Dining and Drinking

One of the most important aspects of any tourist destination is the food and restaurant business. In Gran Canaria, which receives more than three million visitors every year, restaurant owners take great pains to offer delicious food. Visitors to our islands are treated to dishes made with local ingredients prepared by chefs from all over the world, assuring flavors that are both native to the islands and yet never boring.

The special microclimate of the islands means that fruits and vegetables typical of Europe as well as the most exotic of tropical fruits can be grown here. The famous potatoes of the islands, called papas, come in more than twenty different varieties, some of which can be harvested three times a year. Other local produce includes different kinds of cheese, mangoes, tomatoes, avocados and eggplants and, most famous of all, the super-sweet Canarian banana, whose fame has extended well beyond the islands.

The Canaries have also been blessed with an incredible variety of fish and seafood, and we'll let you taste it prepared in a thousand different ways! Moreover, Canarian cuisine, both in the home and in restaurants, has been enriched by the proliferation of supermarkets across the islands, which have brought lots of fresh products that were formerly unavailable. This is why we are proud of Gran Canaria's diverse cuisine and believe that it invites the gourmand to explore new worlds and cultures.

Restaurants which specialize in European cuisine, such as Casa Romántica, in Las Palmas, or Aubergine, in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, or in Andalusian food such as El Boquerón de Plata, in the capital, compete with other places such as Tapasia, which takes you on a culinary adventure throughout Asia, or Candombe, the place to get Brazilian barbecue. Don't miss the chance to try delicious, traditional island dishes of the islands offered in restaurants like Casa Enrique, or Canarian seafood at Tagoror or El Jardín Canario. Fried fish, vegetable stews with watercress (exquisite!), Canarian parboil, papas arrugadas (wrinkly potatoes served with a special Canarian sauce) and ropa vieja (shredded meat) and deserts such as bienmesabe or ice-cream made with roasted corn meal, are just some of the delights you can sample during your time on Gran Canaria.

One type of dish which is typical of these lands are the enyesques, a Canarian word referring to the tapas which are typical of the islands. All over the island you'll find restaurants specializing in these little dishes, and in fact there will always be a little selection of them on hand in every bar and restaurant. The most famous of them are the papas arrugadas (wrinkly potatoes), and those made of cheese, Canarian olives, smoked ham, parboiled meat, and marinated pork.

If you want to enjoy a coffee or have a couple drinks, there's a lot going on in that department as well. Cafeterias like Plantaciones or La Posada are places where you can find a plethora of coffees to choose from and just spend a while taking in the scenery. The same can be done at any of the bars found on almost every street, such as Heineken, located on Plaza de España. At night time a different section of the city wakes up, the bars spill on to the sidewalks, and the pubs and discos open their doors. It's time to get down! In the capital you could check out hot spots like La Marquesina, Donde López or Miau, whereas around Playa del Inglés, on the southern side of the island, some of the more popular places are La Bamba, Space and Joy. Prices are usually quite reasonable and you couldn't ask for greater diversity; it all depends on the atmosphere you're looking for and the music you like. Disco, rock, pop, Spanish folk, salsa, chic, gay, relaxed..it's all here for the taking.

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