
on
30th July 2025
Tenerife isn't probably the first hotspot in Spain you'd think of for a gastronomic vacation, bur step away from the well-trodden path and their are plenty of culinary delights to discover.
Canarians are typically more used to the trade winds blowing from across the Atlantic Ocean. However, in the last few years, it is the culinary winds of change that have been blowing through Tenerife. Yes, you can still enjoy fast food favourites at Playa de las Americas such as cheese-laden pizzas and greasy fish and chips. However, dig a little deeper and you will find innovation and sustainability aplenty.
Tasting Menus Focused On Local Cuisine
Having a culinary experience such as a tasting menu was almost unheard of in years gone by, but nowadays it is the must-do activity on the island. One of the best exponents of Canarian cuisine is El Cenador, situated inside JOIA El Mirador by Iberostar. They offer a seven-course tasting menu and wine-pairing for at least four of the courses. Guests can feast on exquisite dishes like carabinero tartare with strawberry sorbet. The restaurant sources rare La Santa prawns from neighbouring Lanzarote; less than a handful of restaurants in Tenerife have the licence to sell these umami-rich shellfish. Canarian black pork served with a pineapple compote and a honey sauce is a highlight. The Canarian black pig is a native breed that offers juicier, and more tender meat with a rich flavour. The menu is highly innovative: case in point, a dessert that uses the Canarian black potato.
Another tasting menu to consider is Colmado 1917. This restaurant is situated within Iberostar Grand Mencey, a colonial-style hotel. The concept is like walking into a nineteenth-century grocery store. Here produce is king and they champion "minimal intervention" cuisine. Depending on what is in season, guests might get served mussels filled with romesco sauce and cooked escabeche style. There is a charming simplicity to the concept that will win over diners.
Wineries Scaling New Heights Of Perfection
El Cenador is a key supporter of local produce. One of the wineries they source their tipples from is Bodegas Altos de Trevejos. At an altitude of 1,300 metres above sea level in the southern part of Tenerife, this is one of Europe's highest vineyards. Tenerife has steep terraced vineyards, which face onto the sea. The salinity of the sea breeze and the proximity to the other produce grown means the wines have a very distinctive character. Wines are rich in plenty of mineral notes due to the volcanic rocks that form part of the terroir. The key to the success of this vineyard is the relatively low humidity and high light intensity, which yields the juiciest of grapes.
The vineyard plants a significant variety of grapes rather than just the more popular ones like Syrah. Most notable is Malvasía Aromática. This aromatic variety is what gave rise to the popularity of Canarian wines in Europe in the times gone by. The vines are different from those grown in Spain and Lanzarote and offer a more expressive character.
The Farm-To-Fork Experience
Traditionally, between 80- 90% of the food consumed in the archipelago comes from imports. However, with all the talk on tariffs in recent times, Tenerife has made a concerted move to be more self-sufficient. You will encounter diverse farms like Finca El Ancón. They grow exotic offerings such as avocados, passion fruit, red bananas, pink guava, and papayas to supply five-star hotels in the vicinity.
Coffee was first introduced into the Canary Islands back in 1788, but it has suffered a significant drop in production in recent decades. However, Finca El Ancón wants to bring coffee-growing back to the island. Coffee is a big part of local culture: Tinerfeños love coffee so much, they even have their special coffee drink called barraquito. This traditionally has five components: coffee, licor 43, frothed milk, condensed milk and topped with lemon peel or cinnamon. Finca El Ancón is planning to offer farm visits to the public in the not-too-distant future.
You can also pay a visit to the multi-award winning cheesemakers, Queseria Montesdeoca. Their focus is on artisanal goat's cheese. You can watch every step of the process from how they feed and milk the goats, to how the master cheesemakers handcraft the final produce. Their smoked cheeses are particularly popular, as well as their almogrote. The latter is a traditional Canarian cheese pâté. It's particularly flavoursome: a blend of hard, aged goat's cheese with garlic, peppers, and olive oil.
Learn To Cook Like A Canarian
If you want to learn to cook modern Canarian cuisine, the place to visit is the cookery classroom at Iberostar Grand Mencey. The class is taken under the guidance of Alejandro Padron, the head chef at the hotel. Throughout the class participants can learn how to make a seabass ceviche, which is arguably one of the most popular fishes on the island due to the proximity of their seabass fish farms.
You can also create mojo sauce with an old-school wooden pestle and mortar — a great accompaniment to low-temperature cod confit with onions and textured sweet potatoes.
Where To Stay
Staying in the northern part of the island at Iberostar Grand Mencey, guests are immersed in local culture and a buzzy atmosphere in the capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The colonial design and well-manicured garden lawns along with a soothing spa means the hotel has been popular with royalty, politicians, and Hollywood stars alike.
If you are looking for a more traditional beach resort with five-star amenities, then JOIA El Mirador by Iberostar on the south side of the island is a winner. The service is highly personalised, so if you order a beef tartare at La Pérgola, you might have it prepared in front of you by the head chef, Rafael De León. Star prestige rooms are the best rooms to bed down in, with unlimited snacks and drinks. To further unwind the 1,000 m² spa offers an extensive list of treatments. A must-book excursion is the sunset cruise to admire the rugged beauty of Tenerife during the golden hour.
Book your trip via easyJet Holidays. The easyJet holiday includes: return flights, hotel stay, 23kg baggage allowance per passenger and transfers to and from the hotel.
EasyJet offers direct flights to Tenerife South (TFS) from several UK airports.
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