Once in a while you stumble upon a quiet little Ibiza restaurant of such high quality that you wonder why you've not already heard of it. In the case of Casa Piedra, the simple fact is that not many seem to know about it yet and the ones that do are clearly keeping it to themselves! So come closer, dear reader. This is definitely one for your little black book of Ibiza culinary joy.
Stunning location
Located close to Santa Eulalia on the Cala Llonga - Jesus road perched prettily on the corner of the Cala Llonga junction, the exterior does not give even the remotest hint as to what lies behind the door. We pulled up around 7pm in their small car-park at the front of the building, took a deep breath of pine-scented, mountain air and marvelled at the peace and quiet, interrupted only by the occasional chirping of birds.
We walked inside, surprised to find a collection of hand-made, artisan products on display, all made here in Ibiza. Beautifully unique bags, jewellery and clothes, Bohemian in style and featuring gorgeous attention to detail. Checking in with the smiling receptionist, we were shown to our table, out in the exterior garden terrace, hidden away at the back of the restaurant. Wow.
Immaculate presentation
Surrounded by vineyards and the beautiful Ibiza countryside, we were impressed at how perfectly our table was dressed. Perfectly folded napkins lay beside faultlessly polished wine and water glasses, adorned with glitteringly polished cutlery. A fresh breeze drifted over, provided by the ingeniously positioned, outdoor fans. This was wonderful!
Our waiter took a drinks order straight away and left us to peruse the quite frankly, amazing sounding menu, bursting with delectable sounding meat dishes, fresh fish and lots of Asian dishes including a full Sushi menu. There was not, it has to be said, that much in the way of vegetarian options. This was definitely a meat and fish lovers' paradise.
My friend and I decided on two light, fresh starters of Sushi and a tuna tartar, followed by a hearty main dish of boneless pork. Within 7 minutes our starters had arrived. Omg.
Works of culinary art
They were, without a doubt the most exquisitely presented plates I've possibly ever had the pleasure to behold. If the old adage about eating with your eyes is true, oh boy, my eyes were devouring those succulent morsels of deliciousness way before my cutlery had made its plunge! With presentation this stunning, what would the taste be like? Let me tell you. Perfection, ladies and gents. Utter perfection.
Verging on astonished at this very high-end cuisine, we asked to speak to the manager, one efficient, smiling Alberto Soldan who turned out to be the owner and on request, came straight over to speak to us. How could he help?
We asked Alberto about his menu and the extraordinary quality and sheer beauty of the presentation. Who was the chef? Looking very pleased at the question, Alberto sat down with us for a chat (in perfect English, I might add).
Talented Vietnamese chef
It turns out that their chef, Leo is an outstandingly talented Vietnamese chef, whose dedication is such, he actually lives next door to the restaurant. Assisted by Dani, his mother, together with Alberto (himself a trained chef) they have designed a menu quite unlike any other I've seen on the island. A delightfully imaginative fusion of Mediterranean and Asian styles, they take their preparation very seriously indeed.
In this Ibiza restaurant for example, nothing is grilled. All the meat, fish and vegetables are roasted in a specially made charcoal oven. This kind of oven imparts a natural heat along with that wonderful taste associated with charcoal grills, whilst cooking the dish quickly and thereby retaining maximum nutrients.
The Sushi is made with authentic Japanese spices and the presentation is so beautiful, you almost do not want to ruin it by eating (although of course we forced ourselves).
Melt in the mouth
More gasping with delight when our mains of boneless pork arrived, just 4 minutes after our starters were cleared and glasses topped up with perfectly chilled white wine. Served on a piece of rugged black slate, the meat fell apart with the merest touch of the knife and melted like butter in my mouth. The bite-sized, homemade croquettes that surrounded it provided different explosions of flavour, each designed to compliment the taste of the meat and each one a tiny work of art. We devoured it all wordlessly, the only sound issuing forth from our table being the occasional little sigh of contentment.
I'd love to tell you about their dessert menu ladies and gents, but this is one you'll have to discover for yourselves, as we were so utterly full up by that point, you'd have needed an industrial crane to get us out of there if we'd have eaten any more!
Extraordinarily good value
What I can tell you is that this absolute gem of an Ibiza restaurant make their own liqueur - a wonderfully fresh Limoncello type affair. It is, dear reader, zingingly refreshing, a great digestive and a nice change from the ubiquitous Ibiza Hierbas.
Conclusion? Casa Piedra is a rare Ibiza restaurant. It offers a beautiful dining experience, excellent service and extraordinarily high quality cuisine, usually associated with correspondingly high prices. But no. Our bill for an exquisite 2-course dinner with drinks, liqueur and coffees came in at around €40 per head. For a mid-priced restaurant, Casa Piedra are really raising the bar and we suspect that it won't be long before you'll need to book a table waay in advance. Heads up, lovers of high-quality dining without the rock-star prices, this one is really worth knowing about.
For reservations call +34 971 196 558 and please mention Ibiza Spotlight.
Quick Facts
What: Casa Piedra
Where: Cala Llonga, Santa Eularia
When: 1 - 4pm lunch. 7pm - late dinner. April - Nov
Why: Gorgeous garden terrace, high-quality, imaginative cuisine.
Average spend per head: €40 including drinks.
Veggie Options: Not many.
Disabled Access: Yes, with assistance
Baby and Toddler friendly: No special facilities
Room for improvement: Make it bigger!
Top Tip: Booking essential
WORDS | Jane Charilaou PHOTOS | Cat Milton
