The Best Places to Eat in Las Palmas
If you are looking for the best places to eat in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, I’ve got you covered. This list of restaurants and cafes are my personal favorites. From your basic no frills dishes, to some local favorites, and even a great steakhouse, there will be something for every taste and budget! Spanish, Indian, Mexican, pizza, and burgers are all in my 10 best places to eat in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. I’m getting hungry already, so let’s jump right into it.
Pizza
Las Palmas has a very nice variety of pizza and burger joints throughout this part of the island. During my 3 week stay, I was with several Norwegian and UK colleagues and these peeps love their pizza and burgers so this genre of food was well sampled. I highly recommend these two.
Ristorante Pizzeria Boccaccio
Located just a couple of blocks from the beach, the Ristorante Pizzeria Boccaccio is an excellent stop to get your pizza fix on. See for yourself why they rank at #4 of 1,131 restaurants in Las Palmas on Tripadvisor! They sell 34 kinds of pizza here so there’s bound to be one you like or you can create your own. The owners here are fantastic and you get personable service from the wait staff. It’s mainly outdoor dining on a not too crowded street so you can enjoy your food in peace. Vibe is chill and relaxed.
Ristorante Pizzería Al Maccaroni
This place is located right off the beach and you should request an outdoor table if possible. It’s not just a pizza place but an actual Italian restaurant with a pretty nice selection of food. I can only vouch for the pizza and vibe since I didn’t try anything else. But they definitely got the pizza part right so it’s not a stretch to think that their other offerings aren’t just as good. Besides the food, the people watching here es top (pronounced in a Spanish accent😊) as you have views of the beach action and the main beach walkway.
Hamburgers
Rockabilly Real Burgers
With 5 locations on the island, Rockabilly boasts that they are the “F*cking Famous Burgers in Town” and I can’t argue with them there. When I first inquired about where I could find a really good burger in Las Palmas, this was the name that rolled off everyone’s tongues. Of the 5 locations, we ate at the Las Canteras and Puerta locations. These are some tasty burgers (Samuel L. Jackson voice in Pulp Fiction). Besides the fat and juicy hamburgers, I especially liked the layout of this local chain. It’s decked out like a Hard Rock Cafe.
200 GRAMS
200 Grams is the main competitor to Rockabilly in the burger battle for best in Las Palmas. They have 3 locations and hold their own nicely. In my opinion, as far as taste and quality, I’d call it a tossup. For my American readers, 200 grams = 0.440925 lbs, so a little under 1/2 pound burgers 😄. Remember they use the metric system everywhere except the US. They have some signature burgers which we tried or you can create your own here as well. Give them a try!
Mexican – Tiki Taco
Tiki Taco is a must eat at place! I decided to break my own rule of not eating Mexican food unless I’m in Mexico, Texas, or the Southwest US and I’m so glad I did. This establishment has bomb ass tacos. No joke. I’m pretty sure I ate 8 of them but it could have easily been 10, not really sure. They were that good. Located on the northern end of the Playa de Las Canteras (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), make sure you make a stop here. It doesn’t matter which tacos you pick, you can’t miss.
Indian – Casa Tandoori
By far this was the warmest and most welcoming restaurant that I visited during my stay. The staff was great and friendly and really went out of there way to attend to us. Excellent Indian food is served here and there are also dishes from Nepal. I ate so much here. One thing I need to point out is their hours of operation are pretty unique. They are open daily from 1 – 4 pm then close until 8pm when dinner service starts. They are closed on Mondays.
Steakhouse – El Churrasco Restaurante Grill
For the carnivores out there, this is a solid choice for steaks, meat skewers, and some excellent pork dishes as well. Bring an appetite as I didn’t have a single bad course here. From my appetizers to the Filets to dessert, it was a superb meal. Of course pair your steaks with an excellent Spanish wine or Malbec from Argentina. And don’t forget to finish your dining experience with a fine Irish coffee.
Small Cafes
Compared to mainland Spain, the cost to eat and drink in the Canary islands is incredibly affordable. I mean night and day difference! We had sticker shock when we first visited Madrid and this time I was pleasantly surprised in the opposite direction. I found myself rechecking my receipts to be sure they didn’t accidently leave anything off because the low prices had me doing double takes. These next two spots will be easy on the wallet and your taste buds.
Cafeteria Restaurante Lanzarote
You always remember your first. Or something like that 😄. This was the very first restaurant I ate at after checking into my hotel upon arrival. It was super cheap, had good food , and the servers were attentive. I recommend this place for breakfast, grabbing a couple of beers after work, or for those on a budget. It’s mainly a light menu with the Eggs, ham, and fries being an excellent choice for breakfast or after a night out. The iced cold $1.50 Dorado Especial beers can’t be beat either.
Cafetería Muelle Sofía
This spot is a little off the beaten path. Located by the entrance of a shipyard, this café by the harbor offers up a good lunch and is popular with nearby workers during normal eating hours. Speaking of hours, it’s open from 6 am – 1 am during the week so it can serve as a late night spot if you’re out and about on this side of town. The food here is much better than the place looks and servers definitely have some personality. All in all, this is a good spot to eat if you are near the port.
Honorable mentions – Dar Sultan & La Casa Roja
Dar Sultan is an Arab restaurant that doesn’t have great reviews on google but my experience was positive all the way around. They have a good selection of Spanish and Arab food and are located in a prime people watching thoroughfare across from Santa Catalina park. It’s majority outdoor seating and was packed both times I ate there. Order the Spanish paella for main dish and my favorite garlic shrimp for appetizer.
La Casa Roja is a nice Italian restaurant on the main waterfront walkway and has superb sea views from their open rooftop terrace. The best things to order here are their pasta and seafood dishes. Also their antipasti and pizzas were top vote getters from the group I was with. I went with some light catch of the day fish that was cooked just right. The layout is such that there is not a bad seat in the house so you’ll get to enjoy the beauty of Las Canteras beach while eating some good Italian food.
Best Places to Eat in Las Palmas Summary
As I stated earlier in the post, there are over 1,130 restaurants/cafes to choose from in this attractive miniature continent. This underrated Spanish destination has more than enough food options to keep even the most picky eaters happy (and busy). The map below shows the locations of all the places I recommended. You cannot go wrong with any of my picks so buen provecho (enjoy)!