A reliable, affordable pizza and pasta restaurant in Los Cristianos popular with families and budget travellers. Wood-fired pizzas and home-made pasta using fresh ingredients.
Pizzeria El Patio is a reliable, affordable Italian-style restaurant on Avenida Juan Carlos I in Los Cristianos, the busy resort town on the southern coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Los Cristianos is one of Tenerife's oldest resort areas, adjacent to Las Américas and popular year-round with northern European visitors, particularly British and Scandinavian tourists. El Patio has earned a consistent reputation in this competitive restaurant environment for delivering straightforward, genuinely prepared pizza and pasta at prices that represent real value in a tourist zone known for inflated costs. The centrepiece of the menu is the wood-fired pizza: dough prepared daily, fired in a traditional wood-burning oven at high temperature, producing a crust with the appropriate char and airiness rather than the leathery bases common in lower-quality resort pizzerias. Topping combinations range from classic Margherita and Marinara through to more elaborate versions with local ingredients including Canarian goat cheese and chorizo. The home-made pasta selection is shorter but equally considered: fresh pasta sauces prepared from scratch, using tinned San Marzano tomatoes and imported Italian flour. Bruschetta with local Tenerife tomatoes is a reliable starter. Tiramisu made in-house rounds off the meal. Prices are among the most competitive for genuine food on the Los Cristianos strip: mains average €11 and a full family meal with drinks seldom exceeds €18 per person. Open daily from noon to 23:00. No reservations are taken.
Good to know
- Hours
- 12:00–23:00 daily
- Reservations
- Not required
Location
Avenida Juan Carlos I 26, 38650 Los Cristianos, Tenerife
28.0531, -16.7123 View on map
Highlights
- Wood-fired pizza with daily-prepared dough — above-average quality for a resort-zone pizzeria
- Home-made pasta using fresh sauces and imported Italian flour
- Tiramisu made in-house — a reliable dessert in a town where most are shop-bought
- Bruschetta with local Tenerife tomatoes as the standout starter
- Competitive pricing in Los Cristianos — full meal under €18 per person
Tips for visiting
- The pizza is the core offer — order it over the pasta if in doubt about what to choose
- Arrive before 19:00 on weekday evenings to avoid the peak queue
- The wood-fired oven produces genuinely different results to a standard oven — look for the char on the crust
- Los Cristianos harbour is a short walk from the restaurant — good for an evening stroll before or after eating
Accessibility
Pizzeria El Patio is at street level on Avenida Juan Carlos I with step-free access from the pavement. The dining room is on one level. Los Cristianos centre is generally flat and pedestrian-friendly. The restaurant is accessible for visitors using wheelchairs or pushchairs.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pizzeria El Patio a family-friendly restaurant?
Yes. The simple, accessible menu and informal atmosphere make El Patio well-suited to families with children. High chairs are generally available on request.
Does the restaurant take reservations?
No. El Patio operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Arriving before 19:00 generally avoids the longest waits.
Is the pasta genuinely home-made?
The pasta sauces are prepared fresh in the kitchen. The pasta shapes are typically dried pasta of good quality rather than fresh-rolled pasta, but the overall result is well above the resort restaurant average.
Is Los Cristianos a good base for visiting Tenerife?
Los Cristianos offers a wide range of accommodation and direct ferry connections to La Gomera and La Palma. It is close to Teide National Park (40 minutes by car) and the volcanic beaches of the south coast.