However, the new "aphrodisiac" restaurant Te lo dije, P??rez (I told you so, P??rez), situated at the better end of this long street, is making a good impression there, and outstripped expectations on a recent visit.

Te lo dije P??rez opened at the end of March this year. Since then its enviable reputation has spread by word of mouth. It is owner Ram??n Sainz-Rozas Mosqueda"s first culinary venture, although he ran the cervecer????­a "Metro" beforehand. Ram??n is quick to assert that "aphrodisiac" does not equal sexual or smutty.  He sees aphrodisiacs more in terms of impulses and emotions than culinary science. The theme of the restaurant is simply intended to awaken and please the senses. The restaurant is classy and cosy:  Candles make the modern dining room feel intimate, and luscious pink colours on the walls blend into each other, creating  liquidy, sensual overtones. The walls are adorned with paintings of curving, rounded, undefined shapes, which are all for sale.

Te lo dije, P??rez engages all the senses to complement the eating experience. So, as well as the d??cor being pleasing to the eye, the plates are well presented to rouse the appetite. Allusions of romance and beauty are everywhere - love songs play in the background, and the placemats are prints of Raphael"s angels, gazing wistfully to the heavens.

The menu"s introduction quotes author Isabel Allende, who describes eating and drinking as one of life"s most pleasurable and sensual experiences. Food is portrayed as a temptation which is willingly succumbed to, a pleasure to be delected. There is a playfulness to the ordering process, since all the dishes on the menu have extravagant and flirtatious names which must be used. My companion mumbled to the waiter: "I am drowning in the amorous mist of your body." I asked the waiter for the sweat of a virgin nymph. I was actually presented with something far more appetising! The dishes were delicious, and very different to typical Canarian restaurant offerings - there was not a papa arrugada in sight! I particularly liked the attention to detail, such as taste laden reduced sauces to accompany each dish, and great presentation.

The food certainly stimulated the palate, since not only was it tasty, it also used rich spices and strong flavours to good effect. We ordered a prawn salad to start, which came interspersed with tropical fruit and a sweet dressing. I followed with a confit of duck in a honey sauce, with caramelised apples and potatoes.

My date chose chicken breast with caramelised mushroom sauce and oven cooked potatoes. Pudding was a crepe with fresh strawberries and frozen yoghurt. All of this was washed down with red wine from the extensive list, and a free digestif. Other dishes include beef carpaccio seasoned with salt, balsamic vinegar and honey, ox-tail in gravy with cayenne, black pepper and walnuts, chocolate bites with a saffron and cava sauce. There are also aphrodisiac cocktails. Starters are priced from 8 euros and main dishes from 12 euros. Te lo dije Perez is on Calle Angel Guimera, 71, and is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9pm to 2am, and on Saturdays from 1pm to 4pm. To book a table call 629 835 879.