Suns for all audiences

Historic restaurants that haven't changed a single ingredient in their recipes for decades, temples for carnivores that let time transform their cuts before taking them for a spin on the grill, informal tables with menus that don't reach 40 euros per person, or tapas bars that go a step further in their preparations, naturally blend in the awards list with the well-known benchmarks of haute cuisine.

Many things can be said against the Repsol guide that was presented this week in Santa Cruz de Tenerife – questionable decisions, very disparate tables equated in rank or omissions that contrast with hasty honors – but not that it fails to reflect the diversity of the hospitality sector in this country.

The system has its flaws, of course, such as seeing in the same category tables that make a very different economic, creative and service effort – that's what happens when you try to quantify the richness of a gastronomic experience with three figures – but what prevails in the final decision seems to be the restaurant's ability to please the customer, whether with haute cuisine creations or with a plate of beans.

Some criticize the generosity with which these awards are bestowed, accolades that, for now, remain light years away from the prestige of Michelin stars. Perhaps they don't yet have the same capacity to enhance the prestige of chefs or attract the attention of connoisseurs, but by showcasing more diverse ways of dining out, they may ultimately prove more useful to the general public.