The Best Restaurants in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria

Looking to treat yourself while you’re here? How about a meal at Rincón de Triana, an atmospheric beauty – all exposed stone walls and elaborate tiling – set back from Las Palmas’s rambling run of beaches. Carnivores will be in their element, given the meaty classics, including sizzling beef tenderloin or beef carpaccio – made with flavourful slivers of Black Angus. And for pescatarians, lime-doused grilled octopus is a hit. Finish with the house take on Spanish-style French toast, torrijas: a fluffy, fried, sugar-and-cinnamon dream.

Painted white brickwork, smart wooden banquettes, elegantly mismatched furnishings – Pícaro channels a fresh, urban style that feels equal parts cool and homely. The menu is just right if you fancy a change from traditional Spanish food: how about a pork hot dog with homemade chipotle ketchup? Or vegetable curry or cured sea-bass tiradito, after the traditional Peruvian raw-fish dish? That’s not to say you won’t find some old favourites. And you would be remiss not to order a plate of crisp, creamy croquettes.

It doesn’t get any closer to the water than this. Allende Muelle stands bang on Sports Pier in eastern Las Palmas, within arm’s reach of the blue. As you might expect, the menu reflects the location, with fish, langoustines, bacalao and other bounty of the sea dominating the menu. Don’t just stick to Spanish favourites, though; the preparations are deliciously globe-trotting, with lime-doused ceviche, seaweed-flecked poké bowls and delicious, chewy gyoza dumplings.

On a rocky outcrop lashed by Atlantic waves, La Marinera is all about its aquatic views: out to sparkling teal-blue expanses by day, and cocktail-bright reflections come sunset. The vast indoor-outdoor space – it seats more than 400 people across three rooms and an impressive outdoor terrace – La Marinera matches the outlook with its blue-and-white tablecloths and yacht-worthy polished woods. The menu? Surf and turf. Order up a grilled lobster, followed by a blushing pink steak, add wine and enjoy.

After another hectic day on the beach – splashing in the surf, messing about on surfboards – those hunger pangs will need something substantial. In the cheery whitewashed environs of La Tasca de Mawa, within earshot of the Las Palmas surf, you’ll find the solutions. Consider tender octopus, succulent seafood stew and plates of wobbly, viscous tortilla among the many Spanish favourites on the menu. Make like a local and take yours with a Mawa beer from their own microbrewery.

With its exposed stone walls and timber-beamed ceilings, this restaurant in Triana delights, with oodles of throwback atmosphere. It’s just the ticket for a glass or two of wine in a romantic corner – especially when you’re travelling à deux. But the main reason to come here is for the food. Asparagus with parmesan; steak tartare; lemon pie. The menu is in Spanish, but all the modern bites please with their big flavours and thoughtful presentation, and helpful servers will assist with translations.

If you’re a lover of jamón – Spain’s savoury, buttery, nutty cured ham – take yourself to Camino al Jamonal, a pork-focused restaurant just to the north of La Puntilla, Las Palmas’s much-loved boating beach. Legs of ham hang from the ceilings of the whitewashed bar, which is done up nicely with woods and greenery. Pull up a chair and order ribbons of cured meat on toast, or dolloped over sautéed mushrooms. If you’ve hit your jamón limit already this holiday, there’s plenty else to try, with croquettes, calamari and beef tenderloin among the highlights.

For a full-on feast after a day spent exploring Las Palmas, make your way to Las Canteras promenade for this Galician-infused restaurant, where they send out gorgeously marbled beef, fresh clams and juicy scallops, cooked theatrically in their shells. Crisp white tablecloths and crafted plates introduce an upmarket feel, which pulls in lots of flex-the-Amex holidaymakers. But it’s popular for good reason, so book ahead to ensure an evening table. Afterwards, if you feel you’ve overindulged, you can walk off some of the excess with a stroll along the beach.

Since you’re holidaying on an island far out in the Atlantic, you need to have at least one fishy feast – and Amigo Camilo is among the very best places to head, for crisp battered octopus drenched in lemon, grilled squid, fried whitebait and juicy red prawns. Whatever is fresh and flavourful that day, you’ll find it on the menu here for your delectation, as you lounge at casual plastic tables in matching chairs. The waterside location is an added bonus; you’ll be lunching or dining with a magical view of the waves.