A romantic evening

A Romanesque evening in Santa Cruz de Tenerife can begin with a show at the Teatro Guimerá. The building was founded in 1851 and is the oldest theatre in the Canary Islands. Its programme is constant throughout the year. All kinds of artistic performances take place on its stage: theatre, dance, concerts of different styles of music, comedy nights and even Carnival events.

Whichever seat you choose in the theatre will ensure you have a perfect view and a perfect hearing of what is happening on stage. It is advisable to go in advance because the events always start with exquisite punctuality and because we will have time to enjoy the singularities of the building, its interior and also its surroundings beforehand. It is also interesting to note that, just a few metres from the Guimerá Theatre, one of its stops is on Line 1 of the Tenerife tram.

Well, once the show in the theatre is over, our evening can continue with a dinner in one of the more intimate restaurants in Santa Cruz. Fancy Japanese food? Kazoku Izakaya is sure to be a perfect destination for that romantic evening. The restaurant located in Calle San Clemente invites you to enjoy the most traditional flavours of Japanese, Peruvian and Mexican cuisine, including surprising and avant-garde combinations. In this fusion of cuisines there is also a place for Canarian cuisine and it is easy to find local references such as bananas and palm honey on the menu. In addition, the restaurant boasts fresh, seasonal ingredients and always prioritises zero-kilometre products. Something that is very noticeable in the mixture of flavours, colours and nuances that arrive at our table.

Speaking of tables, if you book in advance, you can choose between dining on the terrace or in the indoor area. Both places have their charm. On a night with good weather in Santa Cruz de Tenerife -which fortunately, there are many during the year-, the terrace may be the place to be. But the interior has a lot of charm too, with a minimalist and well cared for decoration; and with part of the kitchen open to the diners’ eye.

So what should we order?

Here are four recommendations: Yucatan gyozas (the name alone shows the Japan-Mexico connection) are delicious, stuffed with cochinita pilbil with Canarian teriyaki sauce. Singapore xio long bao, dumplings stuffed with king crab in a slightly spicy sauce. The acevichado taco and the uramaki are two other highly recommended options. Finally, Kazoku Izakaya has a more than interesting wine list, designed for the perfect pairing with the dishes we order. From the safe bet of the most traditional wines, to some lesser-known proposals that might surprise us.

So theatre, Japanese-fusion food and a good wine for a romantic evening in Santa Cruz, what could go wrong?