La Cocina de Colacho

The story

La Cocina de Colacho – Michelin-Recommended Fine Dining in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote

A chef’s journey from dishwashing to his own kitchen

Nicolás Machín – known to all as Colacho – started working at the age of eight in one of the few restaurants in Playa Blanca, when the town was still a small fishing village. Washing dishes and pots, he watched and learned. That early necessity turned into vocation. Over years of careful observation and constant learning, he became a notable cook, always following his need to investigate and develop his own concept of hospitality.

After a serious heart operation that he overcame, Colacho and his wife Anabel opened La Cocina de Colacho. He runs the kitchen; she runs the dining room, bringing the same care to service that she does to her paintings, which hang in a permanent gallery inside the restaurant.

The tasting menu – tradition and new textures

The restaurant offers a tasting menu where “the mix of colours and flavours, tradition and new textures make for an unforgettable experience.” That short description from the restaurant itself captures the essence of Colacho’s cooking: rooted in the ingredients and techniques he learned over decades, but open to evolution. The Michelin guide has recognised this approach, awarding La Cocina de Colacho its Recommended rating in 2026, a testament to the consistency and personality of the kitchen.

Art on the walls, art on the plate

Anabel’s ongoing art exhibition adds another layer to the meal. Her watercolours capture marine scenes; her oils reflect the luminosity of Lanzarote. More recent works combine oil with gold or silver leaf, patient and meticulous. The same attention to detail shows in the dining room, where the fine-dining setting is comfortable enough for private parties, and dinner service runs from early evening. For anyone seeking a personal, unfiltered expression of a chef’s life work, La Cocina de Colacho delivers exactly that.