La Laguna has no shortage of cafés and little restaurants. Some come and go. Others quietly stick around for decades.
Cafetería Venezia is one of those places.
Tucked away in the centre of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, this small café has been serving homemade food since 1955, when it was originally opened by an Italian owner. And despite all the changes around it, the place still carries the same name today.
Recently, the local food creators @guachinchesmodernos stopped by and shared their visit online.
Their verdict was fairly simple.
“Today we’re going to show you a brutal homemade food spot in the centre of La Laguna.”
The famous “Cocido Venezia”
One dish in particular has made the place something of a must-visit.
It’s called the “Cocido Venezia”, and interestingly it’s not a traditional recipe you’ll find anywhere else. It was actually created in the café itself.
The dish includes:
- Cabbage
- Chorizo
- Black pudding
- Pancetta
- Potatoes
- Chickpeas
- And what they jokingly describe as “Javi’s special touch”
According to the visitors, describing it doesn’t really do it justice.
“You won’t understand how this smells unless you come and try it,” they said in their video.
And after tasting it, their reaction was pretty clear.
“I honestly can’t remember trying anything like this in Tenerife.”
Proper homemade cooking
Before the cocido arrived, they started with a few classic dishes.
Warm bread with matalahúva, followed by stuffed eggs, ensaladilla, and some homemade meatballs that caught their attention after spotting them on another customer’s table.
The café also offers plenty of traditional Spanish-style comfort dishes like:
- Pota
- Tuna in sauce
- Peas with stew-style cooking
Basically the sort of proper spoon food that’s getting harder to find these days.
Something sweet to finish
To finish things off they went for a torrija with ice cream, which apparently is a must if you have a sweet tooth.
Not the most complicated dessert in the world… but sometimes simple works best.
A place with history
The café originally focused mainly on breakfasts, but over time it gradually expanded its kitchen.
For the last 15 years, the place has been run by Jose, who the visitors say creates a relaxed atmosphere where customers feel welcome.
That probably explains why a place that opened nearly 70 years ago is still busy today.
Where to find it
Cafetería Venezia sits in Plaza de la Constitución 2, La Laguna, right in the centre of the historic town.
It currently holds a 4.4 rating on Google, which suggests most people who stop by leave fairly happy.
Opening hours are:
- Tuesday to Thursday: 07:00 – 23:00
- Friday and Saturday: 07:00 – 01:00
- Monday: Closed
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