The prestigious National Geographic magazine has chosen Spanish restaurant el Diablo on the Canary Island of Lanzarote as one of the six most impressive places to eat in the world.
Built next to a volcano, el Diablo restaurant is located in the middle of the Timanfaya National Park. The restaurant, which opened in 1970, is the brainchild of the late artist Cesar Manrique, who hailed from Lanzarote. Manrique decided that the volcano, which was already a tourist attraction, was the best place to start a restaurant.
The area around the volcano is deserted and could pass for a landscape on Mars. Architects Eduaro Cacares and Jesus Soto were hired to design the restaurant for this special place.
Unique preparation
The article explains that the food at El Diablo is prepared with steam escaping from the active volcano. Just a few metres below, lava bubbles with a temperature of around 200 degrees; the perfect place to grill some meat or fish.
The grill is formed from basalt rock thrown up by the eruptions. Both meat and fish go on the grill. The restaurant also serves favourite dishes of the island, such as papas arrugadas con mojo. These are small potatoes, boiled in their skin to achieve a wrinkled texture, and served with a spicy sauce.
Accessible and affordable
Even though this impressive restaurant is located at the top of a mountain, it is easily accessible. There is parking and from there it is just a short walk up the mountain. And despite the fantastic location, the food is affordable. An entrecote costs €20, skewered fish and prawns €19 and chorizo with fried peppers just €11.
Other impressive restaurants on the National Geographic list
The other 5 restaurants to make the list of the world´s most stunning places were as follows:
- Karczma Górnicza, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Poland
- The Main Restaurant, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
- Ristorante Grotta Palazzese, Polignano a Mare, Italy
- Perlan, Reykjavík, Iceland
- Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, Rangali Island, Maldives
