More and more people are embracing the vegan lifestyle, and Ibiza is no exception with some excellent vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants around. Eating a plant-based diet on this island is easy with some outstanding places offering truly inventive dishes.
Whilst many eateries offer some very good vegan options, sometimes you want choice. With that in mind, we visited a selection of great restaurants that range from pure vegan to super-vegan-friendly for those wanting a delectable vegetable feast. Here's what we found out.
Pure vegan
Simbiosis
Ibiza Town
As the first vegan restaurant on the island, Simbiosis (formerly Out Of Time) was a true pioneer when it opened in the '90s. The cuisine is a fusion of Mediterranean, Asian, Mexican and Indian, is mostly gluten-free, plus has a macrobiotic dish of the day - in other words, a vegan paradise.
Everything is home-made, including the sauces, syrups, dips and even the bread. All ingredients are also locally sourced and organic where possible. Some favourites are the mushroom croquettes, raw vegetable Pad Thai, lentil koftas and the (almost) raw vegan lasagne. Be sure to leave room for dessert, though: the cheesecake is divine.
The drinks are made from scratch as well. Get the lemonade with mint, hibiscus, cinnamon and ginger. There's a juice menu, cocktails and organic local wines. Plus all prices are reasonable, too.
Wild Beets
Santa Gertrudis
The green oasis of Wild Beets, open all year round, on the edge of Santa Gertrudis offers an extensive changing menu with a fusion of international flavours. The emphasis is on low-carb and all dishes are completely gluten-free. Only the local Ibizan beer contains it. All products are locally-sourced where possible and exotic ingredients are fair trade and organic.
Many love the breakfasts options with muffins, eggless scramble and two of my favourites: an amazing low-carb almond and coconut porridge and smoked "not-salmon" on potato pancakes. Incredible taste - no wonder this place is very popular with non-vegans.
If you are still dreaming of cheese try the platter of delicious faux-cheeses made with nuts or seeds with kimchi water for a probiotic boost. Even meat-eaters love the shiitake meatballs with parsnip puree. In fact, anyone wanting to make the crossover to vegan should come here. The wide variety of desserts will certainly clinch it.
Vegan-friendly
aubergine
San Miguel
Aubergine offers seasonal Mediterranean cuisine with lots of vegan options, even on the barbecue. All vegetables come from the surrounding land or from neighbouring farms. Everything is freshly made with a focus on the healthful options. The menu changes according to what's in season, and most dishes can be made vegan, too - just ask.
What distinguishes Aubergine is the freshness of its food and its combination of flavours. My salad with pomegranate, avocado and orange (originally with scallops) was amazing. The Buddha bowl comes with a special chilli peanut sauce, a secret recipe by the chef. The barbecued tofu skewers on a bed of dressed kale salad were incredible.
With two terraces for outside dining and cosy interiors for the winter, the place is quite dreamy, too. All furniture is upcycled and the decor exudes both simplicity and an authentic Ibiza country-chic style.
Bambuddha
Santa Eulalia
Asian restaurants are naturally vegan-friendly, though Bambuddha's offerings are especially delectable, making an art of creating delicious vegan food. Just order double, as even the non-vegans end up loving those plant-based dishes best.
Two Asian favourites are the green papaya salad and the miso aubergine. As with most Asian restaurants, the avocado rolls, the thom kha and miso soups, as well as the Pad Thai and curry dishes with vegetables are all naturally vegan. Bambuddha rocks all these dishes. Even dessert is covered with the homemade sorbets - also fab with a splash of vodka!
The staff, which is amongst the best on the island, is incredibly helpful and can accommodate any dietary preferences. With a great ambience, groovy music and exquisite cocktails, Bambuddha makes for a perfect night out for the whole posse.
Can Domingo
San José
Can Domingo offers a special vegan menu curated by the chef Giuseppe who studied at a Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant in Milan. The food not only tastes heavenly but also looks like art on a plate.
The dishes vary throughout the summer as all the vegetables come from its vegetable garden. The veggie ceviche tasted, as it was, just picked and the marinade was delicious. The homemade gratinated pasta dish with fried aubergine, tomato and almond pesto was simply superb. Similarly, a chickpea flour farinata with roasted tomato, green beans, pumpkin seeds and peperonata rocked my palate. All are original creations and very much in the pantheon of fine Italian haute cuisine. Tasting really is believing.
On top of what were possibly the most sophisticated vegan dishes we came across, Can Domingo looks like something out of a fairy-tale. Nestled in the hills on the way to San Jose, it has a stunning vista of the valley all the way down to the sea, making it charming on top of delicious.
Koko Smooth
Ibiza Town
Right in the heart of Ibiza Town, a stone's throw away from the port, Koko Smooth accommodates all dietary preferences with a fusion of Asian, Middle Eastern and Ibiza favourites with an Italian flair. Plus there's wood oven pizza. Everything is mainly vegetarian, with many vegan choices, locally sourced and organic when possible and fair trade. There's something for everyone and the focus is on conscious nutrition.
Some of the vegan options include the trio of hummus with crudités, courgette noodles all'arrabbiata, the wok integral, the ultimate veggie-burgers and the green curry. As for dessert, a local baker takes care of the vegan option with a lemon coconut pie. Wow.
One of the creators, the Argentinian Martín is on a mission to make healthful food accessible to as many people as possible. Focusing on balanced conscious nutrition, Koko Smooth also has great prices and a daily menu with vegan, macrobiotic and flexitarian options.
Los Otros
Santa Eulalia
On the marina promenade of Santa Eulalia, the second Los Otros of the island boasts a charming view coupled with some of the most delicious vegetable-based food out there. The menu features lots of favourites and caters to every dietary preference. Around half the choices are or can be made vegan.
Be sure to try the "crispy duck", made of jackfruit - you won't believe it's vegan. The falafel burger with sweet potato fries was unbelievably tasty, as are its "super-bowls" and the house lemonade. For dessert, the Lupe ice creams are vegan and delicious. The owner Mirjam, whose smile is amazingly infectious, even writes cookbooks.
On Sundays, a DJ spins deep house sunset tunes under straw parasols. You can eat on lounge chairs overlooking the marina and passers-by. Does it get any more chilled out? No, not really. Los Otros is also in San Juan and soon to be in a third location, from the end of October. It's easy to see why.
sabores naturales
San Juan
Words cannot do justice to just how lovely this family-run restaurant is. Sabores Naturales is vegetarian with macrobiotic options and Italian cooking at the heart of it. Everything is homemade, including the drinks - no canned drinks here but an unbelievable lemon or orange iced tea. The difference that makes is astounding.
A variety of truly gorgeous tostadas, salads, pizzas and pasta are on offer and what have got to be the best gnocchi I have ever had in my life – including in Italy. This delicious food is more than enough to feed even the hungriest vegan. An extensive juice menu features some great combinations, too.
We still had room to try a homemade marzipan dessert, again one of the best I have come across. All the recipes were created by the Italian father of the owner since the opening of the restaurant in 2002. Bravo.
