Restaurante Jardin

There are classy restaurants that are only keen to impress, and those that focus on nothing but making the diners' experience the best it could possibly be... like the fabulous Restaurante Jardin. We have to say that we've rarely been to a restaurant where as much thought has gone into every aspect of the dining experience, from comfort to service and food to decor.

Were we impressed? Definitely.

Small and intimate, this relatively new restaurant on the Tenerife dining scene is part of the swanky five-star Royal Garden Villas Hotel in Costa Adeje. However, unlike many hotel restaurants, there are no lack of personal touches in the Restaurante Jardin. The owners have carefully styled the restaurant according to their own preferences, selecting tableware, furnishings and ornaments that match the sumptuous surroundings.

In addition to spacious candlelit tables and gleaming silverware, think hardbound menus, plump back-cushions on padded chairs and starched napkins bound with dainty shell bracelets. Dishes are served under silver tureens, which might conjure up visions of stiff formality and gently bowing butlers but the service here is anything but, combining comforting degrees of efficiency and friendliness with just the right amount of unobtrusive attention. Which is all very good and well you might be thinking, but what about the food?

Well we can't speak for all of the dishes on the menu (we were hungry, but not that hungry!), but if our starters of Creamy Lobster Bisque with Pernod & Salmon Caviar and Sirloin Carpaccio Marinated in Lime Vinaigrette with Parmesan, Rocket & Sun-dried Olives are anything to go by, you'll find the quality of these culinary creations hard to match in any other restaurant on the island.

With top-notch presentation and sensational taste, the starters were a hard act to follow. Could the main courses match them like for like? The answer was no... they surpassed them. Lamb Tenderloin Marinated in Merlot, with Fresh Herbs, Dried Apricot Purée & Cous-Cous with Nuts & Raisins was one of our choices, Black Canarian Suckling Pig with Apple Compote & Jamaican Pepper the other. Both were sublime, the soft texture of tender pork contrasted with a thin layer of salted crackling on the latter one of those melt-in-the-mouth moments that will be remembered for a long time.

And the desserts? Let's just say it's not your usual suspects. The creative chef at Restaurante Jardin likes to surprise... so we'll leave that to your imagination.

The Restaurante Jardin is not the place to come if you simply want to quell your hunger, that would be completely missing the point of all the effort that has gone into this dining venue. But if you're looking for a complete gastronomic experience that indulges all the senses, you'd be a fool not to move Restaurante Jardin to the top of you list of top restaurants to visit in Tenerife.