The first thing I did after having arrived in Las Palmas was to write a list. Not with sights I wanted to see, not with things I had to take care of, no. With places to eat and drink at. Because for me, exploring a city is exploring its gastronomy. Because I think that nothing else gives you such a real impression of the local culture as a typical restaurant, a cosy café or a busy bar. And because there’s simply nothing I love more than good food. Except for good coffee, maybe.
Maybe it’s just because I’ve never spent so much time (and money) on getting to know the gastronomical landscape of a place, but I have to say: I was really impressed how much Gran Canaria has to offer in this concern – so much more than the touristy restaurants along the beach, so much more than paella, tapas and sangria. Even though of course there’s nothing wrong with good paella, tapas and sangria. However, here’s my very own little culinary map from the island:
Food
Desayuno (breakfast)
…is definitely not the most important meal of the day here. Even though most places do have some sort of breakfast offer, quite similar to the French petit-déjeuner it mostly consists of coffee, pastry (like a croissant, muffin or something similar) and orange juice. For someone like me, who likes their breakfast 1. quite heavy, 2. savory and 3. hot, that’s not quite ideal. So it was a bit of a struggle to come up with a list of “decent” breakfast places, but here it is:
The Couple, Las Palmas (Las Canteras).
Variation of different international brunch plates served all day. Some sort of special charm that makes you overlook the slow service and the fact that they quite oftenly run out of something.
My recommendation: Vegetarian breakfast
Mr. Kale, Las Palmas (Triana).
Quite large breakfast menu (sandwiches (hot and cold), smoothies, bowls, pancakes,…)
Smoothie Galaxy, Las Palmas (close to La Cicer).
Freshly prepared smoothies and bowls that can be individually composed.
Almuerzo (lunch)
…is supposedly the biggest meal of the day in Spain. Accordingly, it’s a lot easier to find places offering different lunch deals. Here are my favourites:
Llévame al huerto, Las Palmas (close to Plaza de España).
Perfect „flexitarian“ restaurant that also serves as a little eco shop. Delicious food prepared with lots of love and high-quality, mostly organic ingredients. Vegetarian and vegan dishes also. Weekly menu from Mon-Thu.
My recommendation: Hummus with homemade crackers, thuna burger, zuchhini pasta
Racimo 16, Las Palmas (close to Plaza de España).
Wonderful vegetarian and vegan Venezuelan cuisine. Daily menu on weekdays. Also serving breakfast.
My recommendation: Arepas (filled corn loafs), cactus figue juice (zumo de tuno)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUUH9Ctlsbh/?taken-by=_evakla
Dara feeling food, Las Palmas (Triana).
Organic restaurant with delicious food and cosy atmosphere. Quite calm in the mornings, so perfect for working, studying or reading. Freshly squeezed juices, wraps and sandwiches also to take away. Lunch menu on weekdays from 1 p.m. Portions are quite small.
My recommendation: Beetroot wrap
Zoe Food, Las Palmas (Triana).
Lovely café with a small but fine selection of organic, vegetarian and vegan food, containing some Mexican dishes.
My recommendation: Vegan Tacos
Ragù, Puerto de las Nieves
Nice restaurant with friendly service and good fish dishes at the port.
My recommendation: Brownie (I swear it’s to die for)
Cena (dinner)
…is usually served from 7 p.m. onwards. I can recommend the following restaurants for it:
Basal Grill & Beach, Las Palmas (Las Canteras).
Large selection, perfect service, fancy atmosphere, moderate prices – what else could one possibly want?
My recommendation: Ribs (best ones I’ve ever eaten), wok with sweet potato noodles
Malasaña, Las Palmas (close to Las Canteras).
Good burgers, tasteful furniture, delicious cocktails.
My recommendation: Mojito, nachos
Mc Carthy’s, Las Palmas (Triana).
Large selection, non-stop service, nice pub atmosphere and terrace right in the lively shopping street of Triana.
My recommendation: Ropa vieja, Sangria
Tapas Night, Las Palmas (Vegueta).
Every Thursday from 7 p.m. in basically every bar in the old town (especially in Calle Mendizábal). Large variety of tapas, cheap offers (tapas + small beer for around 2€), busy streets and lovely flair. Definitely worth a (or several) visit(s).
Tango Tapas, Maspalomas (Playa del Inglés).
Typical tapas bar with friendly service. Reservation recommended.
Calma Chicha, Maspalomas (Playa del Inglés).
Lovely ambience and service, delicious food. Perfect place for a fancy dinner in the south of the island.
My recommendation: Quinoa risotto with salmon, banana crumble
Moonlight Cinema, Maspalomas (Playa del Inglés).
Does not only offer an amazing outdoor cinema experience, but also tasty and fresh pizza.
Drinks
One of the lovely things in Spain: You can simply order and actually enjoy the house wine. Also the typical beer (Tropical) is pretty good. For “special” drinks I recommend the following places:
Mumbai Sunset, Las Palmas (Las Canteras).
Delicious cocktails, friendly service, beautiful view. Live DJs and music on weekends.
My recommendation: Cucumber mojito
Atelier, Maspalomas (Playa del Inglés)
Artistically decorated cocktails with a view over the dunes. Relatively pricey, but definitely worth a visit.
My recommendation: Alohe cocktail, vegetable chips
Coffee
…with soy milk and WIFI is served here:
Café Regina, Las Palmas (Mesa y López).
Definitely the best coffee in town, cosy atmosphere, also serving lunch.
My recommendation: Passion fruit cheesecake
D’Vainilla, Las Palmas (close to Plaza de España).
Lovely café with living room atmosphere and beautiful cakes. Relatively quiet in the mornings, so another perfect work spot.
Plizá21, Las Palmas (Las Canteras).
Best coffee close to the beach, delicious ice cream.
AlimentArte, Las Palmas (Triana).
Coffee, homemade cakes and small dishes as well as fresh juices in the old town.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUZFtzaFSp5/?taken-by=_evakla
Groceries
I was quite surprised how little organic products „normal“ (super) markets on Gran Canaria offer. After some time I did however find the following, a bit hidden sources for organic, local and unpackaged fruit and veggies and other necessities:
Llévame al huerto, Las Palmas (close to Plaza de España).
Not only a lovely restaurant, but also a fine little eco shop.
Ecoisleta, Las Palmas (Isleta).
Well equipped organic store a bit out of the city.
La Zanahoria, Las Palmas (close to Mercado Central).
Offers everything that the eco heart longs for.
SPAR Natural, Las Palmas (close to Mesa y López)
Quite big eco supermarket also containing a little coffeeshop.
Herbolario Hierbabuena, Las Palmas (Mesa y López)
Small shop offering all kinds of eco products.
HiperDino, Las Palmas (close to Plaza de España)
„Normal“ supermarket with a quite big eco section.
I hope this post will simplify and enrich your food journey on Gran Canaria. Also if I’ve missed something that you feel should be on this list, please feel free to leave a comment below. (:
I you’d like more tips for places to eat at around the globe, join me on my food journey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_evaklas_foodjourney/