The creative partnership of Michael Duignan and Federico Espino-Martell is that remarkable thing - a business both local and international in vision, modest and yet wildly inventive. It started with El Drago, a home from home dining experience perched high in the stunning hills of the island’s east coast. Set in a charming converted finca, guests were encouraged to take slow three hour lunches, sample fine wine and then languish beside an amazing azure pool. Loved by both press and public alike, this idyllic hideaway was to set the duo’s high standard of excellence. Bolstered by success, the pair sought to bring this level of sophistication closer to the hub of the island, and so, in 2004 opened Laguna. Located on the perimeter of a protected nature reserve in Maspalamos, this small but elegant dining room was everything that was missing on the island. Jewel colours, sheer glass walls and a Miami-style glamour attracted the cream of Canarian society, while the menu more than matched the standards of its more established contemporaries. Federico was born and bred in Gran Canaria and has always cited the island’s traditional rural food as inspiration. Moving to London in his early twenties he sailed into a series of plum restaurant roles just as the city was reinventing itself as a serious foodie destination. After playing a role in the success of  Knightsbridge’s Sud Ouest, Martell went on to work for Peter Gordon’s much celebrated Sugar Club, absorbing that restaurant’s unique and masterful take on ‘nu-fusion’. It’s this flawless pedigree that now informs his personal taste and creates a bench mark for his own ideas and enterprises. Michael comes from a different world entirely, but one that is no less exact. Having cut his teeth in the worlds of music and high fashion, this true renaissance man has fronted pop bands, graced catwalks and consulted for a crop of international fashion designers. Before moving to Gran Canaria at the start of the century he spent seven years as the PR to legendary shoe designer Manolo Blahnik and was a lynch pin in the success of that business phenomenon. Back in the late nineties, Gran Canaria was lagging behind in the style stakes. Chic restaurants were thin on the ground, healthy fast food was a contradiction in terms, whilst the idea of a country retreat where you could swim, dine and dance under the stars seemed almost laughable. And yet, in a few short years, Duignan and Martell have made an indelible mark on the island’s conciousness with their various culinary adventures. There’s an overriding tendency to lavish praise on a business that dares to be different, but new venture Mundo certainly deserves the accolades it has garnered so far. More than anything, Michael and Federico have brought the essence of their philosophy into a more casual dining experience. Using the best, freshest, local ingredients, the pair reference a whole host of classic dishes, stirring in a lifetime of travel and experience into the mix. El mundo, as they say, is yours for the taking..