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Why go? To take your taste buds for a wild ride
What kind of food is it? Modern Mexican - much of it fresh and raw, but with amazing tacos and slow-cooked meat dishes
Who is it for? Peyote is for gourmands who appreciate passion for food, exquisite attention to detail and who are looking to discover new flavours
Can anyone go? As long as cost is not a problem, you will be richly rewarded
Best table? Any table beside the Talamanca boardwalk
The venue
Peyote Ibiza Bay occupies a very privileged position, on the extensive wooden deck of Nobu Ibiza Bay Hotel, reaching as far as the sand of the beach at Talamanca. It is the ideal location to enjoy a stimulating lunch or dinner, barely ten metres from the water's edge. You can leave your car with the valet parking service at the hotel or simply walk in from the beach, without a booking to see if a table is available.
The ambience
Modern Mexican vibes in the stylish bar
Quiet background music and the lapping of waves on the sand is the soundtrack that accompanies you. Here it is relaxed style and luxury with the food being the lively partner, depending on your dinner companions The tables are nicely spaced out amongst the cacti and the yuccas and there is ample shade under the parasols to shade from the heat of the sun by day.
The food
Starters at the ready with a fantastic guacamole
The idea for the cuisine of this restaurant came after the idea of launching the eatery. The Mayfair London location was secured first and the Mexican food idea followed. The owner then set off to Mexico in search of authenticity and a chef to translate his ideas. What he found was a dedication to freshness, flavour and finesse, which he decided were the three qualities that he wanted to express in the food of his first restaurant.
Now this food is available to diners in Ibiza too and is representative of what is one of the world's great cuisines, too often badly expressed in restaurants outside of Mexico. Here, you get the true spirit of that country's cuisine.
The delectable Aguachile de camaron
Utilising the finest ingredients and the minimum of cooking, Peyote's chef has designed a range of dishes, which are begging to be shared and will transport your taste buds to places they may never have been before.
What better way to start off a Mexican meal than with some corn chips, a perfect, chunky guacamole and a selection of three salsas: Verde, Matcha and Tatemada - all washed down with a cold, crisp Modelo beer. The quality of these simple dishes really set the standard of what to expect from the courses to come.
Lovers of seafood are spoilt for choice with a selection of amazing raw ceviches, each with their own distinctive marinade. We chose the Aguachile de Camaron with plump Ibizan red prawns gently cured in an intoxicating blend of citrus and spice with cucumber and coriander, which produced a texture of flesh that was astonishingly smooth and creamy and unlike anything I had experienced before.
Baby new potatoes with chorizo that reveal a new side to the humble tuber
This was swiftly followed by another taste sensation - a crunchy Jicama salad. Those of us who haven't visited Mexico are unlikely to have encountered this unusual native root vegetable that resembles a potato in appearance but with the light, crunchy texture of a green apple. Cured in lime and mint with a generous sprinkle of Tajín seasoning to enhance the flavour, we all absolutely loved tucking in.
Proceedings took a spicy upturn with the arrival of a selection of three of owner Tarun's favourite tacos. He chose the Tacos al Pastor with strips of Iberian pork, pineapple and pico de gallo salsa and the Tacos de Barbacoa, with 24-hour slow-cooked shoulder of lamb and some more of the punchy Tatemada salsa, both on blue corn chips.
Tasty tacos of short rib beef and Iberian pork
Then, tacos "de Res" were offered with braised short rib beef, serrano chilli, salsa verde and served in baby gem lettuce leaves. It was very difficult to pick a clear favourite as they were all very rich in flavour but not so heavily seasoned as to obscure the natural qualities of the perfectly cooked meats. Many people think Mexican food is just heat. Chillies, in all their permutations and heat scales, are in fact there for flavour primarily.
Our main course was an astonishing sea bass, which had been expertly butterflied, deboned and painted with red and green adobo sauce, which, along with slices of fennel, formed the colours of the Mexican flag. Served with a portion of crispy and moreish baby new potatoes, chorizo and Peyote alioli, this very original dish was sufficient to satisfy the three of us. The contrast of the three elements was just perfect.
A stunning whole sea bass
To finish we took turns to rapidly polish off a plate of fluffy churros with chocolate and caramel dipping sauces. They were the light, sugary antidotes we needed to calm the taste buds after the lively courses before.
Peyote offers a selection of very good house wines but, a choice of refreshing Mexican beers and an excellent selection of authentic Margaritas.
Margaritas done in the most authentic way
The house Margaritas use a base of Cabeza tequila, lime and Cointreau, though each could not be more different. We tried a a spicy chilli and passion fruit one, the dry and lively hibiscus and ginger one and the eponymous "Peyote" Margarita with agave syrup topped with a vial of Montelobos mezcal. All are a tequila lover's dream.
Peyote Ibiza Bay enjoys a superb location and offers a unique and delicious dining experience during the day or the night time. Treat yourself, it's really worth it.
