Travel I

The High Low: Ibiza

WORDS: CHLOÉ BRAITHWAITE | IMAGES: JONDAL, ANTHONY PEREZ

Ibiza’s reputation precedes it: a sun-drenched island paradise synonymous with a vibrant, bohemian spirit. This same energy infuses its restaurant scene, where talented Chefs are reimagining what traditional Ibizan food is in 2024. Today, global influences weave seamlessly with local flavours and produce; fresh-caught seafood plucked straight from the Mediterranean mingles with sun-ripened fruits, plump vegetables and natural wines. This typical dedication to local bounty translates into dishes that are not only wonderfully satisfying, but also deeply connected to the island’s identity.

The Beach Club: Jondal

Since Head Chef and El Bulli alumnus Rafa Zafra opened Jondal in 2019, the restaurant has become the place to be.

Part of the reason for that is the atmosphere: it oozes with Ibiza’s cool-yet-carefree vibes. From the driftwood-shaded entrance dotted with green-filled terracotta pots to the artfully minimal whitewashed interiors that seem to cast a spell with the sunlight, Jondal is the kind of space photographers dream of. Woven baskets and totes hang on the walls and line the floor, and the earthy cream-and-beige palette merely punctuates the bright al-fresco dining area just beyond the arched doorway.

Here is where Zafra’s creation really excels. The restaurant-beach-club feels like an ode to the Mediterranean lifestyle. Housed in a traditional Ibizan beach house, the outdoor bar boasts a kaleidoscope of spirits, superb wines and a delicious, concise cocktail menu. Swaying sail cloths shade rows of tables, barely adorned even when ready for guests, as if to foreshadow the showcase of bright dishes to come.

Because the other reason for Jondal’s enduring popularity is the food. Given Zafra’s experience at the famously experimental El Bulli, it’s perhaps surprising that the menu appears at first glance to be simple – deceptively so. Jondal is primarily a seafood restaurant, and that apparent simplicity masks a technical brilliance that brings out the best in each raw ingredient.

Your next choice then is technique. Grilled, fried, sautéed, cured, raw or stewed? With two options per ingredient, or a seafood special that comes with the thinking done for you, Zafra’s menu design is really about allowing the main ingredient to shine. King crab, for example, comes grilled with a creamy hollandaise or simply sautéed with chilli. Both bring out something different in the crustacean: enrobed in chilli, the crab is sweeter somehow, while the hollandaise emphasises a subtle, brine-y saltiness. The showstopper, however, is the fried scorpion fish: deep fried and served whole with bright coriander and sour pickled onions destined for build-your-own tacos.

And that’s just the restaurant menu. The beach bar features snacks not so far removed from the gourmet options of the restaurant itself, though a little more eclectic: caviar served 13 different ways sits alongside a fried chicken sandwich with coleslaw and hot sauce. You’ll come for the vibes, but you’ll stay for the food – and the long, very necessary siesta on the
beach afterwards.

jondal.es

The Chic Beach House: Nudo Ibiza

Unpretentious flavour and stunning views combine to make Nudo Ibiza well worth the visit to the north of the island. The restaurant is the stuff of literal dreams: those of three friends, Jessica Natali, Edoardo Fiaschi and José Conde. While working together in Copenhagen’s renowned Noma, the three friends travelled around the world, working its international pop-ups in Australia, Japan and Mexico. Upon their return, that dream became clear: with their love of the sea, their craft and the island, the three Chefs turned their hands to their very own restaurant.

Located on Platja es Figueral, Nudo came to life in an old weathered beach house. Following a gentle renovation and an injection of personality, the result is a warm, stylish establishment with near 360-degree views of the sands. Inside, Nudo feels like the home of one of your most fashionable friends: an industrial-style bookshelf leans off to the side, laden with cookbooks, stacks of dishes, knick-knacks from travels and a very healthy Golden Pothos hanging plant creeping down to the floor. The indoor dining room, luminous and right next to the kitchen (where, I am told, guests are often given special treats), opens onto a comfortable living room where diners can wait in comfort for their table with a drink or three. Outside, charmingly mismatched chairs are shaded from the beaming Ibizan sun and, thankfully, often treated to a cool breeze.

“We just wanted a small restaurant in front of the sea, and the three of us loved the island,” Jess tells me. “We are three friends tired of the fine-dining scene, who just want to cook good food without forgetting everything we’ve learned.”

Thanks to all the chatter their 2022 opening created, it’s safe to say they’ve accomplished just that. Nudo Ibiza became the hottest new opening on the island, with diners descending upon it from both near and far. Flavours from all over the world converge on the fresh, creative menu, which they’ve also managed to keep pared-back and relaxed, with a strong emphasis on local, seasonal, sustainable produce.

“We’re just a small beach restaurant focused on good ingredients,” explains Jess, though far too humbly considering Nudo’s popularity. “We’re a seafood restaurant with natural [Balearic] wines, and we only work with wild-caught fish and veggies from a couple of organic farms on the island.”

The most popular menu items, she continues, include a raw Mediterranean tuna served with whisper-thin slices of Tocino Iberico – the creamy, nutty, rich fat from acorn-fed pigs – in an Ibizan approximation of surf-and-turf, and oysters served ‘à la Jess’, although the offerings change seasonally, heavily influenced by their travels. Fish collar bone ‘bravos,’ for example, looks a lot like what one would find on a trip to Thailand, while the boiled red shrimp with a spicy-sweet kimchi mayo could really be from anywhere, as could the donut ice cream sandwich with raspberry miso and saffron for a heady, Ibiza-worthy dessert.

nudoibiza.com