Enrique is standing by the roadside, smiling. He’s one of those people who probably never get in a bad mood. He recognises a guest and greets him with a mixture of joy and nonchalance. Enrique remembers his regulars. And his manner wins him many of them. In no time at all.
„La Tasquita“ has been on Plaza del Charco in Puerto de la Cruz for a long time. However, a few weeks ago it changed hands. The neighbour took over the pizzeria and has been running it as a subsidiary ever since.
Where dark wood tones once set the mood, fresh, light-coloured paint now brings in the light. White, red and a touch of blue brighten up the pizzeria. And, of course, Enrique (photo: see below), who is one of the first staff members to arrive at work and one of the last to go home. After just a few weeks, he has become the face of this restaurant in Tenerife. And his secret is soon revealed.
Enrique is the face of La Tasquita in Puerto de la Cruz
That’s because Enrique has an excellent memory. He’s just greeted a regular customer who’s back in Puerto de la Cruz after a few weeks away. He recognises him straight away and welcomes him with a quick chat.
His wife is surprised by this. She goes to bed early and, as she herself admits, is therefore rarely here. She says she isn’t surprised that her husband is well known here. But she’s impressed, she says, that she, too, has just been greeted by her first name. So she reckons she’ll probably come along now and then over the coming weeks and just go to bed a bit later.
This is the La Tasquita pizzeria in Tenerife
Enrique is largely oblivious to all this. After greeting them, he has disappeared behind the bar and is preparing the drinks they’ve ordered with a colleague. A short while later, he’s back at the table and delighted by the cheerful atmosphere. He hasn’t even realised that he’s the reason for it.
Enrique understands a few words of German. And his name, which comes up time and again. Otherwise, he communicates in Spanish and English. Today, in particular, he needed to do so more often. Many of his guests were celebrating a British public holiday. He and his colleagues were given hats as gifts. Just for fun, they put them on briefly and wave them around to greet everyone. Then it’s back to work:
„La Tasquita“ is new. And yet the restaurant remains true to its established style. Because, alongside the truly excellent Canary Islands starters and main courses, it’s still all about the pizza. Whenever one leaves the kitchen, it clearly towers above the edge of the plate on all sides. The guests acknowledge this with satisfied looks – and sometimes with a drawn-out „mmmmmh“.
These are served alongside three different draught beers, cocktails – which are flowing freely from the bar this evening, much to the guests‘ obvious delight – and fine wines. We recommend the house red wine, which offers good value for money.
Plenty of light and a modern vibe in Puerto de la Cruz
The restaurant-bar on the harbour side of the square has nothing to hide. As such, guests inside are greeted by plenty of glass. Behind it, the kitchen is brightly lit. Anyone who wishes can watch their meals being prepared from start to finish. And, as an added bonus, this interior design ensures even more light.
There’s plenty of that on the large terrace, too. The light-coloured parasols feature subtle lighting during the day and modern LED elements with warm light in the evening. Whatever the time of day, anyone sitting in La Tasquita is always in the light. And so it happens that one or two tables lose track of time.
Canary Islands sounds at ‚La Tasquita‘ on Tenerife
Enrique’s guest and his wife are among them too. They’re now sitting with a larger group. Whilst the steakhouse next door has long since closed and the staff at La Tasquita are quietly clearing away the first tables and chairs, the group of five are just discussing how much nicer it is here now.
Enrique’s guest is certain he’ll be back very soon. The main restaurant next door is visited by a local band every Thursday. At 7 pm sharp, music from the Canary Islands fills the air for at least three and a half hours. He doesn’t want to miss it. „You know what, I’m coming along this time,“ says his wife. They both nod contentedly and say goodbye to Enrique. He’s now looking forward to the end of his shift. He doesn’t let on, though. How could he? He’s been smiling all evening anyway.
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