I’m so happy that we had an entire apartment all to ourselves. And having a possibility to cook in our own kitchen was a game changer. It made things so much easier and cheaper. We could eat what we wanted at any time we wanted, and Lidl was just around the corner. Plus, the food and local wines are quite cheap on Tenerife. So, most of our breakfasts (croissants, eggs, jamon, zebra donuts, pastry) and dinners (Canarian black potatoes, local fish, salads, etc.) we had in the apartment.
We often sat on the second-floor balcony and enjoyed our simple meal with the sparkling wine or rose overlooking the beautiful panoramic view.
But I must admit when I am abroad, especially in a place where I haven’t been before, I’m eager to try something new. Exploring a food culture is like going on a mini adventure, it’s always fun and exciting.
We decided to dine out on our first evening in the nearby restaurant R. El Meson. Unfortunately, our first food experience wasn’t a success. The prices were higher than any other place we visited, and the food didn’t impress me much. Meat was dry, and not as tasty as I hoped. The famous Canarian sauces and wrinkly potatoes were okay, but not good enough to recommend this place.
Beer price – 3.95 euros per 0.5L
Ribs – 10.95e
Chicken with garlic – 9.95e
R. El Meson restaurant, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
R. El Meson restaurant, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Our second dinner we had at Los Gigantes bar-cafeteria Mirador Archipenque. Prices were reasonable, so was the food. But nothing really special or memorable, except for the view:
Beer price – 3.00e per 0.5L
Sandwich – 5.50e
French fries with 2 slices of ham – 7.15e
Bar-cafeteria Mirador Archipenque, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Another disappointment was the BBQ buffet at the Vigilia Park Apartments. Expectations vs reality:
The meat dishes were actually good; pork and pork ribs were the best, in my opinion. As for live dance music… To be completely honest with you, it didn’t impress me much. It threw me back to the 80’s. Back to the 80’s in USSR, to be specific. And I can’t say that I’m a fan of that time USSR style music.
And a combination of the good food and outdated performance created a very unique yet absolutely ridiculous atmosphere.
BBQ buffet in Vigilia Park, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Buffet price – 15 euros per person
Beer – 2.75e per 0.5L (alcoholic drinks were not included in the price of a meal)
But as they say, after rain comes a rainbow. And that’s exactly what happened. In the next few days we had only good and better food experiences.
La Cazuela in Puerto de la Cruz surprised me with the good food, good prices and good service:
Beer – 3.00e per 0.5L
Tapa Bruschetta – 4.40e
Tapa fried baby octopus with avocado – 4.20e
Vilaflor, located in Playa de las Americas, was the first restaurant that had 1L beer on their drink list. The excitement didn’t end there. Vilaflor had a wide range of cocktails as well. And I really liked their dish called Mix of fried fishes, it was simple yet delicious.
Beer – 5.50e per 1L
Cocktail Tenerife (rum, banana, lime and sugar) – 5.95e
Mix of fried fishes – 7.50e
Canarian wrinkly potatoes – 3.50e
Beef with French fries and fresh salad – 9.50e
And as the old saying goes, save the best for last. Fados. We stumbled upon this restaurant by accident while we were wandering the streets of Los Cristianos. We were tempted by their advertisement stand that was offering a three-course meal for only 9.95 euros. We couldn’t just pass it by.
They had 13 different starters, 33 main courses and 9 desserts to choose from. I ordered garlic prawns, fried baby squids and banana split for dessert.
We definitely hit the jackpot, because it was the most delicious meal I’ve had on Tenerife! And I enjoyed every single bite.
So, if you end up in Los Cristianos, I strongly advise to visit Fados. I think anyone will find something from their menu.
Odissea restaurant, Playa de las Americas, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Hope you enjoyed it!
TWVera
