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Updated for 2026.<\/strong> If you have arrived here looking for guachinches in Tenerife, you probably want something simple: to eat well, try genuine Canarian food, avoid paying tourist-area prices and, along the way, understand what on earth makes these places so special.<\/p>\n Here is the short answer: an authentic guachinche is not a restaurant with rustic d\u00e9cor. It is a house, winery or family-run space where wine from the owners’ own harvest is sold alongside a small selection of homemade dishes. That is exactly where its charm lies: it does not try to look like anything else. A simple table, steaming chickpea stew, grilled cheese, carne fiesta, potatoes, local wine and the feeling that you have been invited to a Canarian family lunch.<\/p>\n That said, Tenerife is full of places that advertise themselves as guachinches, and they do not all work in the same way. This guide therefore gets straight to the point: what a guachinche is, how to recognise a good one, what to order and which municipalities have options that let you plan a route without driving around blindly.<\/p>\n In this guide you will find:<\/strong><\/p>\n A guachinche is a very Tenerife-specific way of selling home-grown wine accompanied by homemade food. The tradition began in wine-growing areas, especially in the north of the island, when families opened part of their home or winery to sell the wine from their harvest.<\/p>\n Canarian regulations define it as a temporary activity linked to wine from the owner’s own harvest. In practical terms, this means three important things for anyone going there to eat:<\/p>\n So, if you walk into a place with an enormous menu, twenty desserts, a cocktail list and international cuisine, it may well be an excellent establishment, but it is not the classic guachinche concept. Tenerife also has superb bodegones, taverns and Canarian restaurants; it is simply worth calling each type of place by its proper name.<\/p>\n If you want to check the official information, Tenerife Tourism maintains a directory of guachinches<\/a>, while the Government of the Canary Islands publishes the regulations governing this activity<\/a>.<\/p>\n My advice is simple: do not search only for \u201cthe best guachinche in Tenerife\u201d. Look for the one that best suits your route, your appetite and your patience. The best-known places may be full, some open only on certain days and others close when the wine runs out.<\/p>\n Before setting off, check the following:<\/p>\n The leading area is the north, particularly La Orotava, Los Realejos, Santa \u00darsula, La Victoria and La Matanza de Acentejo. This is where the combination of vineyards, mid-altitude farmland and traditional home cooking is most evident.<\/p>\n There are also interesting options around Icod, La Guancha, El Rosario, Arafo, Granadilla, Gu\u00eda de Isora, San Miguel, Arona and Vilaflor. In the metropolitan area, La Laguna, Tacoronte, Punta del Hidalgo and Santa Cruz have guachinche-style establishments or Canarian restaurants that can work very well if you do not want to travel so far north.<\/p>\n La Orotava is one of the strongest municipalities to start with. Its eateries, wineries and guachinches are spread across La Perdoma, Camino de Chasna, Las Median\u00edas and the higher areas. It is a good choice if you want to combine lunch with a visit to the historic centre, the valley or even a route towards Teide.<\/p>\n A perfect plan:<\/strong> walk around La Orotava, have lunch in the upper area and make your way leisurely back down towards Puerto de la Cruz or Los Realejos. If you are heading up to Teide after lunch, watch the time: the mid-altitude roads are much more enjoyable when you are not in a hurry.<\/p>\n Los Realejos is another classic destination. Family-run places serving Canarian food, grilled meat, chickpea stew, escald\u00f3n and local wine are plentiful here. It is a very convenient area if you are travelling between Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava, Icod or Garachico.<\/p>\n A reliable choice:<\/strong> Los Realejos works very well for anyone who wants a generous meal before continuing to Icod de los Vinos, Garachico or Charco del Viento.<\/p>\n Santa \u00darsula has a reputation for good guachinches and substantial meals. It is a very convenient stop if you are coming along the northern motorway or staying in Puerto de la Cruz and want to head uphill for lunch without making a long excursion.<\/p>\n Acentejo is wine country, and it shows. La Victoria and La Matanza are ideal for an authentic northern guachinche route, with less of a tourist showcase and plenty of traditional mid-altitude flavour.<\/p>\n Route advice:<\/strong> if you want a very northern Tenerife experience, choose La Victoria or La Matanza, call two places before setting out and leave enough time to park.<\/p>\n This is where it pays to be precise. The metropolitan area has Canarian restaurants, bodegones and guachinches or guachinche-style places. Some do not fit the classic definition, but they can be very useful if you are in La Laguna, Punta del Hidalgo, Tacoronte or Santa Cruz and do not want to travel all the way up to La Orotava.<\/p>\n For this area, always check the opening times, exact location and whether the establishment operates as a guachinche, bodeg\u00f3n or Canarian restaurant. Either way, visitors benefit from arriving with the right expectations.<\/p>\n If you are taking a route around the west or have come from seeing the Dragon Tree, Garachico, Masca or the Isora area, you also have options for eating Canarian food without returning to the La Orotava valley.<\/p>\n A useful idea:<\/strong> Garachico, Icod and lunch in the mid-altitude area make an excellent day trip when you have a car. If you then plan to visit Masca or Teno, do not let lunch run too late because those roads demand your attention.<\/p>\n The tourist-oriented south is not Tenerife’s main guachinche area, but there are alternatives in the mid-altitude countryside and nearby towns. Do not expect the same concentration as in the north, but these addresses can save a lot of kilometres for anyone staying in Los Cristianos, Costa Adeje, El M\u00e9dano or Golf del Sur.<\/p>\n If you are coming from the south and want the most traditional experience, my recommendation is still to head north. If you are short on time, however, these mid-altitude options can give you a much more authentic Canarian meal than staying on the nearest seafront promenade.<\/p>\n The menu changes depending on the establishment, the season and what has been prepared that day, but certain dishes are always a good choice when they appear:<\/p>\n And a friendly warning: portions tend to be generous. If there are two of you, start with two or three dishes to share and decide afterwards. Enthusiasm at a guachinche is a wonderful thing, but ordering as though there were no tomorrow often ends with half the table staring silently at the serving dishes.<\/p>\n To keep things simple, you can organise your meal according to the area where you are staying:<\/p>\n\n\n
What is a guachinche in Tenerife?<\/h2>\n
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How to choose a good guachinche<\/h2>\n
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Best areas for visiting guachinches in Tenerife<\/h2>\n
Guachinches in La Orotava<\/h2>\n
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Guachinches in Los Realejos<\/h2>\n
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Guachinches in Santa \u00darsula<\/h2>\n
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Guachinches in La Victoria and La Matanza de Acentejo<\/h2>\n
La Victoria de Acentejo<\/h3>\n
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La Matanza de Acentejo<\/h3>\n
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Guachinches in Tacoronte, La Laguna and Santa Cruz<\/h2>\n
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Guachinches in Icod, La Guancha and Gu\u00eda de Isora<\/h2>\n
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Guachinches in the south and mid-altitude areas: Arona, Granadilla, San Miguel, Arafo, El Rosario and Vilaflor<\/h2>\n
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What to order at a guachinche<\/h2>\n
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An easy guachinche route if you are travelling by car<\/h2>\n
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