Vital statistics.
Why go? For a fun, unpretentious night enjoying great food, which isn't going to blast a hole in your holiday budget.
What kind of food is it? A wide variety of delicious portions made for sharing, with a good balance of traditional Spanish classics and modern delicacies.
Who is it for? For adventurous groups of friends, looking for something a little bit different and who like to experiment with flavours.
Best table? No special tables - everyone is in it together and it feels good.
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The Venue
Tucked away from the main strip of San Antonio, but within easy walking distance from the beach, Tapas Ibiza was an original farmhouse that is much larger than it initially looks from the outside. Although there are some tables inside, diners mainly eat in the extensive covered patio, with another outside terrace for coffee and desserts, if it's really busy.
The Ambience
"Get there early" they said "when it wont be too busy" – as we arrive the venue is already packed, buzzing with lively chatter and getting fuller. As the food orders start flowing, the highly motivated waiting staff flit from table to table, dispensing their fast and friendly service. This informal and relaxed restaurant is so popular they eventually have to turn people away who haven't pre-booked, so remember to make a reservation in advance to avoid disappointment!
The Food
British co-owners Tony, Becky and Glynn have adopted the traditional Spanish concept of sharing portions and added a little touch of guiri magic. Although tapas portions are smaller than a standard restaurant meal, they are massive on flavour. The fun is for each to choose a few and pinch a little from your friends.
On this occasion we didn't try many of the traditional tapas staples, such as chorocitos (spicy sausages), albondigas (Spanish meatballs) alitas de pollo (chicken wings), opting instead to sample some inventions of the house. Although we couldn't resist a portion of patatas bravas (literally meaning brave potatoes) and these spicy treats were potatoes with cojones - definitely not for the faint-hearted!
With four of us choosing a couple of dishes each it is difficult to go into great detail, but I will outline a few of the highlights. There is plenty at Tapas for vegans and vegetarians to enjoy and, with such a mouthwatering variety of dishes available on the menu, we would suggest you sample a few dishes for yourself and conjure up your own flavour combinations.
Baked Camembert 'sharing' platter. "Hands off!"
Kicking off proceedings, how could we resist the sharing platters, especially the whole baked Camembert with slices of apple, toasted ciabatta, and cranberry sauce? Elbows were up as we fought over each dip into its creamy interior. There was nothing left but an empty skin when the platter was returned to the kitchen.
Biggest surprise of the night was definitely Popeye, a recipe handed down from the previous owners of the restaurant, consisting of beef mince and spinach in a creamy Parmesan sauce. Perhaps not the greatest dish to look at, but every mouthful an unexpected pleasure of creamy deliciousness.
Oven-roasted cod with crispy parsnip.
On nights like these there is always one stand-out dish, which is the unanimous favourite. Tonight the clear winner was the oven-roasted cod, topped with alioli, melted Parmesan and crispy strips of fried parsnip. This plump fillet was soft and flaky and combined perfectly with its original crunchy, savoury topping. Of the salad options we chose a vibrant sauerkraut salad, which was fresh and sharply acidic, almost like a ceviche, meaning that it paired up perfectly with the salty cod.
Delicious vegetable yellow curry.
Another great partnership was the chickpea and broccoli yellow curry, with perfectly firm veggies and nice little kick of heat - the ideal dish to accompany the ever popular slow-roasted belly of pork with crispy crackling, Bramley apple and cinnamon sauce. Curry and roast dinner on the same plate = digestive satisfaction!
Crispy roast pork choices.
Hostilities were resumed when an enormous sharing platter of desserts arrived; composed of a raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake, a triple chocolate brownie, a crunchy crème brûlée and some smooth chocolate orange truffles. However, even with four spoons flashing in and out eagerly we were defeated by the size of the portions, unable to finish off the entire platter.
Dessert - Tapas style. Spoons at the ready.
Never able to resist the temptations of the cocktail bar, I chose the enigmatic C = MC². This is the Tapas signature version of a Caipirinha, with cachaca, mango, chilli and coriander. Just like the food dishes at Tapas, the cocktail was colourful with a full-bodied flavour, with just the right amount of bitterness and a few welcome surprises of heat from the chillies lurking in the mix.
The science of mixology C = MC² apparently. Genius!
In a nutshell Tapas is: good-sized portions, strong on flavour, great value, abundant variety and rapid, friendly service from waiting staff that never stop moving. If you haven't already been, it is definitely a restaurant worth discovering.
