Best eats in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

It's amusingly international and diversifying in retrospect, but the fact is that the food currently known as one of the national dishes of Cuba actually originated in Spain. Ropa vieja appears to have first arisen among the Sephardic Jews of the Iberian peninsula as a slow-cooked stew that was prepared to be eaten over the course of a traditionally observed Shabbat. The dish is believed to be brought to the Americas by immigrants from the Canary Islands to 19th century Cuba.

La Tasca de Mawa has some of the best food in the city, so it's a safe bet for ropa vieja.

Since Las Palmas is anything but provincial, classy and less common, food is, pardon the lame pun, common in local restaurants. Venison isn't the most consumable type of meat, nor it is the easiest to prepare. The meat of animals such as elk or deer is not as "pliable" to basic cooking or roasting techniques, and it requires a careful selection of herbs and spices, as well as accompanying foods and drinks. Therefore, finding a restaurant that provides service is a priority in this case.

La Perpleja bar will take care of your meat needs if you care to pick and choose.

Meat is a natural leading food type in any city, it's impossible to escape it. However, fish is a close second in places like Las Palmas, especially since the location is on an island. In this case, salmon is particularly popular in local restaurants. Salmon is considered to be healthy due to the fish's high protein, high omega-3 fatty acids, and high vitamin D content. It retains most of the taste and the useful elements if prepared properly, so, once again, a good chef is necessary to enjoy the dish.

Allende Puerto is said to have great salmon tartare, for example.

The residents and guests of Las Palmas are no strangers to barbeque. Naturally, even the local barbeque is made with a twist. Asado is the umbrella term for various types of roasted and barbequed meat made in specific ways, including cooking on a grill, called a parrilla, or an open fire. The meats that comprise an asado portion include beef, pork, chicken, chorizo, and morcilla. The meat for an asado is not marinated, the only preparation being the application of salt before or during the cooking period.

Rodri Pata & Grill can take care of this kind of food preference, as evident in the name.

Simple things always take their place in any environment, and this list is no exception. Tacos are often considered street food and fast-food products at best, but nothing is wrong about less classy food being popular. In Las Palmas, tacos feel right at home despite being known as more of a Latin American kind of food. Many different variations of tacos exist, and choosing one if you're a picky eater is almost as difficult as choosing the best place to actually find proper tacos in Europe.

La Picantina has many different tacos.

The next offering on the list is as Spanish as can be. Jamon is the ultimately Spanish dry-cured ham produced in a special way, then consumed in slices, either manually carved from a leg on a jamonero stand using a sharp thin slicing knife. In Spain, most types of jamon are referred to as "jamon serrano", yet specific ways of serving and eating it with certain additions and accompanying drinks also exist. As a product, jamon is similar to Portuguese presunto and to Italian prosciutto, but the production differs by a longer curing phase.

Camino al Jamonal is probably the best place for jamon in the entire city.

Continuing the trend of describing the classier and the more down-to-earth offerings on this list, we should probably remember the old reliable dishes that are always popular in Spain. One of those is the baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling. These turnovers are called empanadas and are as tasty as they are common on a Spanish table. Empanadas are basically small pies with a filling consisting of whatever a good chef can think of.

El Almacén is a safe bet here.

Consuming marine molluscs is not a common eating habit, but in cities like Las Palmas this is much easier. Cuttlefish is one of the more popular types of seafood out there, and many restaurants offer their own take on the mollusc cooking. Cuttlefish and squid ink are often used in a variety of tapas and dishes such as arròs negre. It can also be served as deep-fried strips or in a variant of feijoada, with white beans. As always, the actual quality of cuttlefish depends on the chef.

Restaurante Que leche! has great cuttlefish.

Time to start wrapping things up, and a great dessert like gelato is the perfect candidate, especially since the people of Las Palmas seem to like it so much. The frozen dessert of Italian origin usually contains vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut, almond, pistachio, custard, and stracciatella. More modern flavours consist also of fruity flavours such as raspberry, strawberry, apple, lemon, pineapple, and black raspberry. If you have a sweet tooth, gelato is the first choice in the city.

Sottozero has interesting gelato offerings.

Finally, a traditional Spanish dessert, which can also be an appetizer if you fancy it, takes the last but not the least position. The traditional shape of a pinxto is a thin slice of bread with a toothpick or a miniature skewer nailing a layer of meat and herbs to it, similar to tapas but a bit more conservative and specific. Pinxtos can be consumed with everything, from tea to alcohol, and meats can be very different, like the jamon from this very list. So, it's a great finisher if you have particular tastes.

Piscos & Buches Gourmet Canario is a good place to spend an evening with pinxtos as a universal helper.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is a warm, welcoming, and interesting place. Its cultural riches are almost as diverse as its culinary scene, so have fun exploring both.