Restaurant Reviews in Ibiza — 14 of Our Favourites

Luckily we made out trip to Cala Tarida and the Cotton Beach Club in early season...otherwise I don't think we would've gotten a table! We turned up without a reservations and quickly discovered that this is one of the most popular eateries and beach clubs on the west coast...and it is easy to see why as soon as you pull up into the car park.

The all white exterior makes the turquoise water all the more luminous in the background as the sun beats down on the beach below. It offers a welcoming and cool environment to walk into on a hot sunny day. Calm and beautifully decorated with simple elegance this is really a beautiful lunch spot. Luckily we had arrived early, around noon, before the Sunday lunch rush and so we were able to get a table on the terrace, but I would advise making a reservation for sure!

As with many of the beach clubs in Ibiza the service here was impeccable. The staff were very friendly and attentive, making sure that we had everything we needed and were seated in comfort. We were brought a glass of champagne as soon as we were seated with compliments of the restaurant, a really lovely touch that I hope will be repeated next time we go!

As a refreshing alternative to wine we both opted for a fresh fruit 'mocktail' to start us off as we waited patiently for the usual bread, olives and aioli to arrive. Filled with berries, crushed ice, mint and who knows what else, the juices were amazing! The perfect thirst quencher on a hot day - although possibly more expensive than a glass of wine, they did in fact last longer.

The Spanish tradition of starting each meal with aioli, bread and olives is one that i have come to love and these were by far the best olives I have eaten! Covered in a smooth and tasty oil they came coated with lemon rind which gave them a delicious 'zing' as you bit into them. The aioli on this occasion was a little too garlic-filled for me but you can be sure of getting a quick health boost through it!

The 'plat du jour' was a sea bass baked in salt served with steamed vegetables, which my companion decided to try. As a vegetarian that also doesn't eat fish, I found my choice rather limited but having filled up on fruit juice, bread and olives I was more than happy to sample the quinoa salad as my main dish. When the sea bass arrived it came with what seemed to be a 2 inch crust of salt around it! Amazing! It was then prepared at the table where we could watch the waiter remove the salt crust, peal back the skin and remove the beautifully cooked fish meat to be plated with the steamed vegetables. It was all quite an intricate operation and very skilfully done. The waiter also managed to plate it up in the shape of a fish (although my friend is convinced that I was just seeing things!). I was assured that the fish was cooked to perfection and was truly delicious.

My quinoa salad came filled with baby spinach leaves & rocket, cherry tomatoes, apple, mango and came with a delicate dressing. the flavours worked surprisingly well together. I am not normally a fan of mixing fruit with my savoury meals but in this case it really was tasty, and surprisingly filling.

Around 2pm the restaurant started to fill up with the Sunday lunch crowd, the atmosphere was lovely though and it never felt too busy, even though pretty much all of the tables were taken. We had been asked at the beginning to vacate our table by 2pm to make way for those with reservations, but were shown to the bar and terrace area after our meal and not rushed away as I suspect we might have been in other establishments. The staff here really do make an effort and made us feel incredibly welcome and well looked after throughout.

Price-wise this beach club was very reasonable for the service and quality of food. We paid around 30€ each and were more than satisfied with that. Plus the beach at Cala Tarida is beautiful...why wouldn't you come here for a tasty lunch, views of the Med, a stunning beach and a great day out!

It feels like there are hundreds to choose from, every inch of the promenade is taken up by another cafe, restaurant, beach bar or beach club. Eventually we were pulled in by the decor and atmosphere of the beach club at the Ushuaia hotel, situated down on the south end of the beach. We were seated quickly under the cool canopy shade on the wooden terrace front and offered menus. The waitress was quickly on hand to talk us through the days specials and a few variations on the menu, bringing us water and bread rolls while we made our decisions.

Initially looking at the menu I was struck by how expensive it seemed. Having been to several of the more remote and upmarket beach clubs located around the island I felt that the prices were a bit steep...but then again, I hadn't tasted the food yet!

We went with the obligatory All i oli for starter, olives, aioli and bread. The perfect snack and just enough to keep your appetite at bay as you wait for the main course to arrive. We also ordered a couple of refreshing fruit smoothies that were delicious and almost a meal on their own. With fresh strawberries, a hint of mint and a creamy base they were divine.

I have found that in many holiday resorts, especially those by the sea, that vegetarian options are somewhat limited and tend to come in the form of a salad rather than a hearty meal. Ushuaia however was very different with several good vegetarian choices and I opted for the rather rich sounding spinach ravioli with a cheese and black truffle sauce. My friend had a few options in mind and so asked the advice of our waitress who suggested that the pad Thai was a nice change to the usual Spanish style seafood dishes.

When the dishes arrived we were very pleasantly surprised, going immediately for the obligatory foodie photos. The meals were served on large white, wide brimmed plates, almost dwarfing the portions of food. My ravioli came topped with slivers of black truffle and plenty of the rich creamy sauce. The pasta was cooked to perfection and the sauce was delicious, especially with small bites of truffle through it and it like the first proper hearty meal I had eaten all holiday. Although the portion had not looked overly large, it was plenty for lunch time and more than enough to fill me up.

My friends pad Thai was colourful, fresh and came with crunchy vegetables, well cooked seafood and chicken and a healthy dose of peanuts sprinkled on top. It turned out that it not only contained prawns as was advertised but also bite size chunks of what seemed like octopus. This was a good choice for a hot summer day, filling but refreshing and a good blend of Asian flavours and local seafood.

In the end the lunch was better value that I had thought. A total of 68€ for two people with starters, drinks and mains. We both left pretty full and satisfied!

The staff at the Blue Marlin beach club are great, accommodating to the end, we had everything our hearts desired as we sat in the shade and soaked up the wonderful beach atmosphere over lunch.

The mere suggestion of a glass of rose brought the sommelier over to explain the wine list to me. His recommendation of a Provencal rose was spot on, a cool crisp drink for a hot sunny day. As seems traditional with most Spanish meals in Ibiza we were brought the obligatory bread, olives and aioli. You might want to steer clear of this if you are planning to be kissing someone later as the aioli is definitely heavy on garlic...but then again everyone seems to be eating it so why not join them! And it is really delicious.

Olives drenched in oil have become one of my favourite things and it was great to have something to nibble on as we watched the goings on at the club. People there to sunbath, to eat, to drink, to dance and just to be seen. The numerous staff were on hand to ensure everyone's comfort, whether that be looking for a beach towel, deciding where to sit, eating, having a massage, or shopping in the small boutique. A fashion show broke out half way through the afternoon as items from the boutique were paraded around on stunning models...the easiest of window shopping!

My friend and I decided to share a starter and to save space for the main courses and we opted for the zucchini carpaccio - slivers of raw courgette topped with a hazelnut pesto, semi-sundried tomatoes, toasted walnuts and yoghurt. Not only did it look fantastic but the flavours were fresh and complimented each other well. This was my first hazelnut pesto, I'm normally just a basil or red pesto kind of girl, and it was so good that I am determined to re-create it at home. 

And we were not disappointed with the main courses either. I went for the quinoa salad, while my friend choose the black spaghetti with prawns. Both branching out a bit from our normal tastes we were not sure what to expect. The salad was fantastic! The quinoa was teamed with roasted beetroot, feta, baby spinach and toasted pecans. The result was a dish full of flavours so delicious that I didn't want it to end. My friends black spaghetti looked fantastic and was cooked to perfection, just a little 'al dente' and not drowned in too many flavours that you lost the taste of the fresh prawns.

Price wise I was expecting it to be more expensive that some of the other beach clubs we had been to but it turned out to be roughly the same and certainly worth it in terms of quality of food and the service we received. Expect to pay around €100-150 for two people for lunch and drinks.

After lunch we wandered down the sea side where the rocky beach meets the clear blue waters of the Med. Several yachts were anchored just off shore and the passengers were making their way to the beach club by dinghy. After sunset the party really starts to kick off and a day of lounging in the sun, eating and drinking turns into an evening of music and dancing!

The perfect spot to spend a day (or two!) in Ibiza.

Originally one of the few places that you could send and receive your post on the island, the bar quickly became a hang out for local residents. It still houses a few post boxes even today that you can see when you visit the toilets, adding to the very authentic feel that this restaurant has.

After stopping off in the delightful town of San Carlos, we decided to forgo the more upmarket eateries and instead opted for the 'grass-roots' feel in Bar Anita. It somehow seemed fitting after a visit to the hippy markets of Las Dalias just on the outskirts of the town.

The entrance to the restaurant is through a rather lovely garden area, walled to keep out the noise of the busy road that runs around the side of the building and covered in hanging plants and vines - the perfect nesting ground it seems for numerous small birds! This certainly adds to the charm of the place...that and the eclectic collection of locals who use this as a hang out.

We were delighted to find a table in the garden area, although there is plenty of seating further inside, it was not quite high season so the interior seemed to have a little less soul about it, although I imagine that on a busy hot summer day you might be glad of the space and cool of the interior!

We started, as most Ibizan meals do, with olives, bread and aioli (a mix of yoghurt or sour cream with garlic) - it was delicious! I might be converted to start all my meals from now on in this way. The olives were soaked in oil and mixed with various small pickles and capers, we happily polished this off long before our main courses arrived. 

Sometimes the heat in the middle of the day can really suppress your appetite and luckily the menu at bar Anita is varied enough to suit any situation; fresh salads or a choice of various pizzas and meat dishes. We had both opted for salads as the heat was beginning creep up and we needed something to freshen the palate. My tomato and mozzarella salad was fresh and tasty with dried herbs to flavour and oil to drizzle over - just the perfect salad that I had been craving. My friend had been slightly more adventurous and gone for the Ibizan salad which was certainly more of a hearty meal with potatoes, peppers, tomato, onion, green beans and olives. A good balance between salad and a meal that will certainly fill you up - he was more than happy.

Neither of us could manage a dessert or even coffee (possibly enjoyed the bread, olives and aioli too much....) and we wanted to venture round the shops before we left the pretty village so we asked for the bill and got ready to leave.

The price was reasonable for what we got and although the menu is not very inspired or unusual, sometimes you just crave a plain meal in a chilled and relaxed environment. And that is exactly what you will get in Bar Anita. Your trip here is really more about soaking up the atmosphere and experiencing a part of the Ibizan hippy heritage!