Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)
IBIZA has a great range of restaurants, although many are overpriced and underwhelming at the same time.
It pays to have some local knowledge and, in particular, to have a car to get to the rural reaches of the island, where many of its best eateries are found.
The northern triumvirate of Sant Miguel, Santa Gertrudis and Sant Llorenc have some of the best chestnuts.
I particularly liked Aubergine (www.aubergineibiza.com), an unpretentious roadside venta from the outside that opens out into a stunning landscaped garden.
Just outside Sant Miguel, its remit is offering a veritable feast of local goodness, with the Slow Food concept of ‘farm to table’.
As you might expect there are plenty of great light vegetarian dishes, such as the fabulous roasted aubergine carpaccio, with cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, rocket pesto and a lot more…but it also had delicious lamb chops with homegrown potatoes at just €20 and a superb Aberdeen Angus burger.
There is a kids menu at €12 and they also have a playpark at the back, plus on busy nights you’ll be spoilt by an unobtrusive fashion show of the restaurant shop’s wares.
Up the road in the village of San MIguel is the stunning La Luna Nell’Orto (www.lalunanellorto.com), where you sit under a shady fig tree and meet the beautiful people.
It’s a touch overpriced, but the food is excellent and includes dishes like ceviche and a delicious carrillada, or bulls cheek.
Better value, although certainly not cheap, is La Paloma (www.palomaibiza.com), a genuine island secret and well worth seeking out in San Llorenc.
The very definition of style, this rural delight is authentic in the extreme, based around a country farmhouse and you will definitely need to book.
Top tips to eat must include the aubergine starter with pitta as well as the amazing salt cod fish cakes.
The meringue cake pudding with rose petals and raspberries was the pudding of the holiday.
Nearby in Santa Gertrudis you will find some charming places to eat. But nothing will beat Bottega il Buco (www.ilbuco.com), an amazing Italian with the best ingredients imaginable.
The sister restaurant of the famous New York joint, it has dozens of homemade focaccia every day, made from its own largely gluten-free flour.
The menu changes daily and mostly comes from local ingredients. So a burrata one day comes with peach the next day with figs… and there are loads of fresh vegetable dishes, including a superb cauliflower gratinale, with roast fennel.
I particularly liked the smoked swordfish with cod roe, while the shoulder of lamb was particularly tender and slow cooked.
In terms of beach restaurants, you are obviously spoilt for choice.
I particularly liked Atzaro Beach (www.atzarobeach.com) in Cala Nova for its amazing location and decent range of dishes to match.
This is one cool spot overlooking the hip Cala Nova, famous for its surf waves on many days of the year.
The view goes for miles to the Punta de Fonell and famous Tagomago island across a sea of green umbrella pines, dotted with cubist villas.
Part of the fast-growing Atzaro chain, owned by a local Ibiza family, its menu includes an amazing ceviche of sea bass, with aubergine crisps, as well as a superb red prawn carpaccio, which is reminiscent of a Jackson Pollock or a Rothko, but far tastier.
Finally, as hotel restaurants go, the sixth floor roof terrace of the hotel OD Talamanca takes some beating.
Sitting at one end of trendy Talamanca beach, just a 15 minute walk to Eivissa town,
