Fine Dining in Tenerife
Long gone are the times when Tenerife tourism was only associated with familiar fodder listed on laminated menus. That food is still available for those looking for home comforts, but tastes in Tenerife have changed, and so has the quality on offer. These days creative Canarian is the dish of the day, with no less than six Michelin-stars awarded to restaurants dotted around these shores and award-winning chefs from far afield joining the burgeoning foodie scene. There are still the traditional, family-run restaurants sticking to granny’s tried and tested menus, but because of the stratospheric rise in general quality, even these quaint finds have had to raise their game.
Playa de Las Americas
Meson Castellano
The winner of the “Best Spanish Restaurant” in 2016 – Meson Castellano. It is located in Las Americas on Av. Antonio Dominguez, 39. The menu offers a good selection of Castilian dishes. It is recommended to book a table in advance and you should be prepared to pay more than in other places. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.
Bianco
This contemporary Italian restaurant has reigned for several years now as the in-vogue dining venue in the heart of downtown Playa de las Americas. The funky styling is as attractive as the catwalk-ready staff, with a ceiling of flowers looping over a white, gold and marble interior. Even the food is good-looking, especially the truffle linguine with pecorino cheese. Evening meals come with a side order of soft serenades by an island singer. Ask for a street-view table on the terrace if you want to watch the world go by along the resort’s Golden Mile.
Costa Adeje
La Vieja
There are plenty of fish restaurants in cutesy La Caleta village but La Vieja is certainly the most venerable – and probably the priciest. So what extra bang for your buck do you get here? Beautiful bay views from an elegant interior, for a start. Both the wine and food menus are huge, the latter featuring a colourful regatta of both sea and land-based dishes. The shared sea bass in a salt crust usually elicits stereo ‘wows’, while the monkfish marinara is also a popular pair-pleaser.
San Hô
This Peruvian/Japanese fusion restaurant in the Royal Hideaway Corales Resort doesn’t just provide fantastic Nikkei food, it offers an education. Every dish is artistically presented in modern, airy surroundings, and is accompanied by both culinary and historical insights. It might sound pretentious but be assured, it’s not. Prepare to be surprised, not just by the laid-back vibe, but also by the bombardment of unusual pairings such as a dry vodka martini with wasabi, and local fish on a bed of yucca mash.
Los Gigantes
El Rincon de Juan Carlos
Another of Tenerife’s Michelin-starred restaurants, this one slap-bang in the genteel tourist town of Los Gigantes. Within an intimate, minimalist setting, opt for the tasting menu and you’ll be presented with a seemingly never-ending succession of tantalising teasers, each a work of art in its own right. There’s a definite seafood slant, but meat makes an appearance too in dishes such as Canarian black pudding and veal sweetbreads. For those without the time, appetite or wallet, individual à la carte options are offered as well.
Guia de Isora
M.B.
Dress up and step back in time at the island’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant. Set in the pink palace that is The Ritz-Carlton Abama hotel, stiff-backed waiters float in and out of the sophisticated interior like old-school butlers, synchronising the swishing of tureen lids, and dutifully explaining what the heck each culinary creation contains. Contemporary Basque is the theme, though it’s doubtful if you would find such culinary concoctions as ‘pigeon flamed on a bed of cocoa’ on the menu of any eatery in the western Pyrenees. A magnificent tasting menu provides an easy, all-encompassing option.
