There is no shortage of places to eat in Tenerife. That much is obvious.
But every now and then, somewhere new opens that manages to get people talking, particularly when it takes familiar Canarian dishes and does something a little different with them.
That seems to be the case with Guachinche El Bandido, a new restaurant in Los Baldíos, La Laguna.
Despite the name, this is not your typical old-school guachinche. The menu mixes traditional Canarian flavours with some more unusual creations, and a few of them are definitely not for the faint-hearted.
From octopus ropa vieja to Ferrero de morcilla
The restaurant recently caught the attention of local food account @guachinchesmodernos, who went along to see what all the fuss was about.
Among the dishes they tried was the Ensalada Bandido, a summery salad packed with fruit, along with octopus ropa vieja and something called a Ferrero de morcilla canaria.
Yes, exactly what it sounds like… a Ferrero-style creation involving Canarian black pudding. Not one you’ll find in the average supermarket chocolate box.
They also tried the classic carne con papas, served with fresh bread.
The dish that stands out
The real signature dish appears to be the Solomillo Bandido.
It is a fairly serious plate of food, combining prawns, meat, egg, caramelised apple and chips. It sounds like someone in the kitchen decided that choosing between sweet, savoury, surf and turf was simply too much effort.
To finish, there was a traditional-style tarta de la abuela, made with María biscuits, plus a white chocolate soup with passion fruit that apparently isn’t even on the menu.
Where to find it
Guachinche El Bandido is located on Camino del Medio in Los Baldíos, La Laguna.
Opening hours are:
- Monday to Thursday: 12:30pm to 5pm and 8pm to 11pm
- Weekends: Continuous service from 12:30pm to 11:30pm
If you’re in the La Laguna area and fancy trying Canarian food with a few unexpected twists, this might be one worth adding to the list.