„What do they do if it’s full?” – the words of Germany’s chef and restaurant tester Christian Rach came to mind as I visited “El Puerto” in the Calle Teide in Puerto del Carmen for the first time.  Only two tables – including ours – had anyone at them, and yet we had to wait a whole hour for our food and another 30 minutes for the bill.

El Puerto is a restaurant that serves German food, so schnitzel and geschnetzeltes have been combined with Canarian influences.  Unfortunately, when we visited, the ceiling fans were not working, and during the evening it kept getting warmer.  The smell of old fat in my corner of the restaurant didn’t help my first opinion either.

It is probably therefore better to sit at one of the two tables in front of the restaurant, even though these are next to the road.  Otherwise, the inside is decorated with a mixture of German, in particular Thuringian, and fish and nautical themes.  The music is provided by MDR, an station in the Eastern part of Germany. (more…)

The restaurant „Mardelva“ is located in the Calle Los Infantes above the old harbour in Puerto del Carmen, just off Calle Teide. It advertises itself as “fresh fish and tapas”.

When I first went there some years ago, I was not particularly impressed. A combination of wrong or late food and the rolls and butter trick were enough to put me off for several years. That is, until I received a tip that the quality of service varied depending on the staff who were on duty. So armed with information on which waiters and waitresses to watch out for, I went back there this year.

This time, the experience was totally different. Not only could we choose our food in our own time, but we were also advised on which fish was fresh and even given the honest information as to which fish was delivered frozen. (more…)

The Green Banana Guide is an interesting concept for visitors to Lanzarote.

For a single fee (currently £14.99) you receive a Green Banana Discount Card, giving you between 5% and 20% discount at a variety of outlets on the island.  These can be viewed on an interactive map and are also listed in the printed guide to the island.

At Double Six Fish and Chips in Puerto del Carmen, for example, you receive 10% off your bill.

If used often, the card is likely to cover its own cost fairly soon, as it can be used multiple times at the same establishment and the discount is applied to the bill for the entire party, not just the card owner.

For those who visit the island more than once a year, there is even an annual offer available.

However, even though it sounds like it could be good value for money, there are some discrepancies on the website that unsettle me. (more…)