The best places to eat and drink in Tenerife

I love traditional Canarian food, and Spanish tapas is one of my favourite ways to eat, so I was looking forward to ordering some Canarian potatoes, gildas, croquetas, padrons, and garlicky potatoes when we arrived in Tenerife. Compared to Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, I didn’t think the food in Tenerife was as good. But we did spend the first half of our holiday in the very touristy Costa Adeje. There are Michelin-starred restaurants and plenty of traditional tavernas on the island, but they’re interspersed with a lot of fairly average restaurants. But we did still eat plenty of great food.

These were our favourite places to eat in Tenerife.

Picamar, Costa Adeje

In the heart of Costa Adeje, there are a lot of restaurants of varying quality but Picamar is one of the good ones. It appears on almost every list you’ll find of the best places to eat in Tenerife, and it’s well deserved. The cocktails and food were delicious and beautifully presented. The restaurant itself is tiny so booking is advised.

Taberna Iruña, Costa Adeje

The tapas at Taberna Iruna was great, but it was the location next to the sea that drew us to eat here. The overall vibe of Costa Adeje is touristy and lots of the places to eat and drink feel very British, so it was great to find a tapas restaurant with a more authentic feel.

Sun Sea, Costa Adeje

Sun Sea is an Italian restaurant in Costa Adeje. There are so many great dishes on the menu it was hard to pick one, but the grilled fish and vegetables was the best I had in Tenerife. The restaurant has a laid-back vibe and is a great choice if you want something other than Spanish food for a change.

Viet Noi, Costa Adeje

Another pick if you’re looking for a cuisine that isn’t tapas is Viet Noi. It has a fairly small menu of delicious, authentic dishes. The noodles dish I ordered was so big I couldn’t finish it (which is rare!) and the menu caters to veggies, pescatarians, and meat eaters as most meals can be made with tofu or vegetables as a substitute.

Horno de Neptuno, Costa Adeje

This was the first place we ate when we arrived in Tenerife and it really hit the spot. I was craving great tapas, so obviously massively over-ordered, but every dish at Horno de Neptuno was delicious. This is another restaurant that often appears in lists of the best places to eat in the area and we were not disappointed.

Donaire, Costa Adeje

There are a number of high-end and Michelin-starred restaurants in Tenerife so when we wanted something a bit fancier on a Saturday night we went to Donaire. The restaurant is within the GF Victoria Hotel, and its interiors are sleek and luxurious. The set menu of about 12 dishes was incredible, and the chefs can cater to a range of dietary requirements. I was really impressed with how they adapted some of their recipes for vegetarians, and loved every course. 

In total it came to about £150 which, compared to what you’d get for the same price in London, seemed like a great deal. The quality and presentation was amazing, the waiting staff were friendly and really knowledgeable, and the food and wines largely made locally. There is a smart dress code, and booking is required.

En Salitre, Puerto de Santiago

Another restaurant that feels a little more high end than others in Tenerife is En Salitre. It’s not as luxurious as Donaire and there’s no dress code, but the menu is a little more adventurous than a lot of the Spanish restaurants in the area. En Salitre was another place where we over-ordered because we couldn’t choose what we wanted, and everything was delicious – especially the cold coconut soup which is far tastier than it might sound.

Beach Club, Los Gigantes

We ended up eating at the beach bar next to Playa de los Guios twice: first because it was the only place open next to the beach, and again because it was so good the first time. The bar is only open in the day, and it serves a range of snacks, sharing dishes like nachos, salads, burgers, and mains like grilled fish. There’s also a great cocktail menu. The view across the beach and cliffs adds to the experience. 

tas-k, Los Gigantes

Another place we visited twice is tas-k, a tapas restaurant on the same street as Playa de los Guios and the beach bar. The spot came highly recommended, and since it’s so popular it does book up (although you can queue for walk-ins if you don’t mind waiting a while). This was probably the best food we ate during our three weeks in Tenerife.

tas-k (pronounced tasca) serves authentic Spanish tapas dishes from a menu that changes daily. Everything we ordered was amazing and we tried to vary our orders on both visits to try as much of the menu as possible. The restaurant is open from 4:30pm Tuesday to Saturday and seating is all outside, so it can get chilly in the evenings, but it’s well worth a visit if you’re in the area. 

Want to know more about how we spent our time in Tenerife? Read our blog: The best things to do in Tenerife.