Tapas in Arguineguín: how it works, what to order and where

By Terje Moy, editor · Published 25 October 2026

For tapas in Arguineguín, El Bistro Tapas in the Áncora centre is the most consistent choice, with Jamonal de Arguineguín and Taste Mesón as alternatives. At Anfi del Mar, Mar de Tapas serves national and local tapas.

Tapas in Arguineguín come as small plates to share, ordered a few at a time and paid for as you go. The most reliable address is El Bistro Tapas in the Centro Comercial Áncora, which reviewers in 2026 describe as family-run, busy and worth booking. Jamonal de Arguineguín and Taste Mesón take the idea in different directions, and Anfi del Mar has a restaurant called Mar de Tapas.

Below: how ordering works, which dishes are worth asking for, and what we know about each place. A few of the dishes will be new if you have only eaten tapas in mainland Spain, because the Canary Islands have their own.

How tapas work in Arguineguín

A tapa is a small portion; a media ración is a half-size plate for sharing; a ración is a full plate. Menus in the south of Gran Canaria usually list dishes in one or two of these sizes, so look at the headings before you order. A table of four will often be happy with five or six plates to start and a second round if the first disappears, which it tends to do.

Do not expect a free tapa with every drink, as in some Spanish cities. Plan on paying for each plate, and check the price on the menu. As at most Spanish tables, the bill comes when you ask for it: la cuenta, por favor. For a note on tipping and a rough sense of prices, see eating out: prices, tipping and customs.

Two practical points. Lunch tends to run later than in Northern Europe, and the busiest tapas hours are mid-evening, so book if you are a group. And ask about allergies in plain words; one 2026 reviewer of another restaurant in town said the waiter was not patient with a food-allergy question, so do not assume the menu will say it for you.

What to order: the Canarian tapas list

• Papas arrugadas con mojo: small potatoes boiled in very salty water until the skins wrinkle, served with green or red mojo. The official Spanish tourism board describes them as the basic Canarian side dish. If you order one thing, order this.
• Queso asado or queso de flor: Gran Canaria's cheeses are a point of pride. Queso de Flor de Guía is a protected designation of origin made with the flower of the wild thistle as rennet. Ask what cheese you are being given, since not every goat cheese on a tourist menu is from Guía.
• Lapas: grilled limpets with green mojo. Chewy, salty and very Canarian.
• Gambas al ajillo: garlic prawns. Reviewers at El Bistro Tapas single them out.
• Albóndigas: meatballs in sauce, another El Bistro Tapas favourite in reviews.
• Croquetas, tortilla española, jamón ibérico: the standard Spanish tapas that nearly every place serves.
• Puntitas de calamar or pulpo frito: tiny battered squid and fried octopus, with a squeeze of lemon.

For the sauces and a wider view of the island's table, see Canarian food to try. Fish-based tapas are covered in fresh fish and seafood in Arguineguín.

El Bistro Tapas: the one to book

El Bistro Tapas is in the Centro Comercial Áncora, Local 131, Calle Tamarán. It sits in a shopping centre beside the whale-tail roundabout, which is not a promising setting, but reviewers in 2026 describe a family-run place with friendly service and a menu worth working through. The same dishes keep coming up in reviews: meatballs, beef and chicken skewers, stuffed salt cod, chicken wings, fried prawns, bread with alioli, garlic prawns and grilled vegetables. One reviewer adds a light Middle Eastern touch to some dishes. There is parking next door, and several reviewers say they came back for a second or last night. Book ahead.

Jamonal de Arguineguín: ham, burgers and a long lunch

Jamonal de Arguineguín, on Calle Alonso Quesada, is a restaurant built around grilled food and burgers more than a pure tapas bar, with mostly outdoor tables. Reviews in 2026 mention a burger topped with crisp fried ham and onion jam, a tuna and avocado salad, asparagus with tuna, and tapas with sangria. One reviewer describes wine at around €8 a glass. It suits a family where not everybody wants small plates.

Taste Mesón: tapas with a wine list

Taste Mesón on Plaza de las Marañuelas is a modern, wine-led restaurant in which small plates and sharing are the idea. Reviewers mention fish tacos, duck breast and roast beef, plus a five-course chef's tasting menu with wine pairing. If you want to learn something about Canarian wines while you eat, this is the place. Expect a more expensive evening than at a traditional bar.

Mar de Tapas at Anfi del Mar

At Anfi del Mar, the resort's own restaurant list includes Mar de Tapas, described as offering "national and local tapas". Anfi's page gives opening hours of 11:00 to 22:30, undated, so confirm before you walk over. It is a resort restaurant rather than a bar the town uses, and it makes sense if you are staying at Anfi or on the beach there.

Other places that serve small plates

La Barca, on Calle Graciliano Afonso, is an open-air restaurant with tapas, pizza, paella and grilled meat near the beach; reviewers mention the view over the bay and the sunset. El Marino Chico and Los Canarios 1 are covered on the best restaurants page. And on Tuesday mornings the Tuesday market is a good place to start a day that ends with tapas.