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On the Balearic Islands many restaurants tend to have short business seasons. This is less true of Mallorca, but on Menorca, Ibiza, and especially on Formentera, it might be May (or later) before the shutters are removed from that great seafood shack you’ve heard so much about. Really fine dining experiences are in short supply on the islands; in the popular beach resorts, the promenades can seem overrun with paella and pizza joints. Away from the water, however, there are exceptional meals to be had—and the seafood couldn’t be any fresher.
Located in busy Palma, each menu at fera has between four and seven courses. Some favorite dishes include the wild sea bass and the lamb. Lunch and dinner services also include a dedicated vegetarian menu offering a variety of plant-based dishes. They also have a varied wine selection and an impressive nonalcoholic drink menu. This restaurant has a sophisticated dining palate that doesn't shy away from being top-notch but doesn't alienate new travelers who aren't used to fine dining.
In the leafy garden of the Can Bordoy boutique hotel, Botànic is a plant-forward restaurant that also features locally sourced meat and fish. The menu is inspired by Southeast Asian, the Middle Eastern, and Mexican cuisines but firmly rooted in Mediterranean flavors.
The real magic of Ibiza can only be discovered when you head off the beaten track, and Es Boldado proves it. Getting here requires a bumpy ride down a dirt track off the main road that links Sant Josep de la Talaia with the beautiful beaches at Cala d'Hort, but the reward more than makes up for it. Don't expect snooty servers and white tablecloths; come for the giant plates of fresh seafood paella and mesmerizing views of the turquoise sea stretching to Es Vedrà island.
An excellent place for a lunch of typical local cuisine, this restaurant is in an old windmill at the west end of Es Mercadal, on the ME1 about halfway between Mahón and Ciutadella and roughly 4 km (2½ miles) from El Toro. Menorcan specialties include squid stuffed with anglerfish, shrimp, and chicken with centrally (spider crab). It has fortress-grade, whitewashed stone walls, low vaulted ceilings, and a cheerful bustle that pulls in locals and visitors alike. On warm summer days, arrive early to claim a table on the terrace. The sopa menorquina is excellent.
This former bakery turned restaurant (forn means "bakery" or "oven" in Mallorquin) dates back to the 19th century and features exposed brick walls, patterned floor tiles, modern art, and picture-perfect Mediterranean tapas. A cocktail bar on the ground floor overlooks the street, and one of the three distinct dining areas is where bread dough was once prepared. There's a good-value three-course lunchtime fixed-price menu.
Hoyo19 (or Hole 19), open all year, overlooks the golf course, but locals come here to enjoy the serenity and beautiful green setting, just a 10-minute drive from Santa Eulària. From breakfast onward, the menu focuses on Mediterranean haute cuisine, with superb rice dishes cooked over a wood fire and excellent locally sourced meat and fish options.
Channeling that Ibiza-boho vibe, La Paloma feels like a refuge for artists and hippies, nestled amid the shady overhang of orange and lemon trees. By day, the eclectic café menu features crunchy salads and Middle Eastern– and North African–inspired dishes; by night, it's all about homemade pasta (the chef is Italian, and many ingredients come directly from Italy). There are also organic wines and refreshing juices. If traveling with children, the knobbly trees and picturesque surroundings are ideal territory for them to go off and play. In winter, dine inside by the fire.
Chef--owner Miguel Llabrés honed his craft at starred restaurants in Mallorca and opened here in 2014 to local acclaim. He keeps the menu short and focuses on garden-fresh seasonal vegetables and free-range local meats. Try the Ibizan potato salad, served warm in a massive bowl with anchovies, onions, red peppers, green beans, and a main course of Iberian pork shoulder or suckling lamb chops. The building, a former elementary school restored in rustic style, also houses a gourmet shop featuring products from the Can Miquel Guasch olive oil mill, one of the oldest producers on the island.
Creative, contemporary Menorcan cuisine is the draw in this former jewelry workshop, which has a small, leafy courtyard and a low-key cosmopolitan vibe. Start things with a local gin and choose from a monthly updated menu showcasing regional flavors with artful flair.
