Restaurante La Casa Roja

Restaurante La Casa Roja occupies a traditional red-painted building right on the harbour front at Puerto de Las Nieves, the small fishing port of Agaete municipality on the northwestern coast of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. Puerto de Las Nieves is where the Fred Olsen high-speed ferry from Tenerife docks, and La Casa Roja has become a celebrated stop for travellers arriving from or departing to Tenerife, as well as for Gran Canaria residents making the drive up the northwest coast for a seafood lunch. The restaurant's position directly on the quayside, with the distinctive Roque de Agaete rock formation visible across the water and the fishing boats moored within sight, provides a setting of genuine Canarian maritime character. The kitchen focuses on the seafood landed daily at the harbour: sea bream and sea bass grilled whole and served simply with papas arrugadas and mojo; octopus prepared in Canarian vinaigrette; and a seafood soup that varies with the catch. The gofio mousse — a dessert using the roasted grain flour that has been central to Canarian cuisine since pre-conquest times — is the most distinctive item on the dessert list. The dining room is cheerfully decorated in warm ochres and reds reflecting the building's exterior; sea-view window tables are the most prized. Weekends are busy with day-trippers from Las Palmas. Prices are moderate: mains average €19. Reservations are recommended for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays, as the restaurant fills quickly with visitors exploring the northwest coast.