Canary Islands Restaurants

Canarian cuisine is based on the delicious rockfish that abound near the coast, and its specialties are worth searching out. A typical meal begins with a hearty stew, such as potaje canario (a stew of vegetables, potatoes, and garbanzo beans), rancho canario (vegetables and meat), and potaje de berros (watercress soup). Canarians eat the porridge-like gofio (made with corn or another grain and milk or broth), though it's hard to find in restaurants. The next course is fresh native fish, the best of which are vieja, cherne, and sama, all firm-flesh white rockfish. Accompanying the fish are papas arrugadas (literally, "wrinkled potatoes"), tiny potatoes native to the Canaries boiled in salty water so that salt crystals form on them as they dry.

Other specialties include cabrito (roast baby goat) and conejo (rabbit), both served in salmorejo, a slightly spicy paprika sauce. Finally, no Canarian meal is complete without a dab of mojo picón, a spicy sauce made with pimientos (red chili peppers), garlic, and tomatoes. Most restaurants serve mojo with each main course, and Canarians heap it liberally on dishes as varied as fish and papas arrugadas. The tamer version is mojo verde,made with cilantro and parsley. Another island specialty is goat cheese, made best in La Palma.

Canarian wines are surprisingly good and varied. Try the young reds and whites on Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote, where wine production is centuries old—the Malmsey wines from Lanzarote were a favorite with Shakespeare's Falstaff. On the stronger side, the Canaries are famous for their dark rum, and several new liqueurs (flavored with coffee, cocoa, or hazelnut) have grown in popularity over the last few years.

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  • 1. Playa Mont

    $

    Expertly grilled fish and fried seafood lure crowds night after night to this open-air restaurant steps from the beach. Let the chatty waitstaff talk you through the extensive, well-priced menu, which runs the gamut from morena frita (crisp-fried eel) to alfonsino (a delectable red-skinned fish) to escaldón, a hearty gofio (toasted grain) porridge made with fish stock and topped with mojo.

    Av. Taburiente 2, Canary Islands, 28779, Spain
    922-480443

    Known For

    • Beachy vibe
    • Perfectly cooked fish
    • Heavenly tres leches cake

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
  • 2. Tasca El Obispado

    $$

    Figurines of the Virgin Mary and other religious paraphernalia line the walls of this eclectic tavern with low ceilings and a cozy, countrified feel. Hand-cut jamón (ham) and runny-in-the-center tortillas make wonderful appetizers; save room for the conejo en salmorejo (roast rabbit in a paprika-garlic sauce) and homemade desserts.

    Calle Herradores 88, La Laguna, Canary Islands, 38204, Spain
    922-251450

    Known For

    • Cheery service
    • Rustic decor
    • One of the best tortillas on the island
  • 3. Bar Delicatessen La Garriga

    $

    Some of the best sandwiches in town are made here, and the tortilla (potato omelet) may be the tastiest on the island. Eat in or take your purchases to the quiet gardens in the Plaza de Príncipe, just down the road, for an impromptu picnic.

    Calle Pérez Galdós 24, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, 38002, Spain
    922-285501

    Known For

    • Greasy-spoon sandwiches
    • Terrific tortilla
    • Fine cheeses and charcuterie

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No dinner Sat.
  • 4. Bistro La Champiñonería

    $ | Vegueta

    Halfway up a pleasant pedestrian street in Vegueta, this French café-restaurant with red walls and old photos of Las Palmas specializes in mushroom dishes. Choose from more than 15 preparations, or forgo the fungi and try the meat dishes and giant revueltos (scrambled eggs). Portions are large, ideal for sharing.

    Calle Mendizábal 30, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, 35001, Spain
    928-334516

    Known For

    • Mushroom everything
    • Large portions for the money
    • Cozy atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
  • 5. Cafetería Casa Suecia

    $

    Escape to the tranquil, air-conditioned quiet of the Casa Suecia Salon de Té on Tomás Miller 70—near Playa de las Canteras—for comfortable booths, foreign newspapers, picture windows, pastries, breakfast plates, sandwiches, and perhaps the only free coffee refills on the islands.

    Calle Tomás Miller 70, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, 35007, Spain
    928-271626

    Known For

    • English breakfast
    • Homey atmosphere
    • Dependably decent grub
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  • 6. Casa Paché

    $

    Down a plant-lined alley off the Plaza del Charco, this family-run restaurant is in a typical local house, with a labyrinth of small rooms leading off the main hall; you might find yourself sitting next to a collection of old photos, a pile of hats, or some rustic artifacts. Standouts on the traditional Canarian menu include puchero canario (chickpea stew with vegetables, pork, and chicken), piñas con costillas y papas (corn on the cob with spareribs and potatoes), and rabbit with salmorejo sauce. Save room for homemade desserts such as tarta de gofio (maize flour tart).

    Calle La Verdad 6, Puerto de la Cruz, Canary Islands, 38400, Spain
    922-372524

    Known For

    • Romantic ambience
    • Canarian comfort food and Tenerife wines
    • Staff who treat you like family

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed.
  • 7. El Coto de Antonio

    $

    The buzz around this down-home Santa Cruz standby is well deserved, as you'll see when you sample chef Carlos's steak tartare, the best in town, or his rustic snail stew enriched with trotters (don't knock it till you try it). The star dessert is huevo mole, egg yolk and sugar whipped into a creamy mousse.

    Calle de General Goded 13, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, 38006, Spain
    922-272105

    Known For

    • Homey atmosphere
    • Canarian comfort food
    • Knockout steak tartare

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
  • 8. El Duende del Fuego

    $$

    This eccentric indoor-outdoor restaurant one municipality over from El Paso specializes in flavorful allergen-free food prepared for guests with any range of dietary requirements. All ingredients are organic; nearly every dish is gluten-, dairy-, and nut-free; and the best part is, you don't miss these common ingredients, thanks to the chef's creativity. Highlights include the La Palma-raised braised beef, cooked sous-vide until it's spoon-tender, and the flight of homemade sorbets made with local fruit and freshly pressed almond milk.    

    Pl. Chica 2, Canary Islands, Spain
    92-2401002

    Known For

    • Allergen-free food
    • Zero-kilometer menu
    • Characterful local wines

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 9. El Lateral 27

    $

    On the main shopping street, this restaurant is a convenient place to eat after sightseeing, especially since the kitchen is open from 8 am to 11 pm. Try to snag a table on the terrace that overflows onto the leafy pedestrian street (the interior dining room is comparatively drab). The salads, particularly the ensalada de bacalao confitado con pimientos asados (slow-cooked cod with roasted peppers), are appetizing and generous.

    Calle Bethencourt Alfonso 27, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, 38002, Spain
    922-287774

    Known For

    • Wide selection of salads
    • Fresh fish
    • Good value for the city center

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 10. El Portalón

    $$$

    In the center of Playa del Inglés, this modern Basque restaurant has made a name for itself for its well-priced classic cuisine. Interiors are a bit passé (a bit like a wedding reception hall), but there are two pleasant terraces outside. The wine list, with more than 40 bottles from Spain, is worth a look, and cocktails are served daily 7 pm to 2:30 am.

    Av. Tirajana 27, Playa del Inglés, Canary Islands, 35100, Spain
    928-771622

    Known For

    • Fine Basque dining
    • Generous portions
    • Good wine list
  • 11. Everest Indian Restaurant

    $

    When you can't look at another plate of fish and taters without moaning—mira, it happens to the best of us in the Canaries—spring for a palate-jolting curry at Everest, whose heady dishes ranging from vindaloo to korma and jalfrezi are probably better than your neighborhood Indian joint's renditions.

    Av. de las Playas 41, Puerto del Carmen, Canary Islands, 35510, Spain
    928-511181

    Known For

    • Blistered made-to-order naan
    • Unapologetically spicy curries
    • Cheery service
  • 12. Guirlache

    $ | Triana

    For a sweet treat, try Guirlache. There are at least 20 ice-cream flavors, and many of the cakes are made with that trusty island staple, condensed milk.

    Calle Triana 68, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, 35002, Spain
    928-366723

    Known For

    • Delicious cakes, ice creams, and chocolates
    • Quality ingredients
    • Popular with locals
  • 13. Jardín de los Naranjos

    $$

    In a dining room oozing rustic charm (think green tablecloths, beamed ceilings, and squat wine glasses), feast on rich fall-off-the-bone goat stew made with local meat, or opt for the catch of the day, served with salad and papas arrugadas.

    Camino el Pinar 33, Canary Islands, Spain
    619-571125

    Known For

    • Slow-simmered goat stew
    • Local wines
    • Warm service

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
  • 14. La Bikina Cantina

    $

    Skip the middling tourist-packed cafés and sandwich shops on the Las Canteras boardwalk and instead grab a bite at this sunny, casual storefront that serves tropical fare ranging from tacos to Cubano melts to pad Thai.

    Paseo las Canteras 63, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, 35010, Spain
    828-065357

    Known For

    • "slow" fast food
    • Craveable tacos and quesadillas
    • Beachside dining with uninterrupted service between lunch and dinner

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
  • 15. La Carmencita del Puerto

    $

    A surprisingly varied menu—from bruschette to charcuterie boards to lovingly cooked stews—keeps things interesting at this weekday-only beachy restaurant strewn with crawling plants and twinkly lights. Surrender to your sangría cravings here without worrying about running up a high tab; it's affordable, house-made, and packs a punch.

    Av. de las Playas, Puerto del Carmen, Canary Islands, 35510, Spain
    928-512318

    Known For

    • Indoor-outdoor dining areas that book up fast
    • Terrific drinks and dessert
    • Crowd-pleasing menu with Spanish and international dishes

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sat. and Sun.
  • 16. Los Pinchitos

    $$

    Los Pinchitos is one of those dying-breed restaurants where you can eat your fill of pristine seafood without maxing out your credit card. Settle in for a leisurely no-frills feast of octopus, scallops, squid, and whatever other sea creatures were hauled up onto the pier that morning, and wash it all down with a carafe of good house wine.

    Calle Guillén 14, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, 38120, Spain
    643-176630

    Known For

    • Heaping seafood platters
    • Homey atmosphere
    • Mojo-topped limpets

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
  • 17. Restaurante Etiopico Afrika

    $$

    Maspalomas is an unlikely place to find some of the best Ethiopian food in Spain, but make no mistake—Etiopico Afrika is worth going out of your way to visit. Every entrée—from lentil stews and split pea purees to doro wat (berbere-spiced braised meat)—comes atop a spongy round of injera, a pliable Ethiopian flatbread made from teff flour. There are bountiful vegan- and vegetarian-friendly options.

    Calle La Palma 9, Maspalomas, Canary Islands, 35100, Spain
    648-760498

    Known For

    • Spice-packed Ethiopian dishes
    • Live guitar music in the evenings
    • Vegetarian friendly

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
  • 18. Rías Bajas

    $$$

    Seafood lovers, look no further: This Galician restaurant serves some of the most pristine fish and shellfish on the island, from rape a la marinera (monkfish cooked in wine and garlic) and zarzuela de pescado y marisco (fish and seafood stew) to various rice dishes such as paella. It's a well-established favorite with islanders—many travel all the way here from Las Palmas just for dinner. It's been run by the same Galician family since 1986 that also owns Las Rías, in Meloneras, to the west of Maspalomas.

    Av. de Tirajana at the corner of Av. EEUU, Playa del Inglés, Canary Islands, 35100, Spain
    928-764033

    Known For

    • Fresh seafood
    • Fish and seafood stew
    • Rice dishes
  • 19. Tasca Tagoror

    $

    Opposite the Iberostar Grand Mencey, this tiny no-frills bar serves simple Canarian cuisine—think grilled sardines and tomato-avocado salads—in abundant portions at reasonable prices. The dining room has a beamed ceiling, low wooden stools, and barrels for tables—perfect for a quick bite but perhaps not ideal for lingering.

    Calle Dr. José Naveiras 9, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, 38004, Spain
    922-274163

    Known For

    • Casual local crowd
    • Budget-friendly tapas
    • Solid seafood and Spanish omelet

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 20. Tropical

    $

    Those in the know come here for typical Canarian food, especially the local dayboat fish. The best tables are outside on the pedestrian street, a couple of blocks behind the port, but the interior’s cheap and cheerful wooden tables and fishing nets are nearly as charming. There’s a good-value daily menu (€12), and fish comes grilled with a side of papas arrugadas.

    Calle El Lomo 7, Puerto de la Cruz, Canary Islands, 38400, Spain
    922-385312

    Known For

    • Ocean-fresh seafood
    • Unbeatable set lunch deal
    • Local wines

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Fri. and Sat., and July

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