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Is it worth eating at El Diablo Restaurant – Lanzarote’s volcano restaurant?

Is it worth eating at El Diablo Restaurant – Lanzarote’s volcano restaurant? From the menu and service, to volcano views, this review tells you all.

Timanfaya National Park is one place you absolutely have to visit if you’re holidaying in Lanzarote. The landscapes are immense, with volcanoes, craters, undulating lava fields and black basalt rock all around. It’s such a special place and was a highlight of our recent trip to the island.

Timanfaya National Park
I had a great day exploring Timanfaya National Park

While you can explore some of the national park without paying an entrance fee, this doesn’t give you the full experience! Once you pay for a ticket you’ll get to explore the Montańas del Fuego (fire mountains) on a 25-minute coach tour along the Ruta de los Volcanoes as well as witness the power of nature first-hand, as bubbling geysers spurt water high into the air. How amazing does that sound?

This experience is one of many reasons to visit Lanzarote, but wait… there’s more!

Did you know there’s a restaurant where they cook food in the heat of the volcano? El Diablo Restaurant is a unique dining experience right in the heart of Timanfaya National Park.

Forget your average garden BBQ, at this grill restaurant, temperatures soar to around 450 degrees Celsius! Don’t worry, this is a dormant volcano with the last eruption being in 1824. The only activity you’re likely to feel is the geothermal heat used to cook your lunch.

Time to share a bit more about my experience at the restaurant, and whether I think it’s worth visiting.

Geysers in Timanfaya National Park
Geysers in Timanfaya National Park

The architecture of El Diablo Lanzarote

If you’ve read my huge guide to the best things to do in Lanzarote, you’ll have heard lots about legendary Lanzarote-born architect César Manrique. The majority of major landmarks and attractions on the island were created by him. He had a way of seamlessly blending nature and architecture, allowing them to work in harmony together.

It was no surprise to learn that he was responsible for the main buildings within the national park, including El Diablo restaurant.

With its short cylindrical shape, enormous windows showcasing out to the vast panoramic landscape and a tree growing through the centre, it’s a unique restaurant experience from the moment you enter the building.

Loved the views from El Diablo
I loved the views from El Diablo – so incredible!

When you’re on the coach tour around the park, keep an eye out for the building. From afar it looks like some kind of airbase or launchpad!

Manrique also designed the iconic devil (diablo) logo which you’ll see on all the signs for Timanfaya National Park, the napkins in the restaurant and dotted around the island.

The famous El Diablo logo
The famous El Diablo logo was designed by Cesar Manrique

On the tour, you’ll be shown where the chef’s cook some of the food using the heat of the volcano! It was great to see this process in action, then to be able to order it in the restaurant shortly after!  

Chef cooking at El Diablo Lanzarote
Chef cooking at El Diablo Lanzarote

What are the options at El Diablo Lanzarote?

We visited El Diablo for a coffee as soon as we arrived at Timanfaya National Park, then returned for a small lunch afterwards.

There are two options at this restaurant, depending on how hungry you are.

You can queue up for drinks, ice creams and light snacks such as a slice of cake and take a seat in the middle of the restaurant area.

Or you can take a seat next to the panoramic windows and enjoy waiter service from an a la carte menu.

Tables laid at El Diablo Lanzarote
Tables laid at El Diablo Lanzarote – Spain’s most famous volcano restaurant

How do they cook the food at El Diablo Restaurant, Lanzarote?

Many of the dishes on the a la carte menu are cooked in the heat of the volcano. Hot vapour rises up from the volcanic through the basalt-clad grill chamber.

This geothermal heat gradually cooks and browns the food resting on the cast iron grill. There’s a chef in charge of cooking the skewers and meats using this technique. Now that must be a hot job!

Meat cooking at El Diablo Lanzarote
El Diablo restaurant in Lanzarote uses the geothermal heat from a dormant volcano to cook food

What’s on the menu at El Diablo Restaurant, Lanzarote?

The unique method of cooking attracts a lot of tourists to dine at El Diablo. I’ll say right now that this won’t be the best meal you eat in Lanzarote, but it will be one of the most unique. This isn’t just because the meats are grilled over the hot volcano, but because of the mesmerising views across the lava fields.

So, what’s on the menu at El Diablo Lanzarote? Here’s a selection of items that were listed when I visited, along with their prices in 2022:

Half chicken cooked in the heat of the volcano – €14,00
Grilled chorizo sausage served with fried peppers – €10,00
Pork and chicken skewer cooked in the heat of the volcano – €16,00
Sirloin steak cooked in the heat of the volcano – €18,50
Grilled fish with salad and arrugada potatoes – €18,00
Platter of roasted vegetables – €10,00
Canarian-style arrugada potatoes served with mojo sauces – €4,50
Chicken croquettes – €7,00
Lanzarote cheese board – €11,50

There were also a few children’s meals including breaded chicken and spaghetti Bolognese.

We didn’t have dessert but I spotted brownies, ice cream and mousse on the menu too.

The main courses (including food cooked in the geothermal heat) came with a choice of seasonal vegetables, potatoes or grilled sweet potato.

El Diablo Lanzarote
El Diablo is a unique restaurant in Lanzarote

Our experience at El Diablo Restaurant, Lanzarote

We started off with a coffee in the bar area before our tour. The prices were reasonable and the coffee was decent. The service was friendly too. It was ideal for a quick pick-me-up.

Coffee at El Diablo Lanzarote
Coffee at El Diablo Lanzarote

After our tour we re-entered the restaurant, this time joining a short queue for a table for lunch. There were lots of circular tables topped with red gingham table cloths, set for lunch with napkins and cutlery.

Manrique devil logo on the napkins
Look at the Manrique devil logo on the napkins!

The waiter told us we could sit anywhere! How exciting we said… and picked a table in the middle with, what we thought, was the best view in the house. It turns out most tables have good views here… something César Manrique had obviously considered in his design!

Our table at El Diablo had an amazing view
Our table at El Diablo had an amazing view… as do most of the tables here!

The only table with a substandard view? The one with a window cleaner facing the couple dining! Well, with a view this spectacular, you’ve got to keep the glass nice and clean!

We weren’t starving so we decided against ordering two main courses. Instead we ordered half a chicken cooked in the heat of the volcano and the grilled chorizo sausage served with fried peppers. We also had some bread and butter.

Lunch at El Diablo Restaurant, Lanzarote
Our lunch at El Diablo Restaurant, Lanzarote

The chicken was a highlight. It had a tasty charred flavour from being cooked over the volcano. It was served with half a jacket potato topped with mojo sauce, some cabbage and a light gravy. It was enjoyable enough but didn’t wow us.

The chorizo dish was exactly as it looks in the photos. It was very salty with a subtle spice and heat to it. The fried padron peppers were one of the best things we ate at the restaurant. If I returned I’d ask for a dish of them on their own!

What would I rate the experience? Well I’d give the food 5/10, but the view 10/10… so let’s call it 7.5! I think the view from this restaurant is one of the best in Lanzarote, and definitely one of the most unique in Spain. Yes, it’s touristy, but it deserves to be.

Incredible views at Timanfaya National Park
Incredible views at Timanfaya National Park. Look at the coach on the Montanas del Fuego

How do you book a table at El Diablo Restaurant, Lanzarote?

If you’ve read my review of El Diablo Restaurant and think you’d like to follow in my footsteps, then perhaps you’re thinking you should book a table. Unfortunately, this restaurant doesn’t accept bookings. However, we didn’t queue for long, and as people are constantly coming and going on coach tours, I don’t think you’d ever wait for long.

The restaurant area at El Diablo
The restaurant wasn’t busy at El Diablo

El Diablo Restaurant opening times

The café area is open daily from 9:00-16:45 and the restaurant is open for lunch from 12.00-15:45.


I hope you’ve found this post useful! If you’re looking for more tips and advice for your trip to the Canary Islands, I’d recommend reading my guide to the best things to do in Lanzarote. There are over 28 suggestions so you’ll never be bored. I’d also suggest you take a good look at my guide to visiting Mirador del Rio as well as the great Lanzarote wine tour I went on.

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With a passion for food, fun and adventure, Chloe is the content creator behind one of the UK's top travel blogs Wanderlust Chloe. From volcano boarding in Nicaragua, to sailing around Sicily and eating her way around Japan, her travels have taken her to some of the coolest spots on the planet. Named Travel Influencer of the Year in 2022, Chloe regularly works with a number of tourism boards, producing inspirational travel content across multiple platforms. Find out more about Chloe here.

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