La Concepción is an eclectic and charming little spot with a kitchen that turns out a surprising variety of things to eat. If it’s weren’t for the menu and set tables, you might walk in here and think it was more of a cafe. The space is open but cozy with the sort of comfortable appeal that begs for you to plop down with a book and order a few cups of cafe con leche. The quirky touches in the decor make you feel like La Concepción is fun and friendly place to meet up with friends. No doubt that’s the case, but they have a lot more to offer you than coffee, tea and pastries.

When it comes to Canarian food in Tenerife, restaurants generally do 1 of 2 things: don’t change the way food’s been cooked from what Canarians have always been doing or modernize and mix things so much that you’d hardly know what you are eating had origins in the Canaries. La Concepción fills some of the space in between. They cook with traditional Canarian ingredients, but not exclusively. The dishes offered include a Mediterranean mix of things with some Canarian options, some Spanish, and some that don’t fall into any single category. In our opinion, the balance of flavors in the dishes could use a little refining, but considering the great atmosphere and that everything was fresh and tasty, we’d be happy to go back to La Concepción when visiting Santa Cruz de Tenerife.