Santa Gertrudis - Restaurants
Ulivans
Right opposite the church and wrapping around the corner that starts the 'cafE society' section of Santa Gertrudis, this place is popular with the locals for a cheap lunch and as a guaranteed meeting place. The interior is adorned with spectacular works by the artist Miguel Sorros - who lived through many of the maddest years of Ibiza in the 70's, then returned to the mainland to become a Jesuit monk, renounce all his worldly goods and reflect upon the effect that Ibiza can have upon the unprepared. The pictures spectacularly reflect the madness that he found and from which he has now escaped.
Bar Costa
Next door is the bar that nobody can ever remember the name of. Most refer to it as "the bar with all of the hams hanging from the ceiling", as everyone sagely nods in confirmation of the fact that they can't remember the name either. It is a rabbit warren filled with art by earlier visitors who reputedly could not afford to eat, but found the landlord willing to accept art in lieu of, or eventually instead of, payment. A veritable museum serving the finest ham available on the island.
Restaurant Santa Gertrudis
The next restaurant down is very Spanish and relatively staid alongside its more flamboyant neighbours, but still boasts an outside terrace - where the action on the street is almost without comparison and certainly the last thing you would expect to find in the centre of an apparently sleepy village in the heart of the countryside of Ibiza. The restaurant has a tardis-like interior that could hold several hundred people dining formally, but we have yet to catch this obviously rare occasion?
Casi Todo Cafe
Next door to the famous Casi Todo auction house, this was clearly an afterthought, but having a terrace on this busy section one feels that they felt obliged to join in the fun. And this they do - to the extent that it is almost impossible to guide a pushchair down this extraordinary street without actually using the roadway itself!
Es Canto
Right opposite the church, on the opposite corner to Ulivans, this is another popular meeting point either for catching the sun or avoiding the summer rays, depending upon the time of day. A range of snacks and a wrap around terrace from which to watch the action on the street are the main attractions of this place.
Sa Purxada Pizzeria
To the right of the church as you face it, this is the Spanish equivalent of an Italian pizzeria - right down to the plastic chairs. It has an outside terrace which is usually full of Spanish children, presumably spending their pocket money?
Foodism
'Foodism' is the latest arrival on the Santa Gertrudis cuisine scene - bringing this small village's total restaurant count to 16! However, the Croatian owner, Mladen Cvjetkovic, maintains that there is still room for something a little innovative. His belief was inspired by his daughter's interest in a cookery book that she brought home from the local multi-national school. This featured recipes from all around the world, so it seemed appropriate, at a time when the young are so curious about other cultures, to open a restaurant window into these diverse cultures. So armed with a very capable Dutch chef, Rud, and his own experiences running a restaurant in Amsterdam, and more recently in private catering for rich yacht owners, Mladen has set out his stall alongside the Santa Gertrudis church.
Different cultures and tastes will be featured on different nights throughout the week. These will include German, Thai, Arabic, Mexican and Japanese cuisines - all in addition to the already extensive main menu.
Very soon they will open all day long serving breakfast, lunch and dinner from the terrace lounge restaurant and the garden terrace to the rear. However, the place is already achingly cool, with excellent music and a beautiful clientele that seem to have come from nowhere. but then that's Santa Gertrudis in the summer.
Currently open from 8 pm till midnight, with free Wireless LAN for passing workaholics.
Cilantro
Tel (00 34) 971 197 387
You will find this restaurant hidden down a side road by the church in Santa Gertrudis. Serving a mixture of varied Asian cuisine in a cosy atmosphere, there is also seating in the garden at the front. This restaurant is open all year round for both lunch and evening meals, but closes on Mondays. It is probably wisest to make a reservation first.
La Plaza
A restaurant with an unimposing entrance off the car park opposite the village church, it has a huge palm tree shaded terrace at the rear adjacent to the can daifa art gallery.
S'Altrabanda
On the far side of the art gallery, opposite the village paper shop close to the village children's playground, this is a very Spanish restaurant serving sandwiches, salads and a range of 'tapas', in addition to the offerings on their main menu, which is written up on chalk boards outside.
Otto Cappucini
Remarkable for its glass floor, with a miniature version of something like Atlantis beneath. An extensive selection of healthy food on the buffet and a kiddie's park over the road make it eminently suitable for peckish parents who have trained their children to play safely over the road. The recent arrival of a new chef has prompted a re-think on the Otto Cappucini opening philosophy. Normally considered to be a daytime venue and specializing in vegetarian dishes - they are expanding their itinerary.
On Saturday evenings you will find the tables elegantly laid for your delectation from 8 pm until you want to go home, while the new chef presents some of his personal specialities.
How about a T-bone steak brought to your table with hot rocks to enable you to cook it to your own personal taste, without even leaving your chair?
The normal favourites, including the huge salad selection, 'menu del dia', 100% beef hamburgers and the renowned ravioli, all still await your order daily from 9 am - 5 pm, except Fridays.
