Everything you need to know about food in Tenerife: food prices in 2021, what to try, how much groceries and Canarian fast food cost. Learn about the specialties of Tenerife's cafes and restaurants. Tips on how to save money.
What to try in Tenerife
The island cuisine is an exquisite blend of Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French and North African culinary traditions. The food in the Canary Islands is very varied. What to try in Tenerife?
We recommend fish dishes. The most delicious are those made from vieja, sama, marlin, wild gilthead and large tuna. The fish is fried, boiled and served here with various sauces - red moho roho, green moho berde and garlic alioli... Keep in mind that fish is not the cheapest food in Tenerife. Its prices are higher than beef and pork.
If you love deli meats, try rabbit stew, pork sausages chorizo and fried goat meat carne de cabra... Sweet tooths will love palm honey, fig jam, fried Canary bananas, prickly pear cactus and traditional dessert frangoyo.
Prices for food in cafes and restaurants in Tenerife - 2021
The island levies a 5% sales tax, while the rest of Spain charges 22%. Because of this, the prices for food and alcoholic drinks in Tenerife are low.
Locals love to have breakfast with coffee and a bun - it costs 2-2.5 €. Most of the tourists on the island are British, so the cafes and restaurants offer a British breakfast for € 3. It includes a glass of natural orange juice, coffee, two fried chicken eggs, bacon, chopped tomato, lettuce and toast with jam and butter.
The most expensive are Norwegian breakfasts at € 9. These include a glass of orange juice, two boiled eggs, smoked sausage or salted salmon, bread, croissant, jam, butter, and a cup of coffee.
The average bill in a budget restaurant is 8-20 € per person. The portions are large. Business lunches are available in many establishments. From 12:00 to 16:00, visitors are offered a fixed menu for 7-12 € - salad or appetizer, main course, soft drink or glass of wine.
Prices for food in cafes and restaurants in Tenerife in 2021:
- paella with seafood - 7 €;
- pizza - 6 €;
- pasta - 6.5 €;
- a large plate of seafood - 12 €;
- octopus dish - 6-20 €;
- king prawn kebab - 19 €;
- Mediterranean shark steak - 23 €;
- a glass of sangria - 2.5 €.
Prices for drinks in Tenerife
The inhabitants of the island love coffee. They drink a special drink in the morning. baraquito - coffee with condensed milk, liqueur and cinnamon. It is considered an energy cocktail that invigorates and empowers for the whole day.
Most of the alcohol is brought to the island from the mainland. About 150 types of wines are made in Tenerife itself, so wines are inexpensive here. The most common is Malvasia.
Due to preferential taxation, prices for English whiskey, French cognac, champagne and other foreign alcoholic beverages in Tenerife are 20-30% lower than in duty-free shops. Bars and restaurants offer the popular Dorada and Tropical lager beers at € 2 per pint. A glass of wine costs 2-3 €, and 50 g of whiskey costs 3 €.
Prices for alcoholic beverages in Tenerife stores in 2021:
- sangria, 0.5 l - 1 €;
- wine, 0.75 l - 1-8 €;
- local beer, 0.33 l - 0.3 €;
- beer Carlsberg and Heineken, 0.33 l - 0.6 €;
- Guinness beer, 0.5 l - 3 €;
- local rum from sugarcane Perladel Caribe, 1 l - 5-6 €;
- whiskey - 15-20 €.
Food prices in Tenerife - 2021
The island has shops of all popular grocery chains in mainland Spain - Lidl, Makro, Dia, Carrefour, HiperDino, UDACO, MAXCOOP and GrosMercat. Good selection and low prices in Mercadona and Puchita supermarkets. Many products are imported, so they are slightly more expensive than in the mainland.
Here are the prices for food in Tenerife stores in 2021:
- bread - 0.4 €;
- milk, 1 l - 0.65 €;
- jamon, 100 g - from 1 €;
- boiled sausage, 100 g - from 0.85 €;
- bacon, 100 g - € 1.85;
- smoked sausage, 100 g - 2 €;
- eggs, 10 pcs. - 1.5 €;
- chicken fillet, 1 kg - 5 €;
- herring, 1 kg - 2.25 €;
- dorado, 1 kg - 6.9 €;
- sea bass, 1 kg - from 5.1 €;
- persimmon, 1 kg - 2 €;
- pears, 1 kg - € 2.25;
- apples, 1 kg - 1.6 €;
- oranges, 1 kg - 1.7 €;
- bananas, 1 kg - 1.2 €;
- kiwi, 1 kg - 2 €;
- cucumbers, 1 kg - 1.1 €;
- tomatoes, 1 kg - 1 €;
- drinking water, 1.5 l - 0.25 €.
Canary fast food
Fast food chains in Tenerife are represented by Spanish and foreign franchises. There are McDonald's, KFC, Subway, Little Italy and Telepizza restaurants. A hearty set costs 7 €.
The inhabitants of the island are not very fond of such fast food and prefer the traditional Spanish street food. The resort centers of Puerto de la Cruz, Los Cristianos, Santa Cruz and La Laguna are full of delicious scents. Fried choux pastry sticks are prepared on the streets of cities and towns churros... It is customary to eat them dipped in sugar or chocolate.
A great snack on the go - caramelized apples, roasted chestnuts and sugar-toasted almonds. If you are hungry, buy pintxos - delicious sandwiches that are pierced with skewers. They are made from fresh bread with a variety of snacks.
Try it tapas... Simple, hearty fast food - pinchos-like sandwiches, plates of sliced smoked sausage, bowls of nuts or olives. Tapas are available in regular restaurants and specialty tapas bars.
Prices for popular fast food in Tenerife in 2021:
- grilled cheese - 8 €;
- tapas - 5 €;
- pintxos - 2 €;
- kebab - 3 €;
- a cup of cappuccino - € 1.5;
- fresh fruit - 1.5 €.
What is important to know
In restaurants and cafes of Tenerife, the dress code is flexible. It is allowed to wear beachwear in establishments on the first line from the sea. Higher level cafes and restaurants will not be allowed in swimsuits and shorts.
Canarian restaurants follow certain traditions in serving food. Breakfasts are offered from 9 am to noon, lunches from 1 pm to 3 pm, and dinners from 9 pm to 11 pm.
Cafe and restaurant workers don't really count on tips. But they will be grateful if you leave about 10% of the bill for delicious food and good service.
Food prices in shops and restaurants in Tenerife
How to save money on food in Tenerife
- Away from the resort hotels, there are traditional Canarian eateries. They treat visitors to simple homemade food and delicious local wine. Three courses plus a glass of wine cost 10 €.
- Tenerife's cafes and restaurants have a so-called dish of the day. If you order it, lunch will cost 6-8 €.
- Some establishments work like buffets. Pay 6-12 € and eat as much as you want. Drinks are paid separately.
- Happy hours are practiced in bars and restaurants. This is the time when alcohol prices are down. A pint of Dorada beer costs 1 € and a glass of wine 1.5 €. Stay tuned for ads at the entrance and you will save on alcohol.
- Try fresh seafood in fishing villages that are far from tourist centers. There are inexpensive establishments with good fish cuisine in Tajao. The finest seafood is prepared in restaurants run by the local fisheries union.
- To spend less on food, rent an apartment with a kitchen and cook yourself. Some of the food costs in Tenerife are 8-10 € per person per day.
- It is more profitable to buy groceries in supermarkets. Inexpensive farm vegetables, fruits, fish and seafood are offered in the markets. Trading starts at 8:00 and ends around noon or two o'clock in the afternoon.
- In the shops of Tenerife, they clean and cut any fish free of charge.
