Best Restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz

Puerto de la Cruz is arguably the most charming town in Tenerife, and its restaurant scene reflects the town's character — authentic, unpretentious and full of flavour. Here are our favourite places to eat.

For traditional Canarian food, look no further than the small family-run bodegas in the old town. Order papas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes) with mojo verde and rojo, fresh fish of the day, and a glass of local white wine from the Tacoronte-Acentejo DO.

The Ranilla neighbourhood near the beach is home to several excellent tapas bars where you can graze through the evening. The area comes alive after 8pm when locals start their evening paseo.

For something more refined, the hotels along the promenade offer sea-view dining with menus that blend modern European cuisine with local Canarian ingredients. These restaurants tend to be pricier but offer excellent value compared to equivalent establishments in mainland Spain.

Don't miss the local market on Saturday mornings where you can buy fresh produce, local cheeses and homemade mojo to take home as a souvenir.

The places locals actually queue for

Some names come up again and again in Puerto de la Cruz. The converted-cinema institution El Cine still draws crowds for its generous Canarian plates, while Mesón Los Gemelos near Plaza del Charco is a no-reservations seafood favourite. For tapas, La Papaya rotates its menu around the day's catch, and Tasca Ihüey reworks Canarian classics in modern form. Meat eaters head to Mi Vaca y Yo for prime Canarian and Argentine steaks, while wine lovers shouldn't miss Bodega Julián in the old town. For a special night out, self-taught local chef Seve Díaz holds a Michelin star at El Taller.

The Ranilla quarter (and the streets behind the Plaza del Charco) is the place to wander: tapas bars spill onto the pavement after 8pm and the fisherman's bars along the seafront keep things simple and fresh. There's also a plant-based standout: Verde Garden, Tenerife's premier vegan dining room.