The Best Bars on Lanzarote, Canary Islands

La Geria is a unique wine-growing region on Lanzarote, where each vine sits in its own circular dip in the black earth. Any visit should include a glass or three at El Chupadero. The rustic cantina celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2021, offering wines made from the malvasia and moscatel grapes, accompanied (if you wish) by classic Canarian tapas. There’s often live (jazz) music in the evenings, but the big draw is the spine-tingling sunset above the looming volcanic cones.

You’ll find this bar at LagOmar, the former home of film star Omar Sharif (who, reputedly, lost it in a card game). The residence was (in)famous for its parties in the 70s, and something of that hedonistic era still lingers in the air: although there are a museum and a restaurant, with nightfall, a clubby vibe takes over. Expect DJ sets and live jazz against one of the most extraordinary backdrops in the Canaries: the incredible estate is cut into the lava-covered hillside.

This watering hole in Teguise is what you’d call something of an under-the-radar beauty. On the grounds of Hotel Meliá Salinas, it invites you to sink into bean bags and rattan armchairs on a swathe of sand lined with palm trees. Despite the big-brand connection, the bar is independently owned, and you can rock up even if you’re a non-resident. You’ll get a soundtrack of chilled-out tunes for the sunset hours that segues into something pacier as the night settles in.

In Playa Blanca, amid a sea of places serving Heineken and Carlsberg, Rosco’s stands apart, rippling with craft beers (and more than 70 Belgian brews), alongside a regularly changing selection of bottles from around the world. What really makes this convivial haunt special is the man himself, Rosco, who’s always on hand to recommend different labels or pour you a pint of his home-produced IPA. This isn’t one of Playa’s party bars; expect an older, quieter crowd serious about their ale.

What makes this buzzy beach bar in Puerto del Carmen so pleasurable? For us, it’s being able to leave your drinks at your table while you head off for a quick dip in the sea, which rolls ashore just below the whitewashed wall. Note to carousers: this isn’t the kind of place that cranks up to crazy in the evenings; instead, you’ll enjoy a chilled-out Cafe del Mar vibe accompanying the sunset. That and a nice line in old-school cocktails – the strawberry mojito is a stand-out classic.

It might be on top of a Puerto del Carmen shopping centre, but don’t let that put you off. Among outlets, including an alfresco cinema and the Lost World Restaurant, Starcaf is a blissful rooftop hangout with widescreen sea views, delivering delicious homemade smoothies alongside the usual cocktails. The menu of snacks takes in some rather good gluten-free and vegan options, but, really, the view’s the main attraction here – enhanced by the moment your mojito kicks in.

Sculptor-architect César Manrique (1919-1992) saved Lanzarote from mass tourism with his sustainable, eco-forward principles. You can’t travel here without encountering at least one of the islander’s iconic designs. For example, he shaped the Jameos del Agua caves on the northeast coast into a spectacular network of tunnels and lava caverns. Here at Bar 3, you’ll find a unique place to sit with a jug of sangria or a cold beer: a refreshing way to escape the midday heat.

Lanzarote meets Hoxton in London at this mixologist’s dream of a bar, which sends out cocktails infused with homemade syrups (top tip: the gingerbread has a particular zing). Adornments span the spectrum, from dried ham to flambéed strawberries, and, in place of mere glasses, you can reckon on jars, teapots and even replica Fairy Liquid bottles. It’s a classy joint among the raucous watering holes on the seafront in Puerto del Carmen, and it offers courses.

Don’t let the name mislead you – the Dickens, a Costa Teguise fixture, is owned and run by a Spanish family, who like to serve up cocktails with a serious kick. (The Old Fashioneds are the stuff of island legend.) If you’re not a sports fan, time your visit for when there’s no match or game – there are large screens in the smallish bar – and you’ll find that the lilting Ibiza-worthy soundtrack enhances the already pleasantly chilled vibe on the large outdoor terrace.

Want somewhere simple and authentic for a chilled cerveza (beer) and a plate of ropa vieja (beef) stew? Make your way to the southwestern town of Yaiza and this whitewashed hole-in-the-wall. Loved by locals (and passing cyclists), it fills up fast – there’s just a clutch of tables inside. But we love the rickety stools on the pavement; and Yaiza, more than once voted the prettiest village in Spain, is a vision of flower-bedecked old houses dotted around a picture-perfect 17th-century church.