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The Canary Islands’ most multicultural island, Gran Canaria, offers you the chance to eat the national cuisine of around 30 different countries. Of course, you wouldn’t want to go home without sampling Canarian food. So, whether you’re in the north, south, east, west, or, indeed, centre of the island, we’ll direct you to our favourite native and international Gran Canaria restaurants.
The island also allows you to sample dishes from other Spanish regions. From Andalucian to Valencian. So whether it’s gazpacho or paella you’re after, we’ll show you where to find the dishes of your dreams on Gran Canaria.
1. Gran Canaria restaurants: north
Let’s start with the capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Restaurants begin to build up in the south of the city, the former fishing village of San Cristóbal, and end in the north and Las Canteras. But there are plenty of places to eat in the likes of Agaete, Gáldar, and Guía too.
In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, there are lots of eateries offering meat lovers a chance to get their teeth into a juicy steak. Such as the Argentinian El Churrasco and Uruguyan El Novillo Precoz, both located between the capital’s second main shopping street, Mesa y López, and Canteras beach. Along with Restaurante Don Quixote, situated closer to Parque Santa Catalina, whose steak on the stone such as sirloin comes with salad, chips, and six sauces.
Not that vegetarians will go hungry in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. As they’ll be able to tuck into the colourful creations at Triana‘s Zoe Food and nouveau cuisine in Vegueta‘s La Hierba Luisa. Over on the other side of town, San Andrea‘s Mediterranean menu is veggie-friendly rather than completely meat and fish free whilst Racimo16 offers both vegan and Venezuelan dishes.
There’s also a South American vibe going on at Restaurante Summum, on the eighth floor of Las Canteras’ Hotel Reina Isabel. Head east along the promenade for more Peruvian cuisine at Ají, Limón y Canela and west for more generic SA fare-meets-Asian cuisine at La Bikina. Just around the corner, Hito Restaurante bows to Japan whilst also offering nods to Canarian and Mexican influences.
Seafood aficionados will adore the “comidas del mar” on offer at Nautilo, close to Auditorio Alfredo Kraus. The other end of Las Canteras beach, as in La Puntilla, is home to Restaurante La Marinera whose fishy flavours are decidedly more old school, the full-to-overflowering La Oliva, and natty neighbour La Macarena. The aroma of the fruits of the sea wafts over San Cristóbal, so follow your nose which might well lead to you one of the areas’s latest and already greatest restaurants: Bienmesabe Ciudad del Mar.
Look out for menus del día where you can usually secure a set lunch for under 10€. We particularly rate a trio of restaurants in Triana on this front. As in Dara Feeling Food (which we reviewed prior to Ms Dara Bello O’Shanahan and co’s relocation to Calle Travieso), Fruit’n co Vitamina Bar, and Planeta 613.
If it’s fine dining you’re after, head to Calle Pérez Gáldos where you’ll find a selection of suitable notable venues including Restaurante Majuga. Over in Alcaravaneras, Carmelo Florido cooks up a storm at El Equilibrista and El Puerto’s La Barra de Traddiction feels like it’s been shipped over from Shoreditch. Elsewhere, Calle Simón Bolivar 3 to be precise, Restaurante Rías Bajas has been serving high-class Galician cuisine since 1991.
Continuing on a regional tip, you’ll be able to munch on Andalucian treats at La Taberna el Rocio which looks out onto Vegueta from Triana. We recommend their patatas bravas, the fieriest version we’ve ever tried on Gran Canaria. For the most authentic, yes Valencian, paella on the island; Calle Salvador de Cuyas’ Restaurante El Arrosar‘s your place.
We’ll finish our Las Palmas de Gran Canaria round-up by namechecking our favourite ethnic restaurants. We love travelling to India by way of Restaurante Nawabi and back in time to Persia through the medium of Restaurante Tehran. The GC capital also boasts Spain’s oldest Japanese eatery, Restaurante Fuji and the relatively ancient Restaurante Puerta de Oro.
Half an hour away by the GC-2, you’ll reach Agaete’s Puerto de las Nieves where the bream’s supreme at Terraza Ragú. Roughly halfway between Agaete and LP, you’ll enjoy epic views and sumptuous steak at La Corona de Arucas whilst the Balcony of the Atlantic, aka the Restaurante Terraza El Puertillo, raids the larder on its doorstep for ocean-fresh ingredients. Mr Gran Canaria Local, courtesy of his day (and night) job as Telegraph Travel’s Gran Canaria hotel reviewer, feels qualified to rate Hotel Melva Suites‘ in-house Restaurante Irejul as one of the best hotel restaurants on the island.
Owner/chef Luis wows punters with both his classic Canarian cooking and repertoire of card tricks at Gáldar’s La Bodeguita Ca Juancri. Moya has hearty Asturian-style restaurants inland in Fontanales and more specialist seafood eateries along its coast such as Restaurante Asador La Marisma which nonetheless offers a sizzling range of grilled meats. Visit Santa María de Guía, to give the municipality its full name, for Restaurante Grill Mirador Cuevas Bascamao for portions which truly fill the plate.
Santa Brígida’s very much wine country on Gran Canaria. And you’re assumed of a fine vintage to accompany your meal at Bodegón Vandama. And a happy ending with their Picones de Vandama dessert, made of caramel, meringue, cream, and biscuit.
Despite, or maybe even because of, the name we’re always drawn to McFloppy when in Teror. And not only because we’re a sucker for alioli. Friend of the site Alexander Peter Swallow considers McFloppy’s garlicky condiment to be the best he’s ever sampled.
Which leaves us one last northern municipality: Valleseco. And the out-of-town Restaurante Arcos de la Laguna. Look out for regular gastronomic events which go big on offering elaborate recipes based on the freshest, seasonal produce.
2. Gran Canaria restaurants: south
Some of the best restaurants in the south of the island are located in the á-la-carte establishments of the hotel’s leading hotels. The quality of cuisine’s as high as the setting at Bohemia Suites & Spa’s 360º in Playa del Inglés. Also in the resort, but not attached to any hotel, is Fusíon Restaurant & Lounge Bar where chef David Gibson combines the oriental flavours he experienced on his travels throughout south-east Asia with more occidental influences.
There’s a similar east-meets-west approach going on at the kitchen in Maspalomas‘ Samsara and you can tuck into tapas with a Canarian touch at Seaside Palm Beach’s La Bodega. Residential Maspalomas, aka San Fernando, houses Abrasa and their thrilling way of grilling meat and more than two veg as well as the island’s first Ethiopian restaurant in Restaurante Etiopico Afrika. Whilst the golfing part of the Sheraton Salobre Resort’s home to the Michelin-rated chef Ángel Palacios’ The Brasserie by Traddiction.
Meloneras is home to one of our favourite hotels on the island, the Riu Palace Meloneras. There are two restaurants here which are also open to non-guests: Español and Krystal. Next door, Lopesan Costa Meloneras includes El Churrasco Meloneras on its premises although there’s a public entrance on the promenade.
A Patalavaca apartment complex is the unlikely setting for the classy La Aquarela. Equally swish sister restaurant 222 SW Bar and Grill meanwhile sparkles atop the nearby Radisson Blu Resort whilst you can enjoy a tasting-menu-style selection of gastronomic goodies at the aptly-named Taste Mesón in Arguineguín. Even further west are Motor Grande’s Danish/Thai combo, The House Fusion, and Los Guayres, the á-la-carte restaurant of Hotel Cordial Mogan Playa, and plaything of the experimental Canarian chef Alexis Alvarez.
Changing direction, let’s head towards the airport and Gloria Palace San Agustín’s Gorbea which specializes in Basque and international cuisine. Anna and Herbert Eder are the gutsy German proprietors at the revelation that is Restaurante Bamira in the otherwise unremarkable Playa del Águila. Feel the Atlantic breeze at a trio of celebrated Gran Canaria restaurants in non-resorty Arinaga: the converted Hornos de la Cal, fellow newcomer Regina Pizza e Birra, and long-term fixture Restaurante Nelson.
3. Gran Canaria restaurants: east
Playa de Melenera is one of Telde’s best beaches. It’s also home to some of the municipality’s finest places to eat, including Restaurante La Rubia whose menu (given its location) is unsurprisingly dominated by fish and seafood. For more metropolitan fare, head inland to downtown Telde as in San Gregorio’s La Tunera whose menu gives that bully tuna a taste of its own medicine by accompanying salad of said fish with a sweet-and-sour sesame dressing.
The unpretentious Tasquita El Escondite fits the relaxed vibe of Valsequillo perfectly. Where ice-cream is manga rather than mango (the female variety of the fruit is bigger and juicier). And service is friendly rather than formal.
4. Gran Canaria restaurants: west
The maritime parade at undeveloped La Aldea de San Nicolás only has space for a handful of restaurants. We consider the pick of these to be Restaurante Bar Luis. It’s a good idea to put your glass on top of your serviette here as the wind will play havoc with anything made of paper.
5. Gran Canaria restaurants: central
You can’t get much more central than Tejeda on the island. Our favourite Gran Canaria restaurants here are the arty, but far from farty, Casa del Caminero, salad bar+ Let me take you, and Hotel Rural Fonda de la Tea‘s homely Cueva de la Tea. In the neighbouring Cruz de Tejeda, even if you don’t stay in the perfectly-positioned Parador; do try and eat in its Restaurante Marmitia.