14 Best Restaurants in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

One of the Canaries' few great specialty coffee shops (think single-origin beans, seasoned baristas, and Chemex pour-overs), Caracolillo is a trendy hangout in the Centro district.

Lanzarote sweet potato ensaladilla (salade Olivier), Iberian pork risotto with green mojo aioli, artichoke confit with cured egg yolks—these are a few palate-bending dishes you'll find on the menu at El Santo, one of Gran Canaria's most exciting fusion spots. Rustic stone walls give the restaurant an intimate, relaxed feel, while the white tablecloths and professional waiters make it feel like a special occasion.

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 gambas al ajillo, creamy croquetas, and hearty revueltos (scrambled eggs with a range of add-ins).

Escape to the tranquil, air-conditioned quiet of this salón de té (tea room) for comfortable booths, picture windows, pastries, breakfast plates, sandwiches, and perhaps the only free coffee refills in the Canaries.

For good reason, tables are hard to come by at this busy restaurant in a typical Triana house, whose concise contemporary menu includes truffled gnocchi, baked cod with seasonal vegetables, and steak tartare, a house specialty.

Bodacious, colorful plating and innovative Canarian cuisine are the hallmarks of this cozy restaurant two blocks from Las Alcaravaneras beach. Expect cheffy dishes like rum-macerated Canarian beefsteak with mushroom cream or zucchini maki with gofio and shiso—and enthusiastic service to match.

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.

For a sweet treat, try Guirlache, where you can choose from at least 20 ice-cream flavors. Many of the cakes are made with that trusty island staple, condensed milk. There's a second location at Calle Simancas 2. 

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.

Cheap and cheerful sums up this small bar-restaurant at the north end of Maspalomas. It's usually packed with locals, who flock here for good and inexpensive Spanish classics, including revuelto de papas con jamón serrano (scrambled eggs with potatoes and Iberian ham) and bacalao con tomate (cod in tomato sauce), and tapas. The daily set menu, which has two courses, is about €10. Expect generous portions, and if you want to be sure to get in, arrive early—before 2 pm for lunch and before 9 for dinner.

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.

Seafood lovers, look no further: This Galician restaurant serves some of the most pristine fish and shellfish on the island, from monkfish cooked in wine and garlic and zarzuela de pescado y marisco (fish and seafood stew) to various rice dishes. 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.

Just below the cathedral square is one of the island's best bars for beer and tapas. In a casual dining room with high ceilings and wooden chairs, chow down on unusual tapas like nachos with eggplant and ginger sauce and spinach-and-walnut croquettes. There are indoor and outdoor tables and usually live music on Thursday.

A magnet for vegetarians and vegans, this restaurant has retro decor and a pleasant, shady terrace. Specialties include vegetable woks with tofu, vegan meatballs, and healthy organic breakfasts. There's a great-value daily lunch menu (€12) and soy milk shakes and gluten-free cakes for afternoon tea; brunch, served on weekends, is also popular.