Formentera is certainly sea, beaches and nature, but also lots of good food in splendid restaurants and delicious characteristic chiringuitos. It's well known that Formentera is not a cheap destination, but with some tricks it's possible to try the best places even if you are travelling low-budget.. Personally I always try to save as much as I can during the day and in the evening indulge in fantastic dinners in my favorite places.
This is my usual plan in Formentera: shopping at the supermarket, breakfast at home and packed lunch on the beach (also because of the heat, for lunch I am never so hungry), a happy hour in one of the various chiringuitos of the island and then a nice dinner at the restaurant, without paying too much attention to prices. In this way I have always managed to enjoy everything without depriving myself of anything.
The island is very populated by Italians, so you will very often find a typically Italian cuisine mixed with Spanish.
Anyway, let's see some of the best restaurants in Formentera with a list of my favorites, to which I go back categorically every time I am on this island.
Best restaurants in Formentera
Bocasalina - Es Pujols
Bocasalina is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants on the island (not only in my opinion). It's located in Es Pujols, in front of the sea, in a breathtaking location that is particularly suitable for a wonderful dinner at sunset. The colors of the sky and the sea will leave you speechless, almost like the menu!
The restaurant itself is splendid, well-kept and elegant, the staff is sensational, very attentive and dedicated to the customer..
Here the main dish is definitely the Paella: one of the best I've ever eaten. The price is around € 64 for two people, including water and cover.
In general, whatever you choose, you will be satisfied, trust me .. obviously it's not a cheap place, but as we have already said, it's an expensive island, but this restaurant is worth all the money you will pay! Just keep in mind that it's one of the most popular restaurants in Formentera, so if you go in high season it's definitely better to book or you will not find a place, and it would be a real shame! Bocasalina must absolutely not be missing in your holiday in Formentera!
Casanita - Cantina y Pescado - Es Pujols
Casanita is my second favorite restaurant in Formentera: I have such wonderful memories of beautiful nights and delicious dinners in this place. So obviously I went back bringing Enrico, and once again the guys from Casanita did not disappoint my expectations.
The restaurant is always in Es Pujols, more in the center than Bocasalina, shortly after the Kasa dei Kolori: the restaurant is more informal than the first, but still well cared for and nice, colorful, warm and welcoming ... just what you can expect from an island like Formentera.
Like last time, we decided to order the Tasting Menu, choosing was impossible, it was all extremely inviting. For 45 € per person (minimum for 2 people) we ate: Red tuna tartare, Toasted codfish sandwich, Plin of potatoes and ricotta, Grilled sea bass fillet and finally a cold yogurt cream. Honestly, I couldn't tell you what I liked the most because it was really all exceptional. The products are fresh and of excellent quality, the dishes are refined and well-kept .. Have I already said that I love this place? The staff members also contribute a lot, they are very friendly and always attentive, but above all nice and always create a super convivial atmosphere! It's not uncommon to have a shot of Hierbas with them at the end of dinner! Here too, as at Bocasalina, the prices are medium-high and I highly recommend you book: the place is very popular, so reserve a table a few days in advance and don't miss this fantastic restaurant!
La Cava - Es Pujols
La Cava is a typical Spanish restaurant located on the seafront of Es Pujols: you will immediately recognize it as the most colorful and definitely very suggestive. The wall that delimits it on the outside is decorated with numerous colored shutters and will allow you to dine on a small terrace facing the sea, in a very characteristic and welcoming environment. The atmosphere is more informal than in the previous restaurants; here the cuisine is typically Spanish and perhaps more suggestive, decidedly more typical.
Prices are also more reasonable, but still not a cheap place. Here, as at Bocasalina, they have an incredible selection of Paella for all tastes, but the grilled fish and meat dishes are also excellent.. We started with the classic pan e allioli (amazing) and then we tasted delicious squid with honey, a prese de iberico and a selection of typical Formentera sweets, all accompanied by 1l of Sangria, for a total of € 79. At La Cava they do not accept telephone bookings, once you arrive you have to put yourself on a waiting list, and being a small place there is always a bit to wait, but it's worth it! I recommend that you leave your name and take a walk around Es Pujols while waiting.
Fonda Pepe - Sant Ferran
Fonda Pepe is considered a true institution in Formentera: it's located in the pedestrian area of ​​Sant Ferran, near the central square, and is certainly cheaper than the restaurants seen so far. In the 1960s it was the destination of numerous hippies from the island who loved to spend their evenings in front of this place; even now the atmosphere is simple and informal. The restaurant is very easy going and informal, with plastic tables and chairs in the space in front of the restaurant: it's perfect for a dinner on the way back from a day at the beach without going home to change. In fact, we stopped while oing home from a splendid sunset in Cap de Barbaria and being already quite late we decided not to go to the apartment and stop directly. One of the main dishes is undoubtedly paella, served in numerous variations. We started with a classic pan, aliolli and olive sauce, an amazing Galician octopus and a paella de mariscos for two, spending € 79 in total. Here, too, they do not accept reservations and queuing at the entrance is the norm, but while you wait, you can start the evening with classic chupitos in the restaurant bar.
A Mi Manera Formentera
A Mi Manera is a splendid restaurant located on the road leading to Cala Saona and it's a real enchanted garden. This time it was still closed when we went (it opened the season the week after our vacation unfortunately) and I was very sorry, I really couldn't wait to go back.
At Mi Manera you will dine under a roof of stars in an elegant and relaxed atmosphere at the same time, in the splendid garden. It is perfect for a romantic dinner. Most of the raw materials come from the restaurant's garden and the fish is always very fresh, which is why the prices are medium-high but in line with the products they serve, and the service is always impeccable. Definitely one of my favorite places, but also of many tourists, it's always very crowded, best to make a reservation in advance!
La Kasa dei Kolori - Es Pujols
La Kasa dei Kolori, located in the center of Es Pujols, is a place open during the day that you may already know, it's quite famous especially in Italy, and I recommend it for breakfast, or perhaps better call it brunch! The place is beautiful, colorful and very welcoming, certainly in full Formentera hippie style. Inside there is also a shop that sells very special clothing and accessories, definitely worth a stroll when you go to the cashier. We stopped for a nice mid-morning breakfast which actually turned into brunch: we ate so much that we didn't eat until dinner. The selection is very wide, both sweet and savory and offers both more Spanish dishes and a classic international breakfast. We ordered tostadas with tomato and cheese and with ham and tomato (gigantic, I recommend you order one for two), then nutella and banana pancakes, pancakes with yogurt and fresh fruit and 2 iced teas made by them, for a total of € 28. I guarantee you that for what we ate the price is great, consider it really a brunch rather than a breakfast.
Night bar in Formentera
Now that we know where to eat in Formentera, let's discover together the best places to enjoy a delicious drink or a cold beer after dinner. In Es Pujols you will find many bars open from aperitifs until late at night, all concentrated in the so-called nightlife quadrilateral, right in the center. These are my favorites, all very close: here you can drink delicious cocktails, excellent beers or try one of the many shots available. If you want to have fun, these places are definitely for you.
Chiringuitos
The chiringuitos of Formentera are, immediately after the splendid beaches, the symbol of the island: spectacular happy hours on the beach in a relaxed and a bit hippie atmosphere, ideal to end a wonderful day at sea. For safety issues, they had been closed after last season, but an official communication gave the green light to the reconstruction of many of the most famous, which will therefore be operational again in mid-June. So let's see the unmissable chiringuitos of Formentera that you absolutely must not miss!
Lucky: Lucky is a real institution in Formentera, definitely my favorite; I have magical memories of this place. Run by Bolognese guys, Lucky is a small bar where you can enjoy excellent cocktails, ideal for a perfect happy hour at the golden hour.
Piratabus: it's undoubtedly the best known and most popular chiringuito in Formentera. It is a small wooden building in Playa de Migjorn: impossible not to recognize it thanks to the famous flag with the skull: that's the Piratabus! The happy hour on this cliff is one of the most beautiful experiences you can experience in Formentera. I advise you to arrive early so as not to find very long queues!
Chiringuito Bartolo: the last chiringuito of Playa de Migjorn is the legendary Chiringuito Bartolo: it's a very popular little blue stilt house, get ready to queue! Its elevated position guarantees you a splendid view, certainly very instagrammable! Definitely recommended!
Kiosko 62: it's a much more spartan chiringuito than the others, located in the Ca Marà area, at the beginning of Migjorn beach. The structure is very simple and will immediately fascinate you with its atmosphere of a "refuge for castaways": a wooden bar, scattered tables and a net that protects from the sun during the hottest hours of the day.
Blue Bar: often the Blue Bar is included among the chiringuitos of Formentera but honestly I don't feel like considering it as such. It's certainly one of the historic places on the island that deserves a visit but I would certainly not call it a chiringuito. The Blue Bar owes its name to the blue walls of the club and is both a restaurant and a nightclub, but it is also perfect for the happy hour. Here, in fact, it is possible to drink a cocktail or go wild on the dance floor until 4 in the morning: on Tuesday and Friday evenings the alien show, a show featuring a giant alien puppet who performs with nice ballets, will entertain you during aperitif time. Prices here are also medium-high I would say: 2 medium beers and a portion of nachos with guacamole and melted cheese 21 €.
Chezz Gerdi: same as for the Blue Bar, even the Chezz Gerdi is not considered a chiringuito. It's certainly a characteristic and symbolic place of Formentera, not to be missed, but it's more a restaurant than the classic wooden chiringuito on the beach. Reachable in a few steps from Es Pujols or with a vehicle from the road before the town, it's located on a cliff creating a breathtaking landscape crowned by the very famous red Volkswagen van with the sign of Formentera. The place also looks great for happy hours, but I warn you: here too the prices are quite high (€ 14 for two beers and a bowl of peanuts). If you don't feel like stopping to nibble on something, at least come and enjoy the landscape.
The last two places on my list that I recommend are:
Can Toni - a El Pilar de la Mola
Can Toni is a restaurant located in El Pilar de la Mola, ideal for a cold beer on the go after a tour of the Hippie Market, before heading to the lighthouse. The place is very quiet and good, where you can drink two nice medium beers for only € 5 in total, a real rarity in Formentera!
Es Mares - a San Francesc Xavier
Es Mares is instead a restaurant in the center of San Francesc Xavier where we stopped for an aperitif during a short visit to the village. Between one shop and another we stopped in search of a nice and delicious portion of nachos with melted cheese, sour cream and guacamole (a true delicacy of the island) and 4 medium beers, for a total of € 21.
If you are also interested in beaches, the sea and all the things you can do in Formentera take a look at the wonders that this island offers you (click here). If you need help to plan your holiday do not forget my mini guide with some useful information to book independently.
Now you just have to try all these great places and don't forget to let me know if you liked them!
¡Buon Provecho!