Lovin' Food — Restaurant in San Bartolomé de Tirajana

Although the Maspalomas area has literally hundreds of restaurants, most are mediocre at best, but thankfully there are a few special places giving a much better dining experience, and after eating at most of these we can confirm that Lovin Food really is a new star shining right at the very top!

We’ve been coming to Gran Canaria for years and can honestly say we were blown away by our experience at Lovin Food, so much so we immediately booked whilst we were there for a second visit just days later which was just as amazing as the first.

Maurizio is an amazingly talented chef. All the food is created from scratch from the bread to the pasta, but the care and attention given to the taste, the quality and the exquisite presentation is really quite sensational. We enjoyed literally every single morsel of food and our plates had not a crumb left.

What makes the food really extra special is that between two people you can choose three or four dishes off the menu and then share them - but not by a plate put in the middle - each item is split into two and presented to each person on their own plate in a mini version, with all the same attention to the amazing presentation. In effect you create your own tasting menu with beautifully prepared small courses and we loved it.

The food is just one part of any dining experience though. The ambiance in the small but perfectly formed restaurant is wonderful with carefully chosen music and stylish decor, but above all the passion exuded by Cristina is what separates Lovin Food from everywhere else. Her attention to detail matches the exquisite food. She knows every detail about every single ingredient on the menu, she knows every bottle of wine on the highly considered wine list and single handedly manages every table with perfect timing whilst at the same time making you feel like you are the only people in there which is such a wonderful skill.

Maurizio and Cristina are each so highly talented in their own way and together they have created the most wonderful restaurant. We cannot wait to return and just so sad that we have to wait a year.

And finally, and not something we would normally comment on, but the toilets must be the most immaculate, beautifully designed toilets of any restaurant anywhere in...

On our ongoing adventures in Gran Canaria, Alberto and Chantal took us to their favorite Italian restaurant, Lovin’ Food, a local secret. They know the chef owner and his wife. It’s a small restaurant with, possibly, three tables inside and two outside. You can watch Mauricio, the chef, prepare your meal over the bar. His wife, Cristina, impressed us with her knowledge of wines and described in detail how they prepared each dish. We were greeted with warm “¡Hola!” and being true Italians, “Ciao…” kiss on both cheeks (don’t expect them to do this to everyone…they know my friends). They have a great menu, so we decided to go for chef’s recommendations. The amuse was a hot croquette with truffles and Cold parmesan mousse. It was very edible. We had several dishes. My favorites (you have to order these) are Pinsa Romano, a well-leavened dough that’s crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle, topped with Bresaola (beef ham), artichokes, truffles, and Tetilla cheese. Tuna tartare with wasabi on some type of almond bread. Octopus with wakame seaweed. The beef cheeks. And the Zabaione for dessert. My ultimate favorite: Fregola. Squid ink pasta that you have to order now. Ahora. Go! We had reds, Primitivo di Manduria and Negro Amaro. I am married to a wine connoisseur, and I was told the Primitivo has cherry flavor and the Amaro tasted young. However they tasted, they went down well and we shared two bottles. The food is excellent. We made new friends, soccer pro, Claudio (plays for a Swiss team), Francesco (locally world-famous personal trainer moving to Sweden for the one). Muchas gracias, mucho mucho, the chef and owners, Mauricio and Cristina, for the most exciting Italian food we have tasted in years. El restaurante merece una estrella Michelin. Por favor, ve antes de que los Tiktokers...

Gran Canaria is an island located off the coast of Morocco in the North Atlantic Ocean. Maspalomas is on the southern coast of the island. The tourist industry on Gran Canaria took off in the 1960’s. It began as a budget “package” trip destination and has never scaled up to a luxury destination. Consequently, the restaurants followed the same path. However, since Covid, there have been a good many young, entrepreneurial chefs open restaurants with a more creative, quality based restaurants in mind. On the top of this list is the restaurant Lovin’ Food. The Italian Fusion restaurant is the creation of a dynamic Italian couple, Cristina and Maurizio. They are both the talent and the tenacity behind Lovin’ Food’s success. Located in a store front, that they built out themselves … there are 8 tables in a very unassuming space. However, you realize that it is a blank canvas for the amazing meal you are about to be served. The food is Italian with an influence of the local sources. The dishes are meant to be shared … but it is not tapas. A starter, a pasta course and a main course leaves you feeling satisfied and happy. The wine list is nicely curated to complement the food. No matter how full you feel … do not miss the grand finale of the deserts. Anything on the menu that you order will delight you with the beautiful, creative but subtle presentation and the flavors that excite your palette. We had one of the most memorable dinners in the most unexpected places. We will not forget our experience anytime soon. As a foot note … Cristina told us the name was chosen with a double meaning … slang for Loving Food and also for the Love in Food that they present to their guests. A win for everybody. Thanks Cristina and Maurizio. We look forward to...