Where to eat in Minorca: from stew to fried fish

There’s usually little doubt about where to eat in Minorca. Fortunately, the rural and seafaring character of the island means there are countless restaurants where you can savour the very best of traditional Minorcan cuisine.

However, Minorcan restaurants don’t only serve local cuisine, in fact you can eat absolutely everything on the island. An increasing number of restaurants are opening up in Minorca where to eat creative, signature cuisine and food with international influences.

Most restaurants are concentrated in the cities of Mahón and Ciudadela. But there are also excellent establishments in more unsuspected parts of the island: from fishing villages such as Fornells to some of the most charming coves.

Where to eat in Minorca: stews and other dishes for lunch or dinner

Fans of traditional flavours will have no trouble in finding excellent restaurants for lunch or dinner in Minorca. Along the length and breadth of the island there are countless places where to eat in Minorca, where you can sample the flavours of local ingredients, cooked according to ancient techniques. Below are some of the most famous:

Sa Llagosta (Gabriel Gelabert, 12, Fornells): If we had to choose the temple of lobster stew, it would without a doubt be this place. To savour this authentic delicacy you must follow a delicious ritual, and to top it all off, you can also order other typical Minorcan specialities executed masterfully.
Es Forat (Marina, 7, Ciutadella): This restaurant’s rice in a broth is worth writing home about. They also serve lobster stew, although it must be ordered ahead with at least 24 hours’ notice. The views of the port make it especially recommended.
Café Balear (Pla de Sant Joan, 15, Ciutadella): Food with a special emphasis on ingredients and little more than their own natural flavours. Fresh seafood, stews, seafood rice dishes and, of course, succulent pieces of fish are enough reason to visit this classic Minorcan establishment.
Cap Roig (Gran de Sa Mesquida, 15, Sa Mesquida): Without a doubt, this is one of the most picturesque restaurants in Minorca with the sea as a backdrop, as well as one of the places that offers the most authentic Minorcan flavours where fish is the star of the show.
Trébol (Cales Fonts, next to Mahón): Serving fish (both fried and grilled) at one of the most charming and colourful ports in Minorca.

The best restaurants in Minorca

Fans of gourmet cuisine also have a good selection of restaurants to eat at in Minorca. Below are some of the very best:

Mon Restaurant (Passeig de Sant Nicolau, 4, Ciutadella): Serving modern cuisine based on local market produce. If the weather is good, eating outside in the courtyard is especially pleasant.
Smoix (Avinguda de Jaime I El Conqueridor, 38, Ciutadella): Here you can find fine dining by the brilliant Miquel Sánchez at very affordable prices. As attractive as the menu is the venue itself; the restaurant has a very industrial aesthetic in line with its past as a jewellery workshop.
Es Cranc (Escoles, 31, Fornells): Nearly everyone comes here to savour the restaurant’s glorious lobster stew, however, it would be unfair not to acknowledge the rest of the menu, in which Mediterranean seafood prevails.
Torralbenc (Carretera Manacor-Cala en Porter, Alaior): Serving food in tune with the restaurant’s rural environment. Here the emphasis is on quality produce, prepared either in the classic way or with more innovative touches.
Reis (San Isidro, 33, Ciutadella): The owners of this restaurant have made a commendable effort to reinterpret many classic Minorcan dishes, brought up-to-date with modern-day gastronomy.

Charming restaurants in Minorca

The sea and the island’s authenticity mean that there are many charming places where to eat in Minorca. Below are just a few of the most authentic restaurants, some with magnificent views of the sea or Minorca’s rural landscape:

S’Amarador (Pere Capllonc, 42, Ciutadella): Not only is this restaurant incredibly charming, it is also one of the best places where to eat in Minorca, serving the most authentic local cuisine. White tones, which abound in the decoration, frame dishes such as their creamy fisherman’s rice.
Pins46 (Plaça dels Pins, 46, Ciutadella): The little sister of the classic Café Balear is a restaurant decorated in an attractive colonial style with modern touches. The courtyard is a perfect place to eat, whilst the bar is a great spot for tapas.
Jardí de Ses Bruixes (San Fernando, 26, Mahón): The typical early-twentieth-century Minorcan courtyard of the eponymous hotel is a perfect place for romantic dinners. They serve an interesting fusion of local, Mediterranean and Asian cuisine.
Ses Forquilles (Sa Rovellada de Dalt, 20, Mahón): Offering a wide range of market-based, Minorcan dishes with an interesting take on gourmet tapas served in a casual setting that is perfect for visiting with friends.

Where to eat well in Minorca on a budget

Most restaurants are concentrated in the cities of Mahón and Ciutadella (or Ciudadela). But there are also excellent establishments in more unsuspected parts of the island: from fishing villages such as Fornells to some of the most charming coves.

Where to eat in Minorca: stews and other dishes for lunch or dinner

Sa Llagosta (Gabriel Gelabert, 12, Fornells): If we had to choose the temple of lobster stew, it would without a doubt be this place. To savour this authentic delicacy you must follow a delicious ritual, and to top it all off, you can also order other typical Minorcan specialities executed masterfully.
Es Forat (Marina, 7, Ciutadella): This restaurant’s rice in a broth is worth writing home about. They also serve lobster stew, although it must be ordered ahead with at least 24 hours’ notice. The views of the port make it especially recommended.
Café Balear (Pla de Sant Joan, 15, Ciutadella): Food with a special emphasis on ingredients and little more than their own natural flavours. Fresh seafood, stews, seafood rice dishes and, of course, succulent pieces of fish are enough reason to visit this classic Minorcan establishment.
Cap Roig (Gran de Sa Mesquida, 15, Sa Mesquida): Without a doubt, this is one of the most picturesque restaurants in Minorca with the sea as a backdrop, as well as one of the places that offers the most authentic Minorcan flavours where fish is the star of the show.
Trébol (Cales Fonts, next to Mahón): Serving fish (both fried and grilled) at one of the most charming and colourful ports in Minorca.

The best restaurants in Minorca

Fans of gourmet cuisine also have a good selection of restaurants to eat at in Minorca. Below are some of the very best:

Mon Restaurant (Passeig de Sant Nicolau, 4, Ciutadella): Serving modern cuisine based on local market produce. If the weather is good, eating outside in the courtyard is especially pleasant.
Smoix (Avinguda de Jaime I El Conqueridor, 38, Ciutadella): Here you can find fine dining by the brilliant Miquel Sánchez at very affordable prices. As attractive as the menu is the venue itself; the restaurant has a very industrial aesthetic in line with its past as a jewellery workshop.
Es Cranc (Escoles, 31, Fornells): Nearly everyone comes here to savour the restaurant’s glorious lobster stew, however, it would be unfair not to acknowledge the rest of the menu, in which Mediterranean seafood prevails.
Torralbenc (Carretera Manacor-Cala en Porter, Alaior): Serving food in tune with the restaurant’s rural environment. Here the emphasis is on quality produce, prepared either in the classic way or with more innovative touches.
Reis (San Isidro, 33, Ciutadella): The owners of this restaurant have made a commendable effort to reinterpret many classic Minorcan dishes, brought up-to-date with modern-day gastronomy.

Charming restaurants in Minorca

S’Amarador (Pere Capllonc, 42, Ciutadella): Not only is this restaurant incredibly charming, it is also one of the best places where to eat in Minorca, serving the most authentic local cuisine. White tones, which abound in the decoration, frame dishes such as their creamy fisherman’s rice.
Pins46 (Plaça dels Pins, 46, Ciutadella): The little sister of the classic Café Balear is a restaurant decorated in an attractive colonial style with modern touches. The courtyard is a perfect place to eat, whilst the bar is a great spot for tapas.
Jardí de Ses Bruixes (San Fernando, 26, Mahón): The typical early-twentieth-century Minorcan courtyard of the eponymous hotel is a perfect place for romantic dinners. They serve an interesting fusion of local, Mediterranean and Asian cuisine.
Ses Forquilles (Sa Rovellada de Dalt, 20, Mahón): Offering a wide range of market-based, Minorcan dishes with an interesting take on gourmet tapas served in a casual setting that is perfect for visiting with friends.

Where to eat well in Minorca on a budget

Although the island’s restaurants are by and large not too expensive, Minorca also has many restaurants where you can eat top-quality food at good prices. Below are just a few examples of places where to eat in Minorca:

Minorca Fish Market (Plaça de la Llibertad, 3, Ciutadella): Around this traditional market are a good few restaurants and bars where you can go for tapas or a sit-down meal at fairly affordable prices, such as, S’Aguait or Bar Ulises.
Es Tomàtic (Avinguda Mestre Garí, 4, Es Mercadal): International cuisine, including fast-food staples, such as pizzas and hamburgers, all made with the highest quality.
Pan y Vino (Camí Coixa, 3, Sant Lluís): Fresh seasonal produce prepared according to traditional recipes with an interesting mix based on French cuisine adapted to the local surroundings. The menu invariably holds a few surprises or a special creation or two.
Fang i Aram (Gabriel Martí i Bella, 11, Ciutadella): A vegetarian restaurant that makes the most out of Minorca’s abundant agricultural produce at highly affordable prices. Aside from lunch it also serves a healthy and very balanced breakfast.