Vital statistics
Why go? For a sumptuous lunch, in idyllic pastoral surroundings.
What kind of food is it? Authentic Mediterranean comfort food, with a strong Italian influence
What diets does it cater for? Something for everyone - although there isn't too much choice for vegans or those with a gluten or lactose intolerance.
Ibiza Spotlight tip. Enjoy a cocktail and Sunday lunch in the autumn sunshine, accompanied by a DJ or live musicians.
The Venue
A Mi Manera restaurant is housed in a traditional Ibizan farmhouse in the rural heart of the island, on the gastronomic superhighway that is the road to San Juan.
Imaginatively decorated, with bold splashes of colour and a very keen eye for classy interior design, the pretty finca is surrounded by a bountiful kitchen garden overflowing with vegetables.
Open on Fridays and weekends during winter, with a good value menu del dia, there is also live music and a special set menu for Sunday lunchtime.
The Ambience
A Mi Manera is Spanish for ‘my way' and the restaurant does indeed have a very strong personality.
Outside the garden areas are informal and relaxing, including a cocktail bar and grill - ideal for long, sunny lunches. Seated amongst the trees and vegetable patches, with numerous secret places for kids to climb and explore, it is easy to feel detached from the stresses of the outside world.
The interior is cosy and familiar, as welcoming as having an intimate meal at the home of a close friend or relative. Naturally, the service is equally laid-back and chilled - the waiters tended to their clients to the sounds of down-tempo ska and reggae.
The Food
For a small island, we are blessed on Ibiza with a high density of top quality restaurants. It is a privilege to enjoy the finest local produce, combined with a wealth of culinary influences from all around the Mediterranean.
Recently opened on Ibiza, as a sequel to the successful sister restaurant on Formentera, the cuisine at A Mi Manera is unmistakably Italian at heart, importing ideas and ingredients from that country's rich culinary heritage to these islands. The concept of zero distance from garden to plate is the same at both restaurants; where as much homegrown produce is used as possible.
Pairing their dishes with local seafood and fine cuts of beef from sustainable herds in Chile, the chefs have produced a streamlined menu for the winter that we delighted to be invited to sample.
We started proceedings with two Italian essentials, an antipasti selection of salami and cured hams, Gorgonzola, Parmesan and honey, alluringly presented on a violin platter and the chef's daily risotto, which, on this occasion, was a perfectly al dente, leek and Champagne special. With a basket of crusty, warm baked bread you already have a perfect meal right there.
Our appetites and curiosity aroused, there was no way we were stopping yet!
The delicious comfort food continued to flow, with a pair of smooth, rich and creamy dishes; a warm and tender octopus salad, floating on a bed of hummus, and the house speciality, a soft and runny free-range poached egg, served with a combination of mushrooms, béchamel, chives and a bonus layer of crunchy roast Parmesan chunks hiding at the bottom.
Seafood was proudly represented by a portion of massive and juicy king prawns, deep-fried in tempura batter, and spaghetti with Burrata, Catabrian anchovies and toasted almonds. The juicy prawns were accompanied by the chef's daily choice of sauce, which on this occasion was a broccoli and basil concoction. Finished off with a generous handful of more baked Parmesan, the spaghetti dish was everything you could hope from a great Italian kitchen – firm pasta, glossy with its coating of deeply delicious fish sauce, into which the melting Burrata added an extra dimension of creaminess.
A Wagyu Picaña steak, cut from the rump of the Chilean beef, accompanied by baked sweet potato and a portion of chunky roast potatoes finished off the medley of superb plates. Well seasoned and with a smoky flavour that only a charcoal grill can truly enhance, the Wagyu was as profoundly satisfying as only a beef steak can be.
This master class in rustic Italian cooking was finished off with an inevitable, yet impossible to resist, Tiramisu. A whipped and creamy interpretation of the classic coffee cake, served in a tall glass, was maybe lacking a good splash of Amaretto, but it hit the spot nonetheless.
A true test of winter dining in Ibiza is finding a restaurant where you feel warm and comfortable indoors. From the cordial welcome at the door, to the charming interior and every course of the home-style cuisine, we all left marveling at the high level of quality and presentation the friendly team at A Mi Manera aspire to.
