Mother India is a tandoori restaurant in Puerto de la Cruz, and of the Indian options in town it is the one our hosts pick. It is about twenty-five minutes east of the apartment.
The case for eating something else
Canarian food is good and it is narrow. Fish, rabbit, pork, potatoes, mojo, chickpeas — done well, repeatedly. On a long weekend that is a pleasure. On a two-week stay, most people reach a point where they would like something with different spices in it.
Puerto de la Cruz is where you go for that. It has been a tourist town since the nineteenth century, long before the southern resorts existed, and it developed the international restaurant range that goes with a settled foreign population rather than a seasonal one.
Practicalities
Twenty-five minutes each way, so it is an evening out rather than a casual decision. Park in one of the town car parks and walk.
If Mother India is full, our hosts also rate Ristta for Thai and El Amir for Lebanese, both in the same town — and El Taller Seve Díaz if you are booking a long way ahead and want the Michelin star.
What to expect
Tandoori cooking is the house style — the clay oven, high heat, breads and marinated meats. That travels well and it is what the restaurant is named for.
As anywhere, order across the table rather than one dish each. Indian menus are also among the easier ones for vegetarians on this island, which is worth knowing after a few days of Canarian menus built on fish, rabbit and pork.
Making an evening of it
Puerto de la Cruz repays a couple of hours before dinner. The street art in the old Ranilla quarter is a good walk while it is still light, and the harbour and the Lago Martiánez pool complex are both a short distance from the restaurants.
Park in one of the town car parks. The old streets are narrow and largely not worth attempting in a hire car.