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. Bodegas Monje

    $$

    A five-minute drive from the Casa del Vino, in the township of El Sauzal, you'll find this award-winning winery and restaurant perched on a bluff overlooking the ocean. After a lunch of crackly pulled (local heritage-breed cochino negro) pork and roasted potatoes, waddle over to the bodega for a tour and tasting, and if you're looking for a gluggable souvenir, snap up a bottle of the tintilla, a smoky, complex red aged in French oak barrels that's nearly impossible to find in shops.

    Calle Cruz de Leandro 36, Sauzal, Canary Islands, 38360, Spain
    922-585027

    Known For

    • Heritage-breed pulled pork
    • Mojo-making demonstrations (call ahead to book)
    • Production of some of the finest wines on the island

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 2. La Bodega de Santiago

    $$

    Shaded by a splendid ficus that keeps the terraza cool in the midday heat, La Bodega de Santiago is worth going out of your way to visit. The traditional Canarian menu is exquisite, integrating meats and produce from the surrounding farms and complementing dishes with island wines. The rosemary-scented kid goat is memorable, as are the freshly pounded mojos and stewed garbanzos (chickpeas). Call ahead to book a patio table.

    Calle Montañas del Fuego 27, Yaiza, Canary Islands, 35570, Spain
    928-836204

    Known For

    • Romantic dining beneath a gorgeous tree
    • Terrific goat and roast meats
    • Locavore cuisine

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
  • 3. Restaurante El Moral

    $$

    In the small town of Villaverde, halfway between Puerto del Rosario and Corralejo, is one of the island's best-kept culinary secrets. At this small restaurant, Canarian dishes are served family style in the center of the table. Favorites include huevos amarrados (literally "tied-up eggs," but really half-boiled eggs with fries and spicy sausage) and paprika-dusted fried octopus with potatoes.

    Ctra. General 94, Villaverde, Canary Islands, 35640, Spain
    928-868285

    Known For

    • Homemade Canarian tapas
    • Good value
    • Gluggable house wines

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
  • 4. 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
  • 5. 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.
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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. Charco Vivo

    $

    Strewn with nautical gewgaws and awash with color, Charco Vivo has indoor and outdoor seating, with tables overlooking the sea or the San Ginés lagoon. House specials include matrimonio (a "marriage" of squid rings and fish) and clams washed down with local wines. If the restaurant is busy, you might get a table just across the street at the sister bar, where the bocadillo de calamares (baguette stuffed with fried squid rings) tops the menu.

    Calle Juan de Quesada 7, Arrecife, Canary Islands, 35500, Spain
    922-804046

    Known For

    • Fresh fish
    • Waterfront views
    • Local crowd

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 8. Deliciosa Marta

    $$$ | Triana

    Tables are hard to come by at this busy restaurant in a typical Triana house: there's usually a line outside the door. The concise, contemporary menu includes truffled gnocchi, baked cod with seasonal vegetables, and steak tartare, a house specialty.

    Calle Pérez Galdos 23, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, 35002, Spain
    676-377032

    Known For

    • Steak tartare
    • Consistently fantastic food quality
    • Well-heeled local crowd

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sat. and Sun.
  • 9. 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.
  • 10. El Diablo

    $$

    This must be one of the world's most unusual restaurants. Here, in the heart of Timanfaya National Park, chicken, steaks, and spicy sausages are cooked over a volcanic crater using the earth's natural heat. Be forewarned: the food is nowhere near as epic as the environs, and on chilly days, you might be served cold meat as all barbecue dishes are cooked outdoors, but it's still a worthwhile bucket-list dining experience. El Diablo is situated inside the park beyond the ticket booth, which means you can't eat here without purchasing entry into the park.

    Timanfaya National Park, Tinajo, Canary Islands, 35570, Spain
    928-840057

    Known For

    • Unique location
    • Volcano views
    • Food cooked over crater
  • 11. 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.
  • 12. 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.
  • 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 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.
  • 15. La Cúpula

    $$$$ | Playa de Fanabé

    The best of French cuisine fuses with Canarian and Spanish touches at this sophisticated venue in the Jardines de Nivaria Hotel. Dine inside under chandeliers and in classic French style or outside on the pleasant terrace. The chef, Spanish-born Rubén Cabrera, cut his teeth at Arzak and Mugaritz and creates seasonal menus hinging on whatever's at the market; there's also a tasting menu. No shorts or sandals allowed.

    Calle Bruselas, Costa Adeje, Canary Islands, 38660, Spain
    922-7713333

    Known For

    • Roasted meats
    • Sophisticated dining
    • Lovely terrace and great views

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch
  • 16. La Taberna Juan & Ana

    $$

    Behind the Atlantic Sol shopping mall, this well-established restaurant is one of the oldest in town and has been under the same management since 1989. As you might expect from the name, its interior resembles a typical Spanish tavern, with wooden furniture and beams and cozy lighting. House specialties include paella, goat stew, and steak. Book ahead or arrive early to shore up a table.

    Calle Hernán Cortés 10, Corralejo, Canary Islands, 35660, Spain
    928-535027

    Known For

    • Cheery staff
    • To-die-for paella
    • Traditional Spanish ambience

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch
  • 17. La Tapita Los Joses

    $

    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.

    Calle Plácido Domingo 12, Maspalomas, Canary Islands, 35100, Spain
    928-769680

    Known For

    • Traditional tapas
    • Value set menu
    • Local crowds

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and late Aug.–late Sept.
  • 18. La Vieja

    $$ | La Caleta

    A few minutes’ drive from Costa Adeje lies this oceanfront restaurant overlooking the quaint harbor of La Caleta. Watch the sun set over La Gomera island while you savor fresh local fish and shellfish and Tenerife wines. Specialties on the menu include cherne negro con ajito (black wreckfish with garlic) and bacalao con almejas (cod with clams).

    Edificio Las Terrazas 1, Costa Adeje, Canary Islands, 38670, Spain
    922-711548

    Known For

    • Ocean views
    • Fresh fish
    • Local wines
  • 19. Lilium

    $$

    Creative cooking with Canarian roots is the philosophy behind the dishes at this 10-table restaurant east of the San Ginés lagoon. In the white-tablecloth, blue-walled dining room—or, if you're lucky, on the outdoor terrace—feast on creamy croquetas with a variety of fillings and local fish spooned with nontraditional sauces.

    Av. Olof Palme, Arrecife, Canary Islands, 35500, Spain
    928-524978

    Known For

    • Elevated Canarian cuisine
    • €65 tasting menu
    • Attentive service

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 20. Naia

    $$$

    From your patio table overlooking the harbor, feast on attractively plated modern Spanish fare such as heirloom tomato salmorejo (creamy gazpacho), griddled Iberian pork with sautéed vegetables, and rice with wild mushrooms and foie. The interior dining area is almost as charming with pendant lights and mismatched vintage chairs.

    Av. César Manrique 33, Arrecife, Canary Islands, 35500, Spain
    928-805797

    Known For

    • Artfully plated dishes
    • Pleasant harborside patio
    • Creative Canarian cuisine

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.

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