We celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary this year with a trip to the Tenerife, the biggest of all of the Canary Islands. We stayed in Puerto de la Cruz, the northern part of the island and our hotel was TRH Taoro Garden.

TRH Taoro Garden

Breakfast was included in our stay and we swapped lunch for cocktails by the pool. They had a good selection on the breakfast buffet, including unlimited sparkling wine on some days (to create your mimosas and bellinis if you are that way inclined). There also had spa facilities available, offering treatments and massages at reasonable prices. Staff were all lovely, friendly and generally on the ball. The hotel and the gardens were very well-maintained.

The only downside to the stay was that it was away from the the hub of the main town. Although quite peaceful, there were not many options of local bars and restaurants nearby. The hotel did offer a free shuttle service to town but it stopped early evenings about 6 pm ish. So you would end up spending on cabs each way if you were planning to go out into town for dinner. The hotel offered a buffet dinner option, but other than that and the cafe by the pool, food options were limited outside of buffet hours and there was no room service.

RESTAURANTS

Below are some lovely restaurant recommendations for dinner and date nights.

Tasca Ihüey

For our first evening of the holiday, we opted for dinner at Tasca Ihüey, a restaurant recommended to us by our hotel. We hadn’t done much restaurant research before our trip (very unlike me), so didn’t know what to expect.

• Canary Potato croquette stuffed with veal stew
• Semi cured salmon, roasted beetroot, wasabi sour cream
• Steak Tartare, spicy aubergine, egg yolk cured in salt
• Beef Tenderloin with corn pie
• Cannelloni stuffed with canary pork and foie, béchamel sauce

Thankfully, Tasca Ihüey didn’t disappoint. The food was tasty and presented well; classic Canarian dishes reimagined with clever twists. There were lots of little extra touches like complimentary croquettes and banana cakes with coffee. That Steak Tartare was exceptional. All in all, a good start we all hope for on day one of a holiday. @tascaihuey

Zumaque

Zumaque is a modern restaurant serving Canarian cuisine with contemporary Asian and Peruvian twists. We sampled a selection of sharing style plates that included:

• Creamy Cheese Crouquettes
• Cevice
• Tuna Tartare
• Shrimp Dumplings
• Iberian cheeks

There are many reasons to love Zumaque. The interiors are swish and the ambience is quite different to the usual touristy restaurants in Puerto. Food is made with the freshest and finest of ingredients. The tuna was one of the best I have had ever had. Definitely one to make a note of for your next trip. @restaurantzumaque.

Tito’s Bodeguita

Despite its location next to a busy motorway, Titos Bodeguita feels like a peaceful, green oasis. It is set inside a historic complex of the Hacienda de San Nicolás, dating from the mid-17th century. It has a charming foliage-filled inner courtyard. It was the perfect setting for an alfresco dinner tucking into Gambas al ajillo, Pulpo a la galega (octopus served with potatoes and paprika) and Canary black pork chop. They have plenty of indoor spaces of course, but summer on the terrace is the best way to enjoy a meal here. This is also a great spot for couples on a date night. @titos_bodeguita

Bodega Julián

This local is amongst the top 10 list of best restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz. This was a great example of lovely tapas in a traditional restaurant. If you like people watching, they have seats outside too for alfresco dining. The lamb fillet and the tuna belly salad are to die for. Service was on point too. @bodegajulian

Mamanena

Now sadly closed, Mamanena was a gorgeous taverna serving Canarian haute cuisine. Its location offered spectacular views of the mountains and the coast. The food was mind-blowing; celebrating textures and flavours inspired by global cuisines.

Have you been to Tenerife? What are your favourite restaurants in the area?