Bar Restaurante Es Cubells is a gem of a restaurant located right next to the whitewashed church in the beautiful little village of Es Cubells. After a full morning of driving and exploring the south-west coast of Ibiza, my friends and I couldn't have hoped for a more warm and welcoming place to enjoy our lunch.
Surprisingly busy on this somewhat cloudy winter day in Es Cubells, there was a happy and relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant as the mainly local clientele chatted and tucked into their food. Nevertheless, our waiter, Oliver, greeted us in perfect English as he showed us to our table on the pretty terrace surrounded by colourful plants, and overlooking Es Cubells's church square with its plethora of trees and picturesque street lamps.
Bar Restaurante Es Cubells has an extensive and very impressive main menu, but today we decided to order from the lunch time set menu, or menu del dia. With three courses (two choices per course) plus a drink for €11.50 per head, this seemed like a real bargain to us.
Oliver brought us a basket of bread and Ibiza's ever-popular appetiser, alioli (a creamy mixture of garlic and oil with a consistency similar to mayonnaise), along with a dish of olives to share as we made a start on the extremely good bottle of house red.
To gain the best overview of Bar Restaurant Es Cubells's lunch time menu, between us, we ordered every choice on the menu del dia. As a starter, two of us chose Ensalada Ibicenca (traditional Ibiza salad); a deliciously creamy combination of potato, egg, onion, peppers and artichoke, topped with tomatoes, olives and a leaf of fresh parsley. Our friend's starter of garlic soup was certainly an interesting dish and not what she had expected at all! As well as generous slices of garlic, the soup contained onion and bacon with a fried egg and slice of fried bread placed delicately on the top.
I'd decided to opt for oven baked fish for my second course, even though it was a fish I had never before tried and, according to Oliver, a member of the scorpion fish family. Any reservations I had vanished with the first mouthful; a very delicate and light flavour and not one bone to be found. It was served on a bed of sliced potatoes, onion and pepper which complimented it perfectly.
My friends were equally as happy with their lamb stew which they assured me was tender, tasty and faultlessly cooked. In fact I recall comment along the lines of the ‘best lamb stew on the island to date.'
With a choice of traditional Ibiza egg-based dessert, Greixonera, or ice cream to round off our meal, plus the obligatory shot of the restaurant's own Hierbas Ibicencas (just to aid digestion, of course), we were all more than impressed, not only with the food, but also with the tasteful presentation and exemplary service we had enjoyed during our lunch here in Es Cubells.
Had it not been for the sky clouding over and the temperature dropping, it is fair to say that we would have been content to sit at Bar Restaurante Es Cubells all afternoon!
Quick Facts
What Bar Restaurante Es Cubells
Where Es Cubells
Why Very friendly service and a lovely "locals" atmosphere. Good quality, well presented food.
When Open every single day of the year, all year round.
Average Spend Per Head Lunch time set menu €11.50 per person. Prices vary a lot on the main menu as there is such a wide variety of choice.
Veggie Options Yes…on the main menu.
Disabled Access Yes.
Room for Improvement Maybe a tad less bacon in the garlic soup…which, apparently, overrode the taste a little.
Top Tip If you have a special dietary requirement, we recommend double-checking the ingredients before ordering. I almost chose the garlic soup myself as I would never have guessed that it might contain bacon…and I'm a non meat-eater! That said, you can rest assured that any questions or concerns will be handled with the utmost attention and care by the friendly and efficient staff.
Also, make sure you take a look inside the restaurant at the wonderful artwork adorning the walls!
Comprehensive Listing of Ibiza Restaurants
For a truly informative listing of restaurants on Ibiza, catering to all tastes, budgets and dietary requirements, please see Ibiza Spotlights Guide to Best Restaurants