There are lots of good reviews about this restaurant, which has been running since 2008. If you are a fan of Greek food, then you might also like Rhodos Palace, Puerto Rico – that’s one of my favourite restaurants on the island, and it’s situated in the Pasarella Centre so you can watch the sun set over the beach.

You can find Mr Greek in Avenida de Tirajana and their phone number is +34 928772865. The menu features lamb, beef, chicken, fish and vegetarian options, as well as typical Greek wine.

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This might sound obvious by the touristy places aren’t going to serve traditional Canarian food – they are just going to serve the things they assume Westerners like.

For real Canarian food like ropa vieja (chickpeas, meat and potatoes), papas arrugadas con mojo (wrinkly boiled potatoes in their skins with mojo sauce) and paella (which is strictly from the mainland but popular in the Canaries) you should head to an authentic eatery.

Fried Fulas (type of Canarian fish) by Risager

El Balcon Canario

El Balcon Canario is somewhere that I often recommend because it has won awards and is very popular with the locals. Found in the main shopping centre in Puerto Rico, El Balcon Canario is a great choice. I like the mixed snack plate – you get a bit of everything.

The octopus is pretty good too and so is the tomato tart (which is actually sweet and eaten for dessert). The prices are also reasonable

Set Meal of the Day

Look out for the “menu” – no that doesn’t mean the list of meals, but the menu del dia (pronounced men-OOH). This is the lunchtime (or sometimes dinnertime) special where you pay 7 euros (average price) for a starter, main course, dessert and tea or coffee. Sometimes you get 2 or 3 options for each course. You will see the blackboards outside saying what is on the menu del dia (set meal of the day).

Take your Spanish-English dictionary if your Spanish is below par. The menu del dia is designed for the locals and workers usually, and the tourists tend to order the more expensive dishes. Using the menu del dia, you can often get the same dishes but cheaper.

A Few Takeaway Options by Aseba

Ordering Tapas

Some cafes and restaurants have metal trays of food at the counter and you can point to what you want and order a tapa (a small plate) or a racion (a larger plate). A racion (pronounced rah-see-ON) is usually a meal-sized amount so don’t order a load of those! Tapas are usually not labelled since Canarians will be able to identify them.

You can usually see whether the tapas contain beef, fish, meat or something else (and some, like the marinated olives or Canarian cheese, are pretty obvious) but you can ask about the tasty Canarian tapas to try if you are unsure. Not every waiter will speak English, especially in the out-of-the-way places, but you can try. Or take a risk and point to something you don’t know. It might be really nice!

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La Aquarela in Puerto Rico is a great place for Christmas dinner, as is Murphy’s Kitchen or Churchills, or you could try Barcelo Las Margaritas in Playa del Ingles. The British and Irish restaurants will have a traditional Christmas dinner on the 25th. Ask your rep when you arrive where he or she recommends, since reps usually have a good idea of the best places to get Christmas dinner in Gran Canaria.

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More people seem to fall in the middle of these categories though, enjoying the flavour of authentic Canarian cuisine on some days and wanting a quick burger or snack on other days. Every major town has a McDonalds or Burger King (usually both!) and they are easy to find.

Why the Drinks Taste Funny

A word of warning about the drinks – soft drinks in most fast food chains are made by combining a concentrated syrup (so, Pepsi syrup, orange flavour syrup or whatever) with tap water. Can you drink the water in Gran Canaria? Yes you can but it is very high in minerals and has a dreadful flavour which is why pretty much everybody buys bottled water. This doesn’t seem to be the case at McDonalds in Gran Canaria though. The drinks taste a bit strange because they are made with the local water.

I probably wouldn’t have noticed if they sold Thick Shakes in McDonalds in Gran Canaria but they don’t so I stick with water. I did order coffee once but it comes with sweetened milk. I like milk in coffee but not sweetener – is coffee with milk but no sugar really too much to ask?

If you’re in Maspalomas you will find the McDonalds at the back of the beach. There is an internet cafe next door too. In Puerto Rico it’s right next to the main shopping centre so you can’t miss it! In the Atlantico shopping centre it’s in the shopping centre itself and the same goes for practically every other shopping centre in Las Palmas.

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Try the swordfish with prawns and mussels. You will be impressed with the extensive wine list too. If you’re looking for somewhere quiet to have a romantic meal, Gran Italia Maspalomas probably won’t fit the bill, because it tends to be busy (more so than the neighbouring restaurants) and loud at times. But this just adds to the atmosphere if you are looking for great food in a vibrant location.

Photo by Tony Hisgett

The steaks are huge and the paella is also nice and tastes very fresh. If you have a starter and main meal or a main meal and dessert (or all three!) they will give you free coffee and liqueur afterwards as well.

Enjoy a view of the sunset as you enjoy your Italian food. You shouldn’t need to reserve a table – we never had any problems even when we turned up on a Friday or Saturday night in the busy season.

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Most dishes are Thai or Thai fusion and there are also some nice wines. This restaurant is about five minutes walk from Arguineguin harbour and it’s open all day and evening but closes from 4 until 7pm except at weekends.

Best Dishes

The pumpkin curry is gorgeous and the pad Thai is really authentic. If you want a starter, try the vegetarian mixed tapas. They’re really good value. Don’t forget to ask about the daily specials.

Whatever you order at Fusion Arguineguin is sure to be good. I’ve never been disappointed anyway and, where restaurants are concerned, I don’t give praise lightly!

You can get more information about Fusion here or you can call them on 0034 928185662 to make a reservation.

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There are other bars and cafes in this area including Flanagan’s Apple which is an Irish bar. You might like to eat at the Red Rose Cafe and then listen to some live Irish music afterwards. There are lots of Irish bars in the two shopping centres in Puerto Rico as well.

You can sit indoors or outdoors and enjoy a beer or glass of wine or eat. The menu includes a traditional Sunday roast as well as snacks, breakfasts or vegetarian options. Why not spend Christmas in the sun this year and have your Christmas dinner there. The phone number for this cafe is (+34) 928 562185. You don’t normally need to book but you can if it’s especially busy when you’re there.

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Flicks is a really good restaurant in the Europa Centre, Puerto Rico, which I’ve eaten at a few times. I had a nice breakfast there once and a couple of dinners. The service is friendly and the menu is good. I had pie and chips the first time I went and it was a really big portion and quite cheap as well

Flicks restaurant is on the top floor so as you enter the Europa Centre from the top, come down one set of steps and then turn left. You will see the sign.

After eating at Flicks, you can wander around the Europa Centre. There are some good family friendly bars up there, such as Xtreeemz, The Tavern and Turbo’s, or you could stroll down the hill to the main shopping centre.

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Photo by FotoosVanRobin

The one in the Europa Centre, Mr Wu’s, has the least amount of dishes to choose from but is handy if you are staying on the top of the hill. In the bottom shopping centre there is one tucked away on the far left as you enter from the main entrance, then there are three at the back.

My personal favourite is Si Señor, which is right at the back on top of the shopping centre. They are the most polite and have the most dishes to choose from.

Photo by MidtownLunch

For 5.98€ you can help yourself to rice, noodles, spring rolls, balti dishes (they have Indian too!), salad, prawn balls, sushi (oh – and Japanese!), beef and onions, soup and lots more. There is also fresh fruit and ice cream for dessert. As you’d expect, the drinks are not cheap so just have one or two.

If you are on holiday in Gran Canaria Chinese restaurants where you can eat what you like are great if you are really hungry. Most of them also have a menu where you can pick your own dishes. We tend to go a couple of times a month It makes a change from Canarian cooking!

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Photo by Photo Portfolio

First of all we went to La Cofradia, which is in the port itself. This restaurant used to be popular with both Canarians and tourists but the prices have doubled so we didn’t stay there!

Varadero is a restaurant with a difference – it has a swimming pool and two jacuzzis!

Red Mojo, Green Mojo and Alioli

The food is great too and we ordered the mixed fish platter for two. At 20€ it was pretty good value, since all the fish was very fresh. We also had bread with three sauces and some house white wine (white rioja – very nice).

Deep Fried Mixed Fresh Fish

If you have kids with you and you want a cheap day out, head to Varadero in Puerto de Mogan and relax on the sun loungers while the kids play in the swimming pool.

There is a full time lifeguard on duty and, as long as you buy some drinks, snacks or lunch, it is free to use the pool. The jacuzzis are on the restaurant roof

Give this restaurant a miss on Friday (market day) because the port is very busy and noisy. Any other day is great!

Their phone number is +34 928 565610.

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