It's not many nights I enjoy a meal and stay for … five hours because the ambience is so lovely! Ca Na Ribes in Santa Eulalia however was just such a restaurant.
History has it that when this lovely family run restaurant opened in 1926 you would find horses tethered outside whilst locals popped in to enjoy the traditional cuisine. Although horses are no longer found on ‘restaurant street', Ca Na Ribes remains in the same family and still serves traditional cuisine and I wasn't going to miss an opportunity to check it out.
Glancing at their website I grinned to read “prices are average” – I wondered what that meant!
The restaurant itself is huge, with a gorgeous indoor garden with a number of tables and separate areas perfectly created for group celebrations. There is also a considerable terrace area where you can enjoy your meal as the crowds stroll by in the late evening light.
Looking at the menu the first thing that caught my eye was a good number of vegetarian dishes on offer – a considerate touch in a traditional restaurant within a culture that is better known for its meat and fish specialities.
The wine list is also reasonable without being overwhelming. We were off to a good start.
Commencing with Asparagus and Smoked Salmon Gratin and a second starter of Stuffed Piquillo Red Peppers with tuna and prawns, smiles abounded. This was good food, beautifully considered, made and presented.
A mains of Shoulder of Lamb with Rosemary and Dorado baked in Salt with vegetables was fresh, wholesome if not quite containing the ‘wow' factor of the starter. That said, the portion size was such that we were utterly content.
Enjoying the last of the wine, we decided we'd err to outright gluttony and try a dessert. I was highly amused (and somewhat relieved!) to note that many desserts were offered in ‘half portion'. I personally chose the Greixonera, an island speciality and a dish that easily goes wrong. Having ordered just a half portion, the serving was so huge I double-checked my order was right. It was. Goodness! Nonetheless, the Greixonera was so superbly made – perhaps the best I have had on the island to date – that it seemed simply rude not to eat it all…
At this point we were ready to roll out the door but there was something else that we just couldn't leave without trying. Ca Na Ribes serves the Café Caleta – a coffee with fresh lemon zest, cinnamon and brandy.
Through the course of our dinner we had met a couple visiting the island and I asked the young man of the two what he had thought of his evening meal, as we all enjoyed our Café Caleta. After nearly a week of exploring the restaurants of Santa Eulalia he responded without hesitation “I would come back here a hundred times”.
We had arrived for our meal at just after 8pm and left at 1am. Throughout the staff had been helpful, cheerful and a great reflection of the best of Ibiza. Marry that to the meal and drinks we had enjoyed, and it can only be said that Ca Na Ribes is indeed a super restaurant to confidently indulge in local cuisine. As to the ‘prices are average' our three course meal, excluding drinks, was in the region of 40€ per person making it overall very good value for money.
