9 Best Restaurants in Ibiza, Ibiza and the Balearic Islands

Ibiza might pride itself on its seafood, but there comes a time for meat and potatoes. When that time comes, take the 20-minute drive to the outskirts of Santa Gertrudis to this family-style roadside restaurant where you can feast on skewers of barbecued sobrasada (sausage), goat chops, and slow-cooked lamb. Most of the ingredients are from the restaurant's own farms. Diners can choose to eat at the long wooden tables on the terrace.

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 waiters and white tablecloths; instead come for the giant plates of fresh seafood paella and mesmerizing views of the turquoise sea stretching all the way to Es Vedrà island. 

Hoyo19 (or Hole 19) overlooks the golf course, but locals come here to enjoy the serenity and beautiful green setting, just a 10-minute drive from Santa Eulària. Open all year, from breakfast onwards, the menu focuses on Mediterranean haute cuisine, with superb rice dishes cooked over a wood fire and excellent locally sourced meat and fish options.

This five-table establishment, where the chef cooks behind the bar, is where locals flock to feast on curveball-flavored croquetas (think: prawn and kimchi) and slices of brioche towering with toppings, such as sticky chipotle pork and lemon-mayo squid. Come to get your fingers greasy, chin gooey, and swear to never tell a soul about the (refreshingly affordable) gem you just found.  

A perennial favorite, La Brasa is tucked down a side street close to the walls of the Dalt Vila. Here you can dine on traditional Ibizan cuisine, such as barbecued entrecôte steak, lamb chops, or grilled squid, within a tree-filled courtyard lit by fairy lights and candles—a haven from the bustling surroundings. The cozy setting is half hidden behind lush green plants and overflowing flowerpots. The prices are a little steep for the simple fare and wine on offer, but the setting makes it worthwhile.

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 there). There are also organic wines and refreshing juices. If traveling with children, the knobbly trees and picturesque surrounds are ideal territory for them to go off and play. In winter, dine inside by the fire.

This charming little port-side Italian restaurant has just 12 tables inside, softly lit with candles and track lighting. The kitchen prides itself on hard-to-find fresh ingredients flown in from Italy. The linguine with jumbo shrimp, saffron, and zucchini or with bottarga (dried and salted mullet roe from Sardinia) is wonderful. In summer, the seating expands to an interior patio and tables on the sidewalk—and the service can get more than a bit ragged.

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 huge bowl with anchovies, onions, red peppers, and 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.