Ibiza 2019 restaurant round-up

With over 18 years’ worth of experience designing gastronomic tours for our villa guests, it’s fair to say the Dynamic Lives team have eaten our way around the island quite a few times! After all, what better way to get to know a place than through food? Dining out allows you to get acquainted with the people, culture and landscape, discovering something new with every delectable bite. No one agrees with this sentiment more than our concierge manager, Ed Graham, who grew up in Ibiza and has watched the island’s foodie reputation flourish. “Ibiza is currently one of the hottest foodie destinations in Europe,” he says knowingly. “It wasn’t always the case but now we’re literally spoilt for choice!”

In good news for traditionalists, it’s heartening to know that Ibiza’s time honoured heritage hasn’t been completely cast aside as the gastronomy scene expands. In fact, the farm to table concept once favoured by those with an affinity for the land is now more popular than ever. And in these times of conscious travelling, it’s important to acknowledge those clued-up restaurateurs who have gone back to basics, without losing sight of quality and taste. “There are a few fantastic farm to table restaurants that really stand out in Ibiza this year,” Ed says. “La Granja in San Mateo is definitely up there on the world stage. Set on acres of biodynamic farmland, they have a slow food philosophy and very limited seating, so reservations are a must.” He cites Ibiza’s premier organic farm, Terra Masia, as another must-visit location – the family-run destination collaborates with talented local chefs to host pop-up, star-lit dinners right in the middle of the farm. Another new place to add to your list is A Mi Manera on the San Juan restaurant road – our favourite Formentera restaurant has finally opened up an Ibiza outpost.

For those with a taste for the healthy life, there are also a myriad of options, each with the Dynamic Lives seal of approval. We know from experience, when it comes to finding vegan and vegetarian dinner options that are both tasty, and satisfying, Ibiza has not always delivered in the past, but there has been a big shift in 2019 to finally catering to the more conscious diners. Wild Beets in Santa Gertrudis has always been a brekkie and lunch favourite, and this year, owner Cliff Grubin has upped the ante and created an amazing plant-based evening menu too. Of course, there’s also island stalwart Passion, which has five destinations for lunch and one (Marina Botafoch) for dinner – ideal if you want a healthy dinner before clubbing. Other recommendations include Avocado Queen in Ibiza town, which – yes you guessed it – features an avocado-inspired menu, and the lush La Veranda at Atzaró, where fresh fruits and veggies are plucked straight from the surrounding gardens and then transformed into truly beautiful creations.

Speaking of beauty on a plate, Ibiza is a true hotspot for fine dining, where the stunning landscape plays a role in enhancing truly exceptional food and some of the world’s most experienced chefs are vying to make their mark within the scene. While we still love visiting the usual suspects – like the Adrià brothers conceptual restaurant within HEART Ibiza and the ever-enduring high-end Italian at Las Dos Lunas – there are some new players in town in 2019 that we’ve been very impressed by. Alabastro at Aguas de Ibiza Grand Luxe in Santa Eulalia has had a total revamp, with renowned Argentinian chef Emilio Galarza at the helm – a sensorial journey with a KM0 philosophy. Upstairs on the hotel rooftop, esteemed Peruvian chef Omar Malpartida brings his skills to new restaurant Maymanta, while further up north in San Lorenzo, chef Mark Gelman – knowns as one of Europe’s finest private caterers – presents high end Mediterranean fare with Middle Eastern flair at Markus Chef’s Kitchen. In our eyes, these are the ones to watch!

The Asian-inspired trend still continues apace across the island – spearheaded many moons ago by the iconic Bambudda, which remains popular to this day. The internationally famed Nobu brand landed on the shores of Ibiza a couple of years ago, complete with its famed black cod miso and yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño, and we can attest that the Ibiza outpost is every bit as good as the NYC original – maybe better, thanks to the beachfront views. Just down the road at Ibiza Gran Hotel, legendary Spanish chef Óscar Molina continues to reign with outrageously inventive Kaiseki cuisine La Gaia. On a more low-key – but equally as delicious – Ed tips his hat to new island addition Sharmakanda in San Juan, which fuses an array of exotic eastern flavours to create perfection on a plate. “Their ceviche is next level delicious,” he assures us. Finally, The View at Seven Pines Resort Ibiza is a spectacular restaurant with panoramic sea and Es Vedra views on the east coast, and recently revised the menu to focus on the Robata grill and twists on contemporary Asian classics. “The location alone is enough to get me to The View,” Ed says. “It’s unquestionably raised the bar for Asian cuisine in Ibiza.”

Of course it wouldn’t be a trip to Ibiza without a true, feet in the sand dining experience – not a year goes by when we don’t send guests over to our long-term favourite beach restaurant Es Xarcu, where fresh fish is caught and served daily in a truly picturesque setting, and its neighbouring venue, Es Torrent. “One of the best things about island life is a long, lazy lunch at the seaside,” says Ed. “Nothing says summer quite like it.” Interestingly, this season hasn’t seen any newcomers pop-up – restaurateurs are hanging onto their prime beach real estate – however Chiringuito Blue in Santa Eulalia, which opened late last season, has made quite the impression thanks to famed Israeli chef Haim Cohen’s Middle East meets the Med menu. For us, the most luxe beach dining is had at El Chiringuito and La Escollera – both on the beach at Es Cavallet – while Chambao (set on the seafront at Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay) lets parents settle in for a feast while the kids occupy themselves at the adjacent kids’ club – arguably the very coolest one in the world, not just Ibiza.

In fact, there’s no shortage of family-friendly dining destinations in Ibiza, and as a father himself, our founder George Burdon understands how important it is to find a restaurant where the kids are as happy as their parents when it comes to cuisine, and setting. For some of the best pizzas on the island, head to Mimì Pizza Bistrot at Can Domingo in the hills of San Jose, where you order a selection of tasty pizza bases and then a bunch of tapas-style toppings – everyone has the freedom to build their perfect pizza, from basic and gourmet to just plain quirky! There’s also tasty Italian street food and amazing cocktails for the parents. In the heart of the island, in Santa Gertrudis, hip new concept store Numero 74 L’Atelier has a fabulous children’s play area and healthy buffet style restaurant that’s got all the local parents buzzing – there are also craft workshops that keeps little ones busy, or that can be experienced together as a family. Finally, George rates Babylon Beach on the island’s east coast as an all-age destination. “The eco kids’ playground (with a zip line) is the best on the island,” he explains. “And the kids’ menu is so good it almost makes the adults jealous.”

Finally, it wouldn’t be Ibiza without at least one late night, pre-party fuel-up, and there are a couple of new additions to the scene that have really made waves this year. “Laylah Ibiza is a few doors down from Pacha Ibiza and the Israeli-inspired food and cocktails there are really incredible,” Ed says. “We also love to recommend Bottega Il Buco – a restaurant in Santa Gertrudis with über-cool New York roots that oozes a warm, sociable vibe and serves fresh made focaccia by the slice and delicious Italian plates with great wine until really late.” For a failsafe, try IT Ibiza in the Marina. “Essentially, it’s fine dining with a party spirit,” say Ed. And it doesn’t get more Ibiza than that.