Eat it all: the Balearic Islands
By Nicole Campoy Jackson, To Taste
Ibiza, Majorca, Formentera. They’ve each got a reputation that precedes them, but none more than Ibiza (Eye-beeth-a, Eye-beez-a, you pick). The hard-partying-slash-wellness-retreat-Spanish-island has all of the things you’ve heard it does: epic nightlife, beach clubs, glitzy resorts, a healthy amount of holistic spa treatments. But Ibiza has something that, in my opinion, too few write home about. The food. You’ll find excellent food on all of the Balearic Islands, but it comes as the biggest surprise on Ibiza.
Whether you’re looking to armchair travel or you’re ready to say fuck it and book that summer trip, may I recommend that you start on Ibiza, completing your stay on Majorca and may I also recommend that you arrive very hungry…
IBIZA
Once you’ve got flights, book tables at Es Torrent and Taller de Tapas Food Studio for a late lunch and late dinner, respectively. Es Torrent is well known and can’t-miss, conjuring that perfect vacation scene of a small beach before you, your toes in the sand, oysters and a chilled bottle of rose on the table. Taller de Tapas Food Studio, on the other hand, feels like a secret. To wit, it took two taxi drivers and two separate locals to help us find the right cobblestoned road that led us to an unmarked door and into the unforgettable restaurant.
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You’ll need a hotel. Book a room and an “experience” at Sir Joan, like their Atlantis hike.
Fill in the rest of your meals at La Paloma, El Chiringuito, book a table for sunset at Experimental Beach Club, have a lingering lunch at Ses Boques. Explore Santa Gertrudis with a stroll through town, a bit of shopping, and dinner at Can Pau. You’ll want to rent a car so that you’re not limited to the south (where most of the action is). Take it to Cala Xuclar, to Giri Residence for a chill afternoon at the spa, and to the charming town of Santa Agnes.
Pro Tip: Cap your dinners with a shot or two of hierbas a local digestif made from roughly 20 different Iberian-grown herbs (and mainland-grown anise). It’s addictive, delicious, and classic Ibiza.
FORMENTERA
This one’s wildly easy to plan: reserve a boat (a catamaran or a yacht, really) for the day, sailing from Ibiza. Tell them what time you’ve booked lunch at Juan Y Andrea, and they’ll take care of the rest. This is another meal you’ll have with your toes in the sand, staring out at the glistening sea, turning away only to ogle the enormous paella.
The small island is essentially one enormous beach. People lay out, swim, drink, and eat. That’s it. It’s a dream.
When you’re ready to go, a dingy will take you right back out to your private boat. It’s a perfect system.
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MAJORCA
Before you even book a hotel on Majorca, there are two important reservations to make: a dinner at the romantic and absolutely lovely Es Raco de Teix and a lunch at the very literally seaside C’as Patro March. The first is a Michelin-starred restaurant where you’ll begin with your choice of three local olive oils and sip on your choice of three local brandies with dessert. C’as Patro March, in Deia, is a jam-packed and somewhat frenetic restaurant that sits on the cliffside looking out onto the ocean, serving excellent seafood. Walk off your long lunch in the town of Deia, with it’s bohemian vibes and funky galleries and shops.
Once that’s taken care of, book a room at the historic and stunning Gran Hotel Son Net. It feels like you suddenly have a family friend with an old villa in Spain (and…a staff). The best kind of friend, some say. You’ll either want to rent a car to explore or book a car and driver. However you get there, be sure to find yourself at Finca Son Mico. It’s a secret garden of a villa, in which there is a bakery you will talk about for weeks, months, maybe years to come.
Spend an afternoon and an evening in Palma, the island’s main city. Stop for a late breakfast at La Molienda or tapas at La Boveda. But be sure to save room for a Majorcan sweet bread, hot chocolate, or an ice cream at the 300 year old Ca’n Joan de S’aigo.
Book a table at Ombu for dinner and then slip into Coquetier and/or Brass Club for a nightcap.
Try not to shed a tear as you pack for your return flight. You’ll be back next summer, I’m sure of it.
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