Postcard from Ibiza: alfresco winter dining in the countryside
Posted by Lucy on November 21st, 2008Music-loving travel blogger and Ibiza insider Cila Warncke delivers a sun-soaked, mouthwatering foodie snapshot from the balmy Balearic Island she calls home…
The holidays are bearing down with freight-train inevitability so naturally, I’ve been thinking about food. My national origins call for turkey-gobbling in November, but here in Ibiza the sun is still shining and the emphasis is on fresh, organic food. Our neighbours have orange trees sporting fruit the size of softballs, a few late figs are ripening and my daily run takes me past fields of flowering potato plants and rows of ruby red peppers.
Among the best places to taste the island’s delicious home-grown vegetables are traditional Ibicenco restaurants like Cami de Balafia (+971 325 019), on the Sant Joan carretera. In the summer, you can’t move for superstar DJs and boho A-listers swanking around its garden, so autumn is the perfect time to enjoy its homely charms. The concept is simple: vast, earth-red slabs of meat; fat sausages and – to redress the corpuscle balance – heaps of wonderful garden-fresh salad.
If you prefer your greens unaccompanied by the scent of barbeque, Sant Llorenc favourite La Paloma (+971 325 543) is herbivore heaven, concocting wonderful Italian/Asian fusion dishes with ingredients from their generous vegetable patch.
Another local favourite – and an essential stop for cheese-lovers – is Can Caus (+971 197 517), outside Santa Gertrudis. They have their own dairy and make an array of delicious cheeses, which they serve up by the platter along with succulent meat, piles of grilled veg and dangerously easy-drinking house wine. It’s a family-friendly space as well, so you can take the kids and make lunch a whole-afternoon affair.
PS. Check out our villas in Ibiza..
Thanks Cila. I remember having a very long lunch at Can Caus last winter – it’s a great place when it’s cold because it has open fireplaces!
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On November 21st, 2008
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On November 22nd, 2008
Nothing beats alfresco eating in Ibiza – especially in winter. Such a treat
By zooeyibz
On November 23rd, 2008
Hi Cila, I thought I should probably add a footnote to this celebrating the mighty Guido – the chap who cooked us all dinner at the villa that night! How delicious was his soup? Or those spice-infused salads?
His email – if you know anyone who wants a great chef in Ibiza recommending – is guidokosowski@hotmail.com, or call him on +34 659 815 787 or +34 646 814 708.
Thank you Alberto, for introducing him to us!
By Juliet
On January 5th, 2009
Seconded Can Caus, a fantastic place to eat and chill. Did I say their Tapas can blow you out of this world? Oh yeah, they can! It was chilly when we were there, but that was easily sorted after 2 jugs of house wine, although sitting by the fireplace would have been better.
By Danny
On December 9th, 2010