Where to Eat in Maspalomas, San Fernando and San Agustín: the Best Italian Restaurants
If you're after real Italian food in the south of Gran Canaria — the Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés, San Fernando and San Agustín area — this guide is for you. There are dozens of "Italian" restaurants here, but not all of them are the real thing: many work with frozen and pre-cooked products.
I live in Gran Canaria, and these are the genuine places — Italian-run, cooking with fresh ingredients. They're in order: first the one I'd recommend for a proper dinner, then the pizza, then the gem for vegans and coeliacs.
Il Vespino Vecchio — San Agustín
If I had to pick one Italian restaurant in the south of the island, this would be it. Southern Italian cuisine with Neapolitan roots, run by owner Gaetano with chef Christian. It's no accident it has over 1,000 reviews and a Travellers' Choice award: the food here is genuinely excellent.
What to order: the fish dishes are the highlight — fish soup (one of the best on the island), red tuna, grilled sea bass. The ravioli and the tiramisù are excellent too.
The setting: elegant and well kept, real cloth tablecloths, a lovely garden terrace. Attentive service — a proper dinner out, not a beach snack.
Good to know: - 📍 Calle Los Jazmines 4, San Agustín — slightly away from the beach/shopping area, but worth the five-minute walk - 🕐 Open daily except Monday — best to book ahead in high season - 💶 Not cheap, but fair for the quality - ☎️ +34 673 32 38 27 - 🗺️ Get directions on Google Maps
Basilico Pizzería — San Fernando
For proper Neapolitan pizza, this is the address. A small Italian-run pizzeria-restaurant (Giuseppe and Patrizia) in San Fernando. Fragrant dough, proper proving, quality ingredients — at fair prices.
What to order: pizza first (generous portions), but the pasta is made to order too: carbonara, linguine with clams, tagliatelle with courgette and prawns. Good tiramisù.
An honest note: everything here is cooked to order, with fresh ingredients and house-made sauces — nothing pre-cooked. That means when the place is busy, the wait gets longer. It's the price of the real thing.
Good to know: - 📍 C. Partera Leonorita 6, Edificio Parque Sur, San Fernando - 🕐 Open lunch and dinner, closed Sundays - 💶 One of the best value spots in the area - ☎️ +34 928 14 92 29 - 🗺️ Get directions on Google Maps
Bakery Giusy — San Fernando (for vegans, coeliacs and the lactose-intolerant)
This one's for a specific crowd: if you're vegan, coeliac or lactose-intolerant and thought you'd have to skip desserts and ice cream on holiday, this is your saviour. An Italian-run bakery, gelateria and café with an entirely vegan menu so well made that — in the customers' own words — you can't even tell.
What to try: the artisan vegan gelato, made fresh daily (15-20 flavours), the vegan cheesecakes (from Dubai chocolate to Lotus Biscoff), the bagels, the pancakes. All available gluten-free and lactose-free too.
Good to know: - 📍 Avenida de Galdar 48 (Eurospar area), San Fernando — a bit out of the way, you cross the motorway, but worth the detour - 🕘 Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00, closed Sundays - 🅿️ Free parking - ☎️ +34 643 08 39 52 - 🗺️ Get directions on Google Maps
Getting to Gran Canaria
All these spots are in the south of the island, a few minutes from Gran Canaria airport (LPA). The south is easy to get around by rental car, and these restaurants either have parking or are easy to reach.
What to see and do nearby
Beyond the food, the Maspalomas area has plenty to offer: the famous Maspalomas Dunes (best at sunset), the lighthouse, and the long beach linking Maspalomas to Playa del Inglés. If you want to book excursions, boat trips or activities on the island, take a look at what's available — booking online in advance saves you the queues.
🎟️ Attractions and experiences in Gran Canaria →
Know another Italian spot that belongs in this guide? Get in touch.