Eating in the Guachinches of Tenerife offer truly authentic cuisine but it takes time to seek out the good ones. Far more than roadside cafes they are the unsung heroes of Canarian cooking.
Their existence is one of those vagaries of island law which governs what is and isn’t a restaurant. In the past wine growers sought to sell their wine and came up with the concept of serving a meal to those who came to taste the wine. Restauranteurs complained that these wine growers were stealing their trade and so the government legalised the Guachinche.
They stipulated that they should only open for three consecutive months, offer a limited menu and serve only wine they have grown themselves. No other drinks other than water can be sold not even coffee after the meal but find a good one and your palate will be dazzled with an array of intoxicating flavours, varying from coriander-based sauces to red hot pepper-infused cheese.
Several dishes originally created by the owners of Guachinches have evolved into what are now viewed as traditional cooking and innovative culinary creations that can be found in main stream restaurants