I dined out every night in Tenerife, but nothing was as memorable as the experience at Guachinche Las Chozas. Truly, this was the best food had within all of the Canary Islands.
To understand this place is to know what a Guachinche is: a local makeshift restaurant unique to Tenerife, who makes its own wine and traditional food, sometimes situated in a family house or a roadside kiosk. Often there is no printed menu, and rarely do these places take credit cards – so bring cash. So popular with locals, Canarian residents make guachinche routes eating at several establishments during the day. We tried only Las Chozas, which made a lasting impression in its own rite, starting at the intriguing cavernous interior.
The staff provided excellent service, though no one spoke a word of English communication worked well. I loved to hear the happy employees singing together at the start of their night, they seemed like one big harmonious family. Delicious crusty bread and sumptuous aioli was plopped immediately on the table.
Get a carafe of the impeccable house red wine at a ridiculously inexpensive price.
The croquettas were the best we have encountered throughout the archipelago, so soft with the perfect crust.
In the middle lies a heaping portion of tuna salad – whose creaminess paired beautifully with the fried companion. The pollo asado was like nothing I’ve ever had.
The smoke. The flavor. The crust. So tender, surely this is one of the most remarkable chickens on earth. Dessert – I can barely convey how divine this was, but the tragedy of it all is I don’t even know how to ask for it ever again by name. It was almost like a tiramisu, but so much better.
Coffee notes. Marshmallow too. A texture that absolutely melts in your mouth, we had to order a second one right away. Dinner starts late in the traditional Spanish manner, so note the hours: open for lunch, closed for siesta, then dinner from 8-11. The restaurant is closed Tuesday and Wednesday.