Italians are world-renowned for class and style. They also seem to have a monopoly on the most romantic restaurants in Ibiza. For evidence, look no further than La Luna Nell'Orto.
In English, The Orchard Moon, named after the glittering moonlight cast upon the garden terrace while our satellite traverses the night sky over the village of San Miguel, is a truly special place with a history spreading back decades, predating mass tourism. In fact, the beautifully rustic restaurant is sited on the location of one of Ibiza’s original hippy markets, where their artisan wares were spread out beneath a canopy of fruit trees.
Everywhere you look around La Luna Nell'Orto oozes romantic charm. The signature Ibizan architecture is integrated into the steeply inclined landscape and embraced all around by plants. Grape vines snake their way around the walls, an olive tree seemingly grows through the bar and the enormous limbs of an ancient fig tree reach around the tables and shade them with leafy intimacy.
Inside the original rustic finca is all quirky and cosy nooks and crannies. While outside, there is even a billowing pavilion tent offering a regal touch for any large party.
Nowadays the clientele are well-dressed and well-heeled but that only adds to the charm.
Ok, so the siblings who now run La Luna Nell'Orto, Adrian and Daniel Diez, may actually be from Argentina but their philosophy is driven by a shared ancestral heritage with Italy and is about doing everything with love and passion. The result - they produce some of the finest Italian cuisine you will find on Ibiza.
The brothers are now the faithful custodians of the restaurant's rich and famous Italian heritage. Head waiter Adrian is welcoming and charming to all who enter, having honed his front-of-house skills as a waiter under the tutelage of the previous owner.
Baker and pasta maker Daniel even takes a turn to DJ in the evening, laying down his own soundtrack of deep, ethnic House grooves that fits the scene perfectly.
After supping a couple of heady Mezcal cocktails, whilst taking in the beautiful surroundings of this gem of a restaurant, we settled down to share a selection of starters.
Bread made from flour from the last working mill on the island had that artisan flavour that only freshly milled flour can produce. Humus and tapenade as a welcome scoop for the bread made it all the better.
The ubiquitous croquettes were unlike many you taste in Ibiza - these were made with beef cheek, with the perfect crunch and soft, creamy centre, hitting a much richer quality.
What initially looked like a simple green salad was a surprising hit to the senses. A closer inspection revealed a herby mixture of spinach, mint, and parsley plus strong, peppery fresh rocket working in harmony with walnuts, salty feta and earthy beetroot.
The next two starters delved into fusion cookery for inspiration.
A perennial favourite on the La Luna Nell'Orto menu is the Crunchy Surprise - Asian spring rolls filled with very Mediterranean flavours. Prawns, leek, and cream cheese sitting on tomato jam delighted us all.
The dish of Shiitake mushrooms with soy, garlic and crispy kale was received in a similar manner and as a sharing plate for us, disappeared in a flash.
After such a tantalising start to the meal, there was eager anticipation for the main courses.
Adrian brought us a selection of dishes that best represented the restaurant’s traditions. Although the restaurant has strong roots in Italian cuisine, the menu has evolved to encompass many local products and influences that lean towards Spain and wider Mediterranean flavours.
However, what could be more Italian than Aubergine Parmigiana, a favourite of vegetarians and meat-eaters alike? It might seem a simple dish but to get the deep blended flavours that this one delivered requires quality products and time. This had benefited from both.
Staying firmly in the Italian camp, and as the figs fell from the trees around us, we were served two types of ravioli. It’s worth mentioning the homemade pasta here as it was delicately light but still with an al dente bite.
The first ravioli was filled with chicken and mushroom which delivered a punch of meaty umami flavours yet the basil oil that accompanied it gave a light and fresh feel to the dish - this was a ravioli for the summer months.
A pumpkin and ricotta-filled ravioli with sun-dried tomatoes languishing in a truffle and cream sauce followed. Beautifully sweet and rich, this was one for the truffle lovers and surely is a firm favourite amongst diners here.
The next dishes took us diving into the flavours of Spain.
In Spanish cuisine, seafood and meat in the same dish are a common feature and the dish of creamy octopus and crispy pork cheek, with a purple potato puree, celebrated this perfectly. This ultimate surf and turf, with octopus that had been slow-cooked to buttery softness and salty bites of pork jowl, was intensely flavoured and left us wanting more. Add beans, asparagus and cress and you have synergy and culinary skill at work - individually they were amazing, together they were a triumph.
Finishing with a very slow-cooked lamb also felt very Spanish and looked amazing. As it arrived, the sheen of the demi-glace sauce coating the lamb hinted we were in for a treat. No knives were required here - the deboned neck joint had been cooked to the point of total submission and just fell apart. Sticky and soft, the deep flavours worked so well with the earthiness of the celeriac Parmentier and a scattering of sweet potato straws ensured this dish was punching high.
Inevitably, the meal is rounded off with the traditional Tiramisu and a glass of Amaretto on the rocks. Like many things in life, it is the familiar as much as the innovative that we look forward to most and it is hard to imagine finishing an Italian feast any other way. Naturally, the La Luna Nell'Orto tiramisu hits the target and our spoons jousted for the final scoop.
So, if you're ever looking for a suitable location to enjoy the moonlight reflected in the eyes of the love of your life, then La Luna Nell Orto makes a truly romantic choice. If you’re simply looking for honest and refined Italian home cooking under the stars, we think you will be just as enamoured.
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WORDS: Tim Dackombe and Phil Wise
