When missing due diligence makes you walk into a tourist trap: Restaurant Lagarto (6. December 2021)
Sometimes, things are so promising and turn out to be quite disappointing. The restaurant Lagarto was exactly that case. I went for the “Lagarto Tasting Menu” (EUR 45.00) which sounded quite appealing and lovely. However, it turned out to be not that way. The “lobster bisque (a rich reduced intense homemade bisque creamy soup served with flaked lobster)” …
… when served with the broth was watered down quite tremendously so wouldn’t really taste like much anymore. So, the start was definitely not a successful one.
The “bread” which they served with it, which I appreciated, was of course charged with EUR 2.90. Frankly, it’s somewhat okay but if you just bring bread to the table while saying that there is some bread, then I expect you to tell me that you’re gonna charge for it.
The next course were “creamy prawn croquettes (classic Belgian crevette prawn croquettes, smooth coriander parmentier & smoked liquid cheddar cheese)” which were acceptable. Nothing more than that though.
The “sole fillet with Meunière (GF) (fillet of sole with capers butter and fresh parsley, lime juice and accompanied by mashed potatoes with truffle oil and dusted with mushroom powder)” was somewhat lacking flavor. The roasted capers which were supposed to add a bit to it, did so. But frankly, if you tried the pieces by itself, it wasn’t enjoyable at all.
The “slow cooked Iberico Pork Cheeks (GF) (8-hour slow cooked pork cheeks, in a creamy red wine reduction with garlic cream & roasted wild mushrooms, served over a shallot & white onion purée, smooth mashed potatoes & cabernet sauce)” looked actually promising when reading it on the menu. But for a main, the plate was huge and the dish itself was incredibly small. On top of that, it wasn’t much of a flavor explosion and wasn’t too enjoyable.
Ultimatley, the “selection of our finest mixed desserts” was not really that fine either. Frankly, I don’t get how the place got a rating of 4.6 on Google Maps – I mean, it’s okay and I suppose if your expectations aren’t all that high, then you can definitely eat here, however, it is really far from being above a 4.0.
The place is super touristic in terms of atmosphere and, therefore, not really something I appreciate. The fact that it is accompanied by live music (which makes holding a conversation tricky) didn’t really add to my overall satisfaction about the place. Secondly, the service was friendly, but not overly attentive. So, to sum it up, not worth visiting.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Lagarto
Av. de las Gaviotas
38670 La Caleta
Santa Cruz de Tenerife (E)
Tel.: +34 822 62 11 41
Homepage: http://www.lagartorestauranttenerife.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
