Penelope Restaurant & cocktail bar — Restaurant in Granadilla de Abona

Terrible experience. Though I'll say up top that the two waiting staff were brilliant under the circumstances - lovely and polite and doing their best. Give them a raise. But otherwise: avoid this place! Our drinks took an hour to all arrive (bit by bit), our food took another hour on top. We were seated at 7.30 and didn't eat until 9.45pm! Starving! As with the drinks, the food also came out at different times, so not only were some of us finished before some meals came out, but also some elements of orders arrived after they'd finished eating (chips arrived way before steaks and were finished before the steaks, then those of us who had sauce with steaks got it way after we'd all finished). Finally, the quality of the food and the steaks hugely varied between us. Some people had an over-cooked, tough, hard to eat steak and some were happy. The cold food (gazpacho and salad) came out last!?

There was only one other table of two in and having food. The place was mostly empty.

We were not told there'd be such a long wait for service. We were told AFTER we ordered the food "We're short staffed in the kitchen tonight so the food might be a while", but nothing more specific.

We asked for money off the bill for the inconvenience but were told the wait was our own fault because we didn't book so they couldn't get extra staff in. However, we had tried via website and phone multiple times to book but no one answered, and I've seen a number of other reviews here from people who got the same experience but had booked in advance.

The staff were lovely, albeit under-trained and new and terrible to have been left to handle a bunch of hangry people with a situation they...

We visited El Médano regularly for a lazy late lunch. It was our first time visiting Penelope as we usually go next door or into the town.. Sadly we wouldn’t eat there again. It was relatively quiet and no major complaints about our waiter he was pleasant when serving us. But we were half way through our starter when he came out and said “is it ok to bring the mains out now” my husband said yes .. Why? because if we had said no he thought the food would be sitting on the counter!! So basically the starter which we were enjoying was rushed and half left so our burgers didn’t go cold and the flies didn’t go after them. Then to be honest the actual Angus beef burger!! Was disgusting and absolutely no way it was Angus beef, it was rubbery, tasteless and just not pleasant the cheese on top looked like it had seen better days and it was absolutely smothered with a diced mixer of avocado, bacon and mayo. I left 3/4 of mine and went back to eating the starter.. my husband battled through.. Then when the waiter came to collect the plates etc.. he only took the main plates away and we sat for ages battling flies as they attacked the remaining food platter left on the table. We struggled to get anyone’s attention to remove the rest so we could at least have another coffee but gave up and my husband ended up getting up to ask for the bill. I don’t normally write reviews and would have let this slide as every restaurant has its off days.. BUT as my husband has been unwell during the night and I am feeling slightly unsettled in my stomach I felt I need to do this review....

We had a wonderful dinner last night and couldn’t be happier with the experience. The atmosphere was exactly what we were looking for — relaxed, stylish, and effortlessly cool. Perfect for unwinding after a long day.

I had the steak with sweet potato fries, and it was honestly one of the best I’ve had in a while — juicy, full of flavor, and cooked to perfection. The fries were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and the ideal pairing.

My partner had a lighter option — hummus with vegetables and toasted sourdough served with garlic and herb butter — and absolutely loved it. Fresh, vibrant, and full of flavor.

What really made the evening special was the waiter — incredibly helpful, genuinely friendly, and even created a custom cocktail for me based on what I liked. It was spot-on and delicious! His energy added so much to the night — helpful, funny, and clearly passionate about great service.

All in all, Penelope is a must-visit if you’re in Tenerife and looking for great food, a laid-back vibe, and standout service. We'll...