El Patio - Tenerife

Berasategui

El Patio restaurant is considered to be one of the best restaurants in Tenerife as well as the best restaurant in a hotel in Spain if not the world. Run by one of the most famous Spanish chefs, Martín Berasategui, this restaurant marks the pinnacle of fine dining and gastronomy in Spain.

The Restaurant

El Patio is one of the Spanish restaurants which can be found at the Abama Hotel on the North-Eastern coast of the island of Tenerife. The hotel and its restaurant are known throughout Tenerife and Spain for their ample luxury. The restaurant also shares its name with another famous hotel restaurant in the Southern part of the island. This is due to both hotels being owned by the same Polish family of hoteliers.

El Patio at the Abama Hotel breaks the boundaries of perfection according to some critics, surpassing the glamour of the other restaurant by miles. The food, decor and ambience are out of this world - and so are the prices - but you can't put a price on quality!

Everything about this restaurant oozes luxury and exclusivity, even the decoration. The interior of the restaurant is elegantly decorated with soft browns and creams. The wooden floor is wonderfully cared for and is so shiny it almost acts like a mirror. The terrace is also a great place to sit for everyone to enjoy, and especially for those obeying the Spanish smoking ban.

Currently the restaurant is run by Martín Berasategui, one of the four Spanish chefs in history to be awarded three Michelin stars. Originally starting to learn the restaurant business with his mother in her fish restaurant in San Sebastian, Martín Berasategui has been an extremely successful chef working and owning many Spanish restaurants in his career so far. At El Patio restaurant in Tenerife, Martín Berasategui's team members are extremely attentive and provide both excellent service and exquisite food.

A top class hotel and restaurant to mark down in your Tenerife travel guide.

The Menu

The food at El Patio restaurant is always served beautifully which really demonstrates the care and effort that the chefs put into their work. The dishes are also tailored to ensure that the flavours are clearly distinguishable for you to taste individually.

Menu

The emphasis on taste can also be seen in the huge array of appetizers and starters which both provide lovely introductory flavours but also as palate cleansers as a pre-cursor to the main meal. Some of the appetisers and aperitifs that you can sample from El Patio's menu include 'Selección de mantequillas' (Selection of butters) which includes beetroot butter, mushroom and asparagus butter, 'Gelatina de frambuesa' (Raspberry Jelly) and 'Espuma de arroz con azafrán' (Rice Foam with Saffron).

There are a range of menus available at El Patio, however the menus that demonstrate the skills and range of the chefs at this Spanish restaurant are the 'Menús degustación' (Taster Menus), of which there are two available. These menus allow you to try out a range of the restaurant's signature and speciality dishes instead of just one or two. Items that can be found on these menus include 'Lomos de merluza' (Hake Fillets) which are served with a green sauce with clams, and 'Solomillo asado a la brasa' (Char-grilled Sirloin steak) with a terrine of potatoes, bacon and mushroom jam.

El Patio would not be a true Spanish restaurant without a good collection of wine in its cellars. Álvaro, the restaurant's sommelier personally makes recommendations about the wines to the customers, enabling them to fully enjoy the flavours of the food and wine together. Aside from wine, the restaurant also offers a variety of spirits and cocktails to suit every taste. Trying out the different names of the cocktails and spirits on offer could also be a great way to learn Spanish - provided you are not teetotal!

Clearly the prices at El Patio restaurant at the Abama Hotel are extremely high but the food and drink provided certainly merits the price. This is not your local restaurant for a quick bite to eat; this is a taste experience that is best saved for special occasions such as parties, weddings or a special trip to Tenerife.