OLDEST BAR IN TENERIFE

Oldest bar in Tenerife is a place full of history and character. Founded in 1899, this bar has become a beloved meeting point for both locals and tourists. The authentic Canarian atmosphere and traditional dishes make it a unique destination.

To be the oldest in Tenerife, a bar must have witnessed two world wars, a republic, a civil war, nearly 40 years of dictatorship, the return of democracy, and a handful of other events. This can certainly be said of Chucho’s bar – Casa Emiliano in La Orotava. The establishment opened its doors in 1899, paralleling the lifespan of the popular newspaper Diario de Avisos, founded in 1890.

In La Orotava, a municipality with a rich and deep past, there are other century-old institutions, such as the famous pastry shop Casa Egón, established in 1916. It’s no surprise that the oldest businesses are found in the oldest part of Tenerife.
Bar Chucho was officially founded in 1899 by Domingo González González, an enterprising day laborer seeking to improve his living conditions. In fact, the bar was actually founded a few years earlier, but no documentation exists to confirm this.

Four Generations

Chucho’s great-grandfather opened the so-called “Bodega de vino y chochos,” which was continued by his son, Hermenegildo González, Chucho’s grandfather. The building is strategically located, right on the road connecting the town center with La Perdoma, although urbanization gradually transformed the area over the years.

Hermenegildo’s son, Modesto González, also known as Emiliano, took over the business with his wife, Milagros Domínguez. They combined the operation of the bodega with a grocery store, running it for 41 years until 1977, when their son, Chucho, took charge and continued to run it as a bar.
The building still retains some architectural elements from the original structure, such as the beautiful wooden beams at roof level.

Bar as Polling Station

Chucho learned his trade as a child in the family business, where locals gathered to socialize and play pericón or dominoes, later adding foosball and billiards. At one time, the place resembled a casino, as neighbors organized their national lottery games there on Fridays and Saturdays.

Over the years, hundreds of anecdotes have accumulated, but one that stands out in everyone’s memory is when the bodega was used as a polling station. This occurred in 1995, during the fifth regional and local elections in the restored democracy after Franco’s dictatorship. The day before the election, authorities found that the floor of the designated polling station was unstable and unsafe. Faced with the dangerous situation, the local government sought an emergency solution and turned to Chucho, who had no qualms about offering his premises to be used as a polling station. On May 28, 1995, eligible voters cast their ballots in a bar. For the record, no alcoholic beverages were consumed that day.

Pandemics

Since its founding in 1899 by Chucho’s great-grandfather, Domingo González González, the establishment has never closed, not even for vacation. The oldest bar in Tenerife remained open even during the Spanish flu pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the restrictions due to global COVID-19 infections breathed new life into the bar. The impact of the pandemic was initially severe, but the owners reinvented themselves.

The outdoor terrace became the solution for survival, initially with provisional permission, and later with final approval from the local council to allow consumption outdoors. This expanded and diversified the clientele, especially in the mornings, with breakfast offerings like delicious tortilla sandwiches.

Will a new generation continue the bar? Only time will tell. Chucho isn’t revealing much, only that a family member has shown interest. The future will decide.

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Oldest bar in Tenerife ©