Taberna Buen Camino

A break from San Sebastián, for me to write up on a little restaurant in Las Palmas...

Happy walking

"Buen camino!" is traditionally the greeting pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago use when they meet others on the road, and the yellow arrow makes sure no-one gets lost along the way. It so happened that two friends did this long walk some years ago and the result of this long walk was this tapas bar, El Buen Camino.

Camino de Santiago

Perhaps they consider the success of their joint-venture a direct blessing resulting from their sacrifices made along The Way, and success is what it has had.

I've been here a few times and it's always been busy, even at weekdays. Today, Saturday lunch time, we had to go on the waiting list, and they have a great system. They take your mobile phone number down and call you when your table's ready. Since it's in a shopping centre, if there's a long list, you can make use of your waiting time productively! The number of staff has multiplied since my last visit, and it was good to see this; it means they care for their service, and not just trying to make more profit.

No doubt, they had picked up a lot of ideas from mainland Spain during their walk because I noticed influences in taste and presentation coming from the Basque country, maybe even Asturias and Andalucía. They also use black slate boards to serve the food, which I'd seen a lot of in the mainland. And, there's a lot of "Ibéricos". Anything that says Ibérico, it's pork, in case you don't know.

Perhaps the negative comment I'd make about this tavern is that most dishes come with some sort of creamy sauce, especially ali-oli (garlic mayonnaise). Tasty, it is, but it can get a bit heavy on the tummy and the cholesterol level! It's not the type of place you'd want to eat in very often, but once in a while, it's great.

I'm especially fond of the ensalada del camino, a delicious combination of colour and flavour, with lettuces, endives, sweet red pepper, prawns, cheese sauce, walnuts, herbs, and a multitude of other ingredients.

Ensalada del camino

The tostas are all worth trying, my favourite being probably the baby squid. If you're fond of the Iberian ham, they have a selection of those.

Tostas

Another tosta

I believe this was the first time I tried their dessert. I went for the quesillo del apóstol, which is like a cross of crème caramel and cheesecake. It was delicious, and the cortado was superb!

Cheesecake

"Terrace" seating

Verdict: Highly recommended!
Average cost: €15 per person
Tel: 928 481 330 (Reservations are only for certain times)
Location: Avenida Juan Carlos I, Centro Comercial Las Ramblas, Planta 1, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria