Jardin De Los Dragos, Arona, Tenerife

Mike in Chayofa · 19th February 2006, 11:38

Calle Duque de Torre – 25, Arona

Tel: 922 72 59 85

Open: 6.30pm – 11pm

Go straight into Arona and head for the Town Hall and Church – that is Calle Duque de Torre. The restaurant is on your left before the church. You can’t park outside, so you will need to find somewhere to park and walk through.

Excellent, excellent, excellent (there were three of us). The best meal that I’ve had for years.

It has only been open for a few weeks and I was initially surprised at how many people were there – now I know why. It was busy but not ‘heaving’ It is a family run business and nothing is too much trouble.

A tasteful restaurant in typical Spanish style with a good atmosphere. Check out the garden and covered terrace at the back. It’s too cold at this time of year to use, but have a wander round – it will be lovely when the weather is warmer.

It isn’t the sort of place that you would go to if you were going out to eat because you couldn’t be bothered to cook – there’s no ‘steak – will that be plain, with pepper sauce, with mushroom sauce etc’ and it isn’t cheap – but it is excellent value for money.

The menu is varied. There are specials. We were also told that if there was anything that we particularly fancied, as long as they had the ingredients, they would make it for us.

I wanted to try nearly everything, so we settled for a portion of pate between three of us to start, just to pick at – good choice … if we had had three starters we wouldn’t have wanted the main course.

For the main course we had the pasta and spinach (delicious), Cajun salmon (to die for) and crispy fried chicken (wonderful). Beautifully presented – although we had everything put in the centre of the table so that we could try some of everything.

By this time, we’ve actually had sufficient, but couldn’t resist dessert. They do a mixed dessert for two people (which was more than enough for three) that has 6 or 7 different items. Again we put it in the centre. Two bottles of wine. Total bill 92 euros. – value for money … 10 out of 10

cld · 24th March 2006, 13:15

Only just spotted this review - glad I did as we're always on the look-out for a good reccomendation to try. Sure I've read about this place recently - is the owner an Irish lady who has worked for several Hollywood stars ??? Anyway, will put it on the list next time we're back (2 weeks and counting ....)

Mike in Chayofa · 24th March 2006, 21:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by cld

is the owner an Irish lady who has worked for several Hollywood stars ???

Yep - although I don't know about the 'Hollywood Stars'. She (and the family) have also lived in Australia and South Africa, so the accents are quite unique.

Daverock · 23rd February 2007, 20:33

I was there a couple of months ago and it was fabulous. Everything Mike said and more.

Critic · 5th May 2007, 10:29

I've been eating here regularly since the place opened. It's a favourite for what I consider comfort food.

Ambiance: The garden is fantastic, and is a great place for Sunday lunch. Overall the decor has an Asian feel to it. The main indoor dining room feels overly empty and echoing at times, and during the winter, it can be chilly until the place fills up. However, the place has a unique charm, is well maintained, and clearly loved by it's owner, Denise.

Service: Always friendly, never brusque. The staff know the food and are generally always willing to help. It's a shame Denise's sister is no longer there. The service definately changed when she left; it's not worse, just different.

Food: The menu hasn't changed in the time I've been going, which I think is a mistake. Yes, I have my favourites and I love going there for them, but Denise is clearly talented and it would be nice to see that talent expressed in other ways. I recommend the Thai Beef Salad, the chicken and the fish. The tiramisu is good too. And I love that I can get a side-order of mash with everything!

Overall: This is a place worth going to. The ingredients are good quality and the dishes are well thought out and prepared with care. The style of the food tends towards gastro-pub, but this is not a bad thing, and definately not a criticism.

Recommended.

JonCadman · 15th October 2007, 06:15

I was disappointed to learn that Denise is moving on. We tried to book in a couple of months ago and she informed us she was moving to the US.
She told us that the restaurant would be re-opening with a Moroccan theme.
We have not yet found out if it is open again.