Representing the latest evolution of the enchanting Safragell Agrotourism Hotel, in the hills near San Lorenzo, Can Secret is a restaurant worth seeking out if you are escaping the hustle and bustle of the tourist hotspots.
You will find Can Secret housed in a pergola in the grounds of the intimate finca hotel, which has been owned by the same family for many generations.
Tradition and modernity overlap at Safragell, where the brand-new, purpose-built, restaurant stands, surrounded by the ancient finca and its kitchen gardens, orchards and vineyards from which many of the ingredients are derived.
Tables in the fully glazed pergola bring the outside in and offer year-round panoramic views over the campo to the sea as far as Siesta. On this occasion, with summer just over the horizon, the countryside is looking resplendent in the evening sunshine after an unusually wet spring.
Can Secret is a haven for genuine foodies, and to fully experience what it offers, it is well worth indulging in the wine pairing that complements the ’Trust the Chef’ degustation menu. As the Can Secret team are clearly great wine enthusiasts, and with Spain’s rich wine culture, how could we resist their recommendations?
All bar one of the glasses we tried on this night were homegrown, with a 2023 Chablis from Famille Grossot the sole interloper. The rest perfectly showcased the range of great wines our country has to offer, and our glasses never ran dry. We were eager to go all in for this journey.
While we waited for the show to begin, we enjoyed warm bread served with a choice of home-churned butters and a brace of award-winning gourmet biological olive oils from Alboris in La Mancha, multiple varieties of which enhance many of the dishes yet to come on the menu.
After being treated to an amuse bouche of cold, creamy Salmorejo (imagine a gazpacho thickened with bread) to whet our appetites, the main event of this well-oiled culinary voyage began.
First up, roasted carrots in a Thai-style curry sauce, rich in coconut milk and labneh and paired with a frisky Sin Palabaras Alboriño, made for a smooth overture.
Surprisingly, a humble quinoa and salmon salad, bustling with acidic pickles, avocado, and a sprinkle of the umami Japanese condiment furikake, turned out to be the highlight of the night for this reviewer. Bound together, after a good mix, with a subtle Chipotle sauce, the combined flavours created a taste bud-popping sensation in every bite.
Deliciously fresh corvina and sweet potato ceviche, in a sea of deep green and spicy leche de tigre, married with a glass of the crisp, dry Chablis, proved another refreshing combination.
An al dente artichoke lasagne was nice and bitey, and it required a more robust white to give it a lift.
Step forward the Camino de Navaherreros white from a region less familiar on these islands, Bernabeleva near Madrid. Sweeter and fruitier than the dry predecessors, this was a perfect counterbalance to the bitterness of the cheesy artichokes.
Beef cheeks are a popular ingredient in Spanish cuisine and, when slow-cooked, become ludicrously succulent. At Can Secret, they are served on a base of sweet potato purée with a still-very-young Gazur Ribera del Duero. The light, fruity red, with a bouquet of plums and berries, tangoed elegantly with the deep, dark beef gravy.
To finish, a chocolate ganache bar with tahini, spiced pear and mascarpone was exactly the way to wrap up an enjoyable, well-rounded dining experience. Dark and sumptuous, without being too sweet, and washed down with a sip of summery dessert wine nectar.
Overall, the Can Secret menu is well-balanced and refreshed monthly. With locally sourced produce central to the kitchen's ethos and an abundance of seasonal vegetables, it is a destination that caters to all tastes, and vegetarians will feel very at home.
So, if you are looking to really disconnect and immerse yourself in the history, sights, aromas and flavours of the beautiful Ibizan countryside, we can recommend searching for Can Secret. Just be sure to go by cab if you’re considering the wine pairing!
