Dining in Los Llanos – The Island as It Lives in the Evening

Los Llanos de Aridane is a shopping hub, administrative centre and transport junction by day. But come evening – from 8 pm, when the shops close and the restaurants open – it becomes the liveliest spot on La Palma. In the lanes around the Plaza de España and the pedestrian streets, something begins that locals call the tapeo – the unhurried evening ritual of drinks and small plates: a blend of conviviality, good food, rough wine from good barrels, and the quiet realisation that nowhere else is probably much better right now.

Los Llanos also has a cuisine that makes La Palma unique: a blend of Canarian tradition and Latin American heritage. Venezuelan arepas alongside papas arrugadas, cachapas next to carne de fiesta, a falafel restaurant that holds its own against the best in Europe. This is the culinary character of Los Llanos – and the reason why an evening here is more than just dinner.

Frida – The Best Falafel This Side of the Mediterranean

There are restaurants on La Palma that need no explanation – you simply have to go. Frida in Los Llanos is one of them. The small restaurant serves handmade falafel, a creamy hummus and mezze dishes with local ingredients that work in a way you can’t fake with imported produce. The avocados are from La Palma, the coriander from the garden, olive oil pressed on the west of the island.

Anyone making a good falafel on La Palma makes it with fresh local avocados, with the coriander that grows in the garden, with the feel for flavour combinations that comes from actually caring. That’s rare on La Palma, and it shows in every bite.

The Tapas Tour – Los Llanos Lane by Lane

The best way to eat your way through Los Llanos is not a reservation, not a fixed restaurant, not a concept. It is a tapas tour: start at the Plaza de España with a beer or wine, then into the side streets. Each bar has its speciality: the one with the best papas con mojo, the one with the freshest cheese toasted over charcoal, the one where the barman always seems to be mid-conversation.

This works from 8:30 pm onwards. Earlier, the bars are still empty – that is not imagination, that is the rhythm of the day. Wednesday to Saturday is best. Who to bring: a group willing to do several stops, not staring at their phones, going at the pace of the evening. That is the only plan that works.

Isla Verde – Local Craft Beer

If you’re drinking beer in Los Llanos, Cervecería Isla Verde is the name to know. The brewery from Tijarafe produces using 100% renewable energy, mountain water from La Palma, unfiltered and unpasteurised. The Pícara (Golden Ale, 4.8%) is the ideal companion to falafel and papas. The India Pale Ale is for those who want more.

The Menú del Día – Affordable and Good at Lunchtime

Anyone wanting to eat lunch in Los Llanos: the menú del día in the restaurants around the Mercado Municipal is the cheapest and most straightforward way to eat Canarian food. Two to three courses, drink included, €12–18. The busiest spots usually serve the best food – a principle that holds up reliably in Los Llanos.

Frequently Asked Questions