The brunch plaza

The Ireneo Gonzalez square is one of the great little secrets of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. An enclave close to the García Sanabria park, but hidden among residential buildings, in the shade of four imposing Indian laurels. One of its corners also borders the former School of Arts and Crafts. The palace gives character and history to this quadrangle that bears the name of an outstanding grammarian and teacher from La Laguna in the 19th century. Plaza Irene González stands out for its tranquility and family atmosphere… and also for its gastronomic offer.

Cortxo Gastrobar, La Mordidita restaurant, El Rinconcito de Dalia coffee shop and restaurant, and Sabela Bar & Food Market are all within a few meters. Each one in its own style and with its own specialties, they provide this point of the city with an interesting and varied offer to enjoy at breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.

Thus, one of the busiest times at Plaza Ireneo occurs on Saturday and Sunday mornings, when the kitchens of El Rinconcito de Dalia and Sabela’s work at full speed to serve two of the most appetizing brunches in the city. There is a constant pilgrimage of families, groups of friends, couples or even lonely people with their laptops or electronic devices, who find in the terraces of these two establishments the perfect place to disconnect from the weekly routine and indulge in the pleasures of brunch.

This meal that is consumed between breakfast and lunch (the anglicism comes from the mixture of the English words breakfast and lunch) is gaining followers by leaps and bounds. At Sabela they boast of preaching “breakfastology” and of offering one of the best menus on the island for those breakfasts and brunches in which a drink with seasonal fruit and coffee is always present, toast and a sweet farewell. It is difficult to decide on one of the toasts (it will be better to visit Sabela more than once and try several options) but we can highlight the benedictine, which includes smoked salmon, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and pepper on brioche bread; or the black pig toast, cooked in the oven and combined with avocado, red onion, cilantro and poached egg, all on a slice of loaf bread.

Meanwhile, El Rinconcito de Dalia stands out above all for its exclusive offer of artisan bread, which in itself is a true palette of colors (and flavors). The perfect complement to the charcuterie and cheese board with which we open the brunch, which also includes fresh orange juice, fresh fruit and the coffee of our choice. El Rinconcito also offers a glass of plain Greek yogurt with muesli, honey and chia and more than a touch of sweetness thanks to the croissants, fig jam and homemade sponge cakes.