Taste Mesón in a nutshell

Set in a beachside, bodega-style restaurant, Taste Mesón offers great value, foodie-standard cuisine that you feel comfortable eating without digging the tie out of the bottom of your suitcase.

It's Gran Canaria Info's sort of restaurant; laid back with great service and food that is a cut above what you get anywhere else. 

Local location by the sea

Taste Meson's location in the relaxed local town of Arguineguín is perfectly in keeping with its laid-back atmosphere and no-nonsense attitude to food. The terrace tables have a beautiful view of palm-fringed Las Marañuelas beach, the harbour, and the calm blue bay that stretches all the way along the coast to Anfi beach. 

To find Taste Meson, walk down to Las Marañuelas beach on the western side of Arguineguín and head towards the marina. You'll see a ramp going up to a big square overlooking the boatyard. Taste Meson is halfway up the ramp (look out for the round doorway).

At the bottom of this article you'll find a Google map that you can use to get there. 

To get to Arguineguín, take the bus or one of the ferries. Use the Google Maps bus timetable to choose the best bus from your location.

Opening times

Taste Meson opens for lunch between 13,30-16,30 (12,00-16,30 on Tuesdays which is Arguineguín's market day). In the evenings, it opens between 19.00 to 23.00. Last seating is at 22.30. If you arrive before 20.00, ask about their superb early bird offer. 

Taste Mesón have just opened a new restaurant in Playa del Inglés. So if you're in the Maspalomas area, no need to go to Aruineguín. Check it out!

What is the food like?

Lots of smart Gran Canaria restaurants are in a race to get the island's first Michelin star. Taste Meson has FOUR chefs all with experience at Michelin-starred restaurants. But don't expect them to be trying to get the Michelin man's attention; they are too busy extracting the maximum amount of flavour out of every dish: Most Taste Mesón dishes take up to 15 hours of preparation (don't worry, it's all done in advance so the service is quick).

The kitchen uses local Gran Canaria ingredients as much as possible. For example, the cheese is the best goat cheese from Valsequillo and the pork is local black pig (huge, ugly but very tasty critters unique to the Canary Islands). However, the beef is flown in fresh from Denmark and the wines come from all over the world.

Think of the dishes as 'the best version you'll ever taste of anything you order'.

Here are a few dishes that we've tried and particularly recommend: 

The new fish taco is the best we've ever tried; a prime piece of white fish (local cherne or wreckfish) served in crispy batter with chilli mayo, guacamole and really zingy pickled onion and chilli pepper strips.

The Texas Chili Beef is so packed with flavour you'll want to order two (the beef is cooked for 18 hours).

The fish of the day, fried white fish fillet, potato puree flavoured with shrimp stock, fried Asparagus, cauliflower and broccoli, comes with a deep fried breaded creamy egg yolk that acts as the sauce. 

The citrus delight desert is a must. Really!

Whet your appetite with the full Taste Meson menu.

Gran Canaria's best selection of wine

What brings all these different tastes together is the wine. Taste Meson is big on pairing each dish you order with the right wine and they do a fine job of it. If you've been drinking Riojas and Spanish whites while you're in Gran Canaria, the wines here will blow you away.

We don't know of another restaurant in Gran Canaria with 360 different wines from around the world (including 70 champagnes and cavas). Taste Mesón goes further by offering them all by the glass (thanks to high-tech equipment that keeps all their wines fresh). 

Taste Mesón also offers over 30 types of craft and premium beers including many that you can't get anywhere else in Gran Canaria (including some superb Belgian beers). 

The restaurant even has its own in-house water filter so it can offer tasty, chilled water on tap.

The Taste Meson experience

If the idea of a tasting menu bring up images of posh restaurants with starched tablecloths, too many forks, and the sort of experimental cuisine that sometimes should remain in the chef's imagination, dont worry!

We've tried most of the dishes and are happy to report that this isn't the case at Taste Meson. It's done away with tablecloths altogether, the knives and forks come in a pot (albeit hand-crafted by a Norwegian artist), and there are no airs-and-graces at all. 

It's just great food at great value in a beautiful, informal setting. 

Taste Meson is a tasting restaurant so you get small portions with four dishes equivalent to a substantial main course. You really want to order a good selection of dishes as each one is an experience. 

Your waiter explains the whole concept if it's your first visit and will then suggest (in a non-snooty way) the right wine to go with what you choose. Our advice is to just go with what your waiter suggests because it's so worth the experience.

Vegetarian and vegan options at Taste Mesón

Resident vegetarians and vegans flock to Taste Mesón because it is one of the few restaurants in south Gran Canaria that really caters to them.  The mushroom croquettes, tomato and aubergine confit, chévre chaud, and baked beetroot with chévre cream are all vegetarian and really pack in the flavour. 

For vegans, Taste Mesón will adapt their dishes on the spot, but if you reserve a day in advance, they'll go all out to prepare vegan dishes and desserts just for you. Book via their website and you can specify your exact requirements. 

Lunch at Taste Mesón

The lunch menu at Taste Mesón is perfect if you are in Arguineguín for a day trip or to visit the market. It includes a wide selection of their menu dishes plus extras like a homemade burger made with prime steak, focaccia, ceviche and some seriously tasty ribs. 

And, of course, the full wine and beer menu is available at lunchtime.

Local Tip: At lunchtime, all the wine bottles opened the day before are sold by the glass for just three euros a glass. Take advantage on market day, get over to Taste Mesón and ask them what's on offer!

Why you must try Taste Meson

The short answer is because it is one of the best restaurants in Gran Canaria.

The longer answer is that Taste Meson does spectacular tasting dishes paired with some of the world's best wines and at prices that offer superb value for money: You pay 12-14 euros for a plate of fried fish or calamares anywhere in Gran Canaria. At Taste Mesón, the same money gets you two dishes that you'll remember forever.

The food, the location, the experience; in our book it's money well spent and if you're looking for the spot for that special holiday meal, this has to be top of the list.

Book a table at Taste Meson via their website or down below in the form to guarantee a spot in the evenings.

Reserve your table in the form below and quote the code "GCInfo-15%" and you get a 15% discount on your bill.