by As a resident of the Canary Islands, I am proud to say that the weather is changing on the island of eternal spring. Once an all-English, all-market, cheap-as-a-chip package holiday destination, it’s maturing into a place for more sophisticated palettes.
It’s a bold statement, I know – but it comes with the backing of a certain tire manufacturer-cum-restaurant authority, who have awarded the island two more Michelin stars for 2024, bringing the tally to nine. Taste 1973, in the resort town of Playa de las Américas, and Haydée, in the midst of the Renaissance charm of La Orotava, are the latest restaurants recommended by her guide. Meanwhile, 20 or more restaurants have been given the official thumbs up as recommended by Michelin.
Most of these take Canarian staples, like dry-aged fish, and give them a gourmet twist – so it’s out with greasy burgers and in with Haydée’s baby goat wrapped in banana leaves and marinated for 24 hours (traditional recipe prepared. and presented for today). Centuries old Canary Classics like Ropa Vieja Canaria (literally translated as “old Canarian clothes”, but actually a warming chickpea and pork stew) and Conejo and Salmorejo (rabbit in a garlic and paprika sauce) is universal across the eight Canary Islands – but they don’t like this one anywhere.
While Tenerife’s restaurants are highly praised, its produce and ingredients are also attracting international attention. Canarian wines took home nine Grand Gold Medals for their vintages during the 2023 Mondial des Vins Extrêmes competition, which celebrates local wines created in unique territories.
In fact, in recent years, fast food may have been just a blip in Tenerife’s long history of satisfying the taste buds. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Canarian wine came into being after Shakespeare depicted “a cup of Canaries” in two of his plays (Twelfth Night and Wife of Windsor) – the Elizabethan equivalent of product placement.
One of the best ways to get to know the local juice is at the Casa del Vino museum in the coastal town of El Sauzal. Housed in a 17th century mansion, there is a tasting and wine shop selling the best of the 100-plus wineries on the island.
Or, you could cut out the middle man and make the vines straight. Go to Bodegas Monje where there are neat terraces atop a view of the insane Atlantic, or Cumbres de Abona where you can taste my favorite of the bunch, the Flor de Chasna red.
Aware of the growing interest, Tenerife hotels and resorts have food-inspired holidays with add-ons such as cooking classes or art and wine workshops (where you can taste the good stuff while hand adding tips to a monumental masterpiece) . Alternatively, seek out the island’s many farmers’ markets in search of its most famous food: cheese.
At the 2023 World Cheese Awards, tears were shed and mothers were thanked for each of the 38 medals awarded to quesos Canarios. You’ve never tasted goat cheese until you’ve tried the local version, with a bit of Tenerife’s ubiquitous green mojo sauce on the side.
Four other surprising destinations for food lovers
Malta
For such a small island, Malta has plenty of Michelin stars – six in total. Three of them are for chefs who cook in its underrated capital, Valletta. Best of all is ION Harbour, with its view across the Great Harbor as well as seasonal food from chef Simon Rogan. There are also cheaper places to have a slap-up meal too, focusing on the island’s unique fusion of Italian and Arabian flavors resulting in dishes such as rabbit stew and lampuki pie, made with freshly caught dolphin fish. They are at their best in Gululu, nestled in an unlikely waterside location amongst the tower hotels of the resort town of St Julian’s.
Crete
Thousands of years before the British took to boozing on the island, the Minoans gave us Linear B, the language from which the ancient Greek word “gastronomia” comes. That goes some way to explaining Crete’s rich culinary heritage and the resulting new breed of tourism: the island’s protected pies, wines and cheeses have even inspired a specialist tour by cultural tour guide Martin Randall. For traditional cooking to perfection, head to Ntounias near Chania town. Here, the chef recreates his mother’s and grandmother’s recipes over a wood fire, accompanied by homemade raki. Expect snails with rosemary and melt-in-the-mouth lamb.
Nerja, Costa del Sol
What it lacks in glitz, this Costa del Sol town makes up for in paella. Along the busy stretch behind Burriana beach, where toddlers frolic on the playground and extended families stroll restlessly, is the star of the town: Ayo Nerja. Here, guests sit at plastic tables in an uncovered, sandy courtyard, patiently waiting for huge portions of the restaurant’s delicious rice dish spread out from giant pans. And while Nerja has its fair share of English-speaking cafes and Irish pubs, there is a thriving tapas scene in the lanes of the Old Town. The most atmospheric is La Tasquita del Sevillano (00 34 951 32 51 19), where two floors of crammed space segues to a terrace with a romantic view over the roofs.
It may be gaining traction in Britain as an affordable beach destination, but Albania has a long history of delicious food – and it’s cheap as chips. The country’s progressive riviera is not (yet) a place full of Michelin stars, but it is a destination to tick off simple local goods: mussels harvested from Loch Butrint; fresh homemade beach snacks Petulla (fried dough) with dark syrup on it; or grilled octopus served in an Ibiza-style environment of Sanur Beach House, on the sand in whitewashed and buzzy beach town Dhermi. Meanwhile, just inland, a slow food scene is emerging. About 20 minutes drive from the coast, Agroturizëm Gjepali is a hotel, restaurant and winery with a focus on local ingredients and grape varieties.
