There’s something rather nice about a restaurant that doesn’t feel the need to reveal everything at once. At El Legado de Samuel Hernández in La Camella, Arona, the evening began with an invitation to head downstairs and discover a little secret.
It turns out the restaurant has a cosy wine cellar, or bunker as the team likes to call it, where the evening can begin away from the main dining room.
It’s an interesting touch. Rather than simply showing you to a table and handing over a menu, the team gets you involved in the experience from the start.
Downstairs, a rustic-style table was waiting, with glasses already laid out. First came a selection of artisan Canarian cheeses from different islands, made with different milks and varying degrees of maturity. Alongside them were some excellent 00 Cantabrian anchovies, served with smoked goat’s butter on toasted brioche.
It was a relaxed start to the evening, with time to enjoy the wine selection, chat and get a feel for what the restaurant is about before heading upstairs.
A chef with a story to tell
Samuel Hernández is a fairly understated character, not one for making a big song and dance about himself. But he has plenty of experience behind him.
His career has included work at Hotel Jardín Tropical, Hotel Bahía del Duque and Restaurante Olympo. Between 2015 and 2019, he was executive chef at Char and Lagarto Brasserie in the south of Tenerife.
He was also selected among the ten best young chefs in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 2015 and has been involved in promoting Tenerife’s gastronomy, including activities linked to Madrid Fusión. Alongside restaurant work, he has also advised businesses and helped train other professionals.
For this latest venture, he has Babacar Fall alongside him in the kitchen. Babacar is a talented chef in his own right, and there’s clearly more to him than the cooking over flames that first brought him attention.
The menu at El Legado reflects Hernández’s own journey. There’s no obvious attempt to follow whatever happens to be fashionable this week. Instead, the dishes tell a story, with local produce and personal connections running through them.
One of the best examples is the caldo de millo, a traditional Lanzarote corn soup based on a recipe from Antonio Curbelo. Hernández has a strong connection with Lanzarote, and this dish feels like a little piece of that island brought to the table.
It’s deeply comforting, full of flavour and a reminder that sometimes the simplest dishes are the ones that stay with you. An absolute must.
The mortar stays on the table
Another standout was the octopus. Perfectly cooked, with just the right amount of smokiness from the grill, it was served over a citrus-flavoured kohlrabi base.
The finishing touch was a rather special black-ink mojo, prepared by the chef in front of the guests using a traditional mortar and pestle.
It’s a lovely bit of theatre, but there’s a purpose behind it too. You’re watching a traditional sauce being made properly, and the mortar is left on the table afterwards. No complaints from me if someone wants to have another go.
The goat meat cannelloni was another winner. A beautifully browned topping, with the intensity of mature Canarian cheese, concealed a tender and flavoursome filling. It’s the sort of dish that gets the basics right without needing to make a fuss about it.
By this point, the food had already made a strong impression, but the front-of-house team deserves plenty of credit too.
The wine service took us on a little journey around the Canary Islands, with some excellent bottles including:
- Viña Frontera, Baboso Blanco, D.O. El Hierro.
- De Yanes, Baboso Negro, D.O.P. Islas Canarias.
- Mentidero, Puro Rofe, D.O. Lanzarote.
- Calius Vendimia Seleccionada, D.O. Valle de Güímar.
It’s a good selection and, importantly, one that complements the food rather than simply filling space on the wine list.
A safe bet in the south
El Legado de Samuel Hernández has plenty going for it. There’s a professional front-of-house team, a kitchen with a clear sense of direction and a wine selection that gives local producers the attention they deserve.
The menu is generous enough to offer something for different tastes, while the spacious surroundings make it a comfortable place to spend an evening.
There’s talent here, and the foundations are in place for El Legado to become an important gastronomic address in the south of Tenerife.
It’s a restaurant with its own identity, rather than another copy of somewhere else. And in an area where good, dependable dining options are always welcome, that’s no small thing.