Eating well on Ibiza is less about finding the right name than about knowing when places are open. The season runs roughly April to October, and the list of kitchens still working in January is short.
We have picked five across the island and said what each one is for, so you can match a restaurant to the evening rather than the other way round.
The Giri Cafe, San Juan
On the main square of San Juan, behind a pair of old wooden doors, with a garden and terrace that carry the day service and a more serious kitchen after dark. Much of what it serves is grown on site.
It reopens at the start of April. If you are staying anywhere in the north this is the easiest good dinner you will find.
La Paloma, San Lorenzo
A few minutes away in the next village, among orange and lemon groves, going since 2004. Italian at the root, handmade pasta, a short menu that changes with what is ready.
It is open all year, which is rarer here than it should be. In summer you eat in the garden under the citrus trees and in winter the fires are lit inside.
Sa Capella, San Antonio
A sixteenth-century chapel on a hill above the town, never consecrated, now a dining hall of stone arches and candles with a garden terrace outside. Spanish cooking, much of it off a Josper grill.
Mid-April to the end of October. This is the one for an occasion.
Amante, Sol d'en Serra
Built into the cliff above a cove on the east coast, in three levels, with the restaurant on top looking down the bay. Mediterranean cooking on island produce.
It opens in mid-April. Book the edge of the terrace, and come early enough to get the light on the water.
Pastis, Ibiza Town
Ten tables, chequered tiles and an open kitchen, a few steps off Plaza del Parque. Classic French bistro cooking with a short menu, and the smallest room on this list by some distance.
It is in the town rather than out in the countryside, which makes it the one you can walk home from.
Booking
All five need a reservation in July and August, and the two with few tables need one at any time of year. Our team can arrange them alongside your stay.
Quick answers
Which are open in winter? La Paloma reliably, and Pastis depending on the year.
Which is best for a group? Sa Capella, which has the space for a long table.
Which has the best view? Amante, above the cove at Sol d'en Serra.
Which is closest to town? Pastis, just off Plaza del Parque.
When does the season start? Most reopen between late March and mid-April.
Do you need to book? Yes, at all five in high summer.