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Why go? For the great value, varied menu and the friendly service
What kind of food is it? A mix of tried and trusted traditional dishes, alongside inventive tapas ideas.
Who is it for? For adventurous diners looking for something a little different, also great for celebrations.
Best table? Front row of the terrace to enjoy the super view across the bay.
The Venue
Relish Restaurant and Lounge Bar forms part of a typical Ibizan apartment block, barely 50 metres from the waters edge at Cala de Bou beach. The interior has a very traditional Spanish feel, augmented by the addition of some modern touches and a cool cocktail bar. Despite its size, the restaurant maintains a cosy intimacy. With ample parking, clients even have access to the private swimming pool if they fancy cooling off from the beach before dinner!
Relish's inviting interior
The Ambience
The atmosphere is informal and casual, with a lively, positive vibe. It is immediately evident from the warm welcome and fast, friendly service that the staff at Relish clearly love what they do. From the raised terrace, the view back across the bay to the lights of San Antonio is guaranteed to put you in a happy, holiday mood.
The Food
Over the past decade Relish has been steadily carving a reputation in the San Antonio Bay area for producing generous helpings of home-cooked comfort food and roast dinners for their enthusiastic clients - both locals and tourists.
However, for 2019, restaurant owner Tony has decided to take Relish in a slightly more adventurous direction. He has pared down the traditional menu to only the most popular dishes, making space to accommodate an imaginative new range of tapas dishes inspired by four regions of the world: Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia.
Tony and his chefs have designed such a variety of dishes it is impossible to describe them all in detail here (feast your eyes on our gallery). Nevertheless, we hope to convey a little of the pleasure of an evening at Relish, sharing seventeen (yes, seventeen!) of their tapas size dishes with friends, while joining in their interpretation of a culinary world tour. All aboard!
The first thing that becomes apparent is Relish concept is all about delivering big, powerful flavours. By fusing quality meats, fish and seafood with interesting vegetables (it's not often I get to eat okra, cauliflower and pak choi in one sitting…), healthy doses of garlic, chili, citrus fruits, spicy seasoning, sauces and marinades, the chefs have created a kaleidoscope of possible taste combinations.
There is something on the tapas menu to satisfy all possible tastes and still leave a little space for a delicious Relish dessert. Most dishes are very reasonably priced between €5 and €9 and the portion sizes are substantial for tapas - easily large enough to buy a few and to experiment.
Among our favourites were the irresistible, sticky and succulent chicken wings, a rich creamy Massaman curry, the crispy skin pork belly with soy sauce and sesame, the intriguing Firecracker Okra and a dense, yet smooth, Bailey's cheesecake.
The great value at Relish extends to the Lounge Bar where the talented waiters are happy to shake up a good choice of cocktails with gusto. Alongside some of the classics, such as mojitos, daiquiris and the exceptional espresso Martini, we sampled some of their own creations: Feeling Peachy, a smooth Jack Daniels and peach combo, and the pleasantly sweet and sour Heard It Through the Grapevine. Every cocktail we tried was expertly blended and all came in at under €9 a glass.
Relish is the perfect restaurant for adventurous diners who are looking for something on a different level from the usual fare on offer in the bay area. Good value, great service, and tantalized taste buds are a guarantee when you step inside. Book early for a restaurant table under the big arches for the best views and stay late to enjoy the skills on show in the lounge bar
