May 2009
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La Torreta Chef David Roman beams broadly after coming to our table to receive congratulations and well-deserved thanks.
Alison: Luc has a thing about only eating at places with table clothes. Luckily, not an issue as he also has a knack for finding really good restaurants. Me, not always so lucky – as in the “Mexican” restaurant I insisted we try.
Should have known it would be a wash when we were greeted by a Scandinavian hostess. Had to be the worst meal of the trip. Realllyy bad. But doesn’t every vacation have one of those meals, where you end up laughing so much that it becomes a form of entertainment – and a story? So you can count on me for that – finding those gems.
Luc: Easy to avoid this restaurant, it’s the only Mexican one in Eivissa. Sadly.
Alison: But for that one exception, the food in Ibiza was very good. Two places stand out as heads above the rest.
Warm goat's cheese salad at La Torreta Restaurante - a work of art and simply wonderful.
La Torreta Restaurante, Plaza Dalt Vila
Alison: In our book, La Torreta Restaurante rates as a four-star restaurant and was a surprising find, tucked away within the walls of the town’s landmark castle (more on that later…).
And thank god, I was dehydrated and starving. Luc had already turned down two other options and it felt like we were going in circles. But it was worth the effort! We each had the table d’ hôte, selecting different dishes. Even the bread rolls were amazing —crusty on the outside, soft and yeasty inside., and simply yummy, with a choice of whole grain or white with black olives.
My mouth waters just thinking about our meal. Chef David Roman is a master at presentation. Chef Roman’s culinary creations are a revelation. If I have to describe each dish, I might cry. Yum, yum. And Lubo, our waiter, was kind enough to let us meet Chef Roman and pay our compliments.
Restaurante Moorea, Playa d’en Bossa
Alison: We came upon Restaurante Moorea, Playa d’en Bossa, just wandering the opposite direction from the main area of town. I think we went a total of 3 times during our trip, including the last night. Aside from good food, our waiter Fabrizio was also an attraction. Very personable – and remembered our names on the second visit. I still can taste my ceviche and remember my gluttonous glee when Fabrizio brought out my grilled sea bass, in its entirety, still sizzling in the skillet.
Luc: I agree, this restaurant was good and inviting. My only reservation was the grilled rabbit. Rabbit is a local dish but what I was served wasn’t cook enough. Bit tough and hard to pull away from the bone.
Pizzeria Dausol and Cañas y Barro
Alison: Also of note, family-run Restaurante Pizzeria Dausol, which was located across from our hotel, and Cañas y Barro, a cerveceria/restaurante situated halfway between downtown and our hotel. I had an amazingly beautiful entree of prosciutto on a half pineapple. Gorgeous – and delicious.
Luc: On Cañas y Barro, my problem with this one is the scenery from the terrasse: the view of a wasteland across the street.
La Brasa
Alison: One place that is truly beautiful at night, a magical outdoor garden, is La Brasa, located at Calle de Pere Sala, 3, just a stone’s throw from the Plaza del Parc . But Luc and I were not impressed by our paella.
Luc: In this case, I think it was just a bad menu selection. The atmosphere, the “color” and overall candle light romantic atmosphere is worth the visit. I just would go again and choose something else. When you see a lot of locals in family gatherings (mainly adults) it’s usually a good sign. Beside, in this case, the romance of the place and being with your love one is many times worth the tab.
Alison: Oh, and we can’t forget to mention the food at the Hotel Garbi. The breakfast, which is included, is more than ample. The buffet is extensive – you get everything from croissants and chocolatines to cereals, toast and buns, yogurt, scrambled and sunnyside up eggs to custom omelettes – and takes into account the main preferences of the nationalities that visit, like pickled fish, sausages, beans, and cold cuts. Very nice fruit selection and fresh juices. Coffee is a Nescafé machine, which was disappointing. As for dinner, cost was $25 Cdn each and definitely *not* worth it, especially compared to the quality and prices elsewhere. The staff are cordial and professional.
Important: Don’t be surprised to receive complementary glasses of liqueur at the end of a meal. Hierbas Ibicencas is a traditional liqueur offered as a gesture of hospitality by many of the local restaurants. The name says it all: herbal. Tastes a bit like rosemary, thyme and juniper berries (initial impression – before reading about it online). We liked it so much, we brought a bottle home for ourselves and one as a gift for the friend that cat-sat for us.
