The Canary Islands has a seat at the table when it comes to Spain’s best new restaurants, with Lava in Puerto de la Cruz nominated at the fifth edition of TheFork Awards.
Lava is the only restaurant from the Canary Islands included among 41 new establishments from 14 autonomous communities competing for recognition as one of Spain’s standout openings of 2025.
Not bad for a restaurant from Puerto de la Cruz.
Michelin-starred chefs choose the nominees
The nomination comes with some serious backing.
A panel of 56 Michelin-starred chefs selected the finalists, including some of the biggest names in Spanish gastronomy such as Ángel León, Martín Berasategui and Elena Arzak.
Their involvement gives the nomination plenty of weight, particularly as TheFork Awards focuses on restaurants that have made an impression through their food, service and overall concept.
For Lava, being the sole Canary Islands representative puts Puerto de la Cruz firmly on the national culinary map.
Now it’s over to the diners
The judges have made their choices, but there’s still another award up for grabs.
Customers using TheFork can now vote for the People’s Choice Award, with voting open until Sunday, 11 October.
Last year’s People’s Choice Award went to The Library in Madrid, so Lava will be hoping to attract plenty of support from diners as well as the professionals who selected it for the shortlist.
Winners announced in November
The final winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Gran Teatro CaixaBank in Madrid on 16 November.
The awards recognise significant new restaurant openings from 2025, looking at everything from the food and service to the overall concept and impact on the gastronomic scene.
For Lava, it’s a chance to put Puerto de la Cruz and Canarian cuisine in front of a national audience.
And considering it’s the only Canary Islands restaurant on the list, that’s something worth celebrating.