When we think of steak, we think of a treat, a luxury. It's not the cheapest of meals and is often reserved for special occasions. So great steak should be of the highest quality, having come from an animal that led a happy life and bursting with the flavour of the land.
Steak is food that improves having matured after being cut. It requires careful handling and a deft touch to cook it to perfection.
With this in mind, we pick out the top places on Ibiza where respect for the product, the cooking technique and expert seasoning combine to bring you the very best in steak the island has to offer. Tuck in.
Carnivorous readers might want to check out our full selection of restaurants that specialise in meat.
STK Ibiza
Ibiza Town
At the lively STK Ibiza great things lie in store. All the meat on offer comes from the top 2% of US cuts available - deeply flavoursome and incredibly tender. We've tried everything from sirloin to fillet and even the gigantic 900g Tomahawk. All cuts wowed us, were nicely tender and always cooked to perfection.
Come here for glamour, high-energy entertainment and a banging soundtrack. The crowd is generally young, well-dressed and up for it. Top entertainment throughout the week gives this place a real party feel. As they say in America, from where STK hails "this ain't your daddy's steakhouse" and it really isn't.
El cARNICERO
Ibiza Town outskirts
El Carnicero, or "The Butcher" as it translates in English, is so much more than merely a steakhouse. Yes, you will find some of the best examples of steak found on Ibiza, cooked by some of the most skilled chefs (the entraña being our cut of choice). So, be prepared for a spectacle for all the senses, with beef being the star of the show!
This atmospheric spot has non-stop entertainment, with much happening on the periphery as you dine. The terrace blooms with colourful flower arrangements and although the background music is mellow, the tempo is picked up at various points as vibrant dance routines begin.
Cas Costas
Sant Jordi outskirts
Cas Costas has very rapidly established itself as a place for great quality food. Its meat is a particular standout offering. From fillet to ribeye, much of the menu is from one of Spain's best breeds of beef cattle, the flavoursome Gallega (Galician).
The T-bone or chuletón is very tasty and comes in raw slices to be cooked at the table on a tabletop grill. But it's worth trying its speciality of a filet mignon cooked in salt crust with herbs. Get some side dishes which use vegetables grown in the venue's garden too.
Coming here is a delight all year round. This lovely, rustic restaurant has an outside covered area with a bar at its centre and an open kitchen, ideal for a hot summer night. Inside, it's cosy with a homely feel in winter.
Sa Capella
San Antonio
San Antonio’s most famous and romantic restaurant, Sa Capella is ever popular with diners who are instantly wowed by the unique surroundings and medieval ambience. But what has helped to maintain its enduring appeal is the menu, which has evolved only slowly and is packed with perennial favourite recipes.
On that menu is the arguably best Chateaubriand to be found on the island. Seared over the restaurant’s enormous open wood fire, before being finished off to your taste in the oven and served with delicious Bearnaise sauce, this super-tender sharing cut is a certified favourite and has kept fans coming back for decades.
La Llama
Santa Eulalia
Located deep in the heart of the W Ibiza Hotel in Santa Eulalia, La Llama is a devilish little restaurant where fire is king. Virtually all the restaurant’s meat and fish dishes are prepared over open flame and the flashes from the kitchen flicker all around the dark interior.
Beef takes centre stage at La Llama and the restaurant offers some amazing cuts from around the world that will guarantee an unbeatable richness of flavour - dry-aged, 70-day matured ox steaks, Minhota a prestigious Portuguese rare breed, and the daddy of them all, Hida Gyu Japanese Wagyu (which will set you back a cool €145 for 200g!). All are prepared with loving care and are even more delicious when accompanied by the tatsy La Llama chimichurri.
Casa Sudaca
Ibiza Port
After a stroll along the vibrant port of Ibiza, taking in the scene, why not stop for a big juicy steak to recharge, courtesy of the Argentinian meat experts you will encounter at the end? Casa Sudaca offers a varied selection of the best cuts from Argentina and Uruguay, including skirt, flank, ribeye and tenderloin steaks from Frisian, Black Angus and Nebraskan cattle.
However, for something a little different, we have sampled the 48-hours, slow-cooked Black Angus rib and can say with confidence that you, dear meat lover, will enjoy it too.
El Gallo Viejo
San Antonio Bay
Experience is everything at El Gallo Viejo and this long-standing restaurant has perfected the art of steak. It's one of the main reasons to dine here. The high quality of its dry-aged meat, combined with the oak charcoal grill, guarantees abundant flavour.
90-day aged T-Bone is our cut of choice and, like other places on this list, you get a hot stone grill to cook the meat to your preference at the table. The result is a rich, almost game-like taste and, with a chunk of yellow fat to lubricate the stone, you can add even more incredible flavour.
Montauk
Playa d'en Bossa
As you might expect of a specialist steak restaurant at the Ushuaïa Hotel, Montauk is a temple, dedicated to the worship of meat. You come here to dine in palatial surroundings: the decor inside is beautifully gilded and the outside terrace is like a Versace dream. Go for a total holiday treat and to be served like a king or queen.
We opted for the long-aged beef that had been aromatised, extra aged on site, cooked a perfect medium rare and presented with pride. It’s the little touches that count, like the presentation of the raw meat cuts as if they were jewels and the choice of four different steak knives. Not to mention the amazing selection of side dishes, the high-class service and a wine list to die for.
Can Muson de Sa Vila
San Lorenzo
If you want to dream about steak after eating it, then Can Muson de Sa Vila is the place for you. With the owner being Argentinian and hailing from a restaurateur family, you are in excellent hands. The cuts come from the best quality grass-fed beef from Spain. Or, if you ask nicely, there's also the prized Argentinian cut Ojo de Bife.
You'll love the relaxed courtyard as much as you'll adore the simple, rustic interior with an open hearth at this old Finca. As soon as you arrive, you'll feel at home straight away, with a lovely gracious welcome.
Chimichurri
San José
The owners of Chimichurri are justifiably proud of the meat they serve - it really is a speciality of the house. Indeed, all the meat served here tastes great and is of top quality, from the Argentinian cut entraña to the top-of-the-range T-bone.
Visitors to Cala Comte will have passed this restaurant at the top of the road that leads there. It's worth stopping to go in. As well as the great food, its rustic charm and gorgeous garden make it a lovely place to go and get your steak fill. With the excellent pricing and friendly staff, it adds up to a great restaurant experience.
Now all you need to do is get yourself booked in for a superb steak supper or lunch. If steak isn't on your menu, see the wide choice of restaurants in our guide.
