A great cocktail is only part of the story in Ibiza. Sometimes it's the setting, sometimes the people, sometimes an extraordinary signature serve – and sometimes it's simply the whole package. Here are some of our favourite spots for cocktails on the island.
Disclaimer: We suggest one outstanding cocktail that was available when we visited each venue, or has been highly recommended to us from experience. As menus change, we recommend checking with the venue for the latest selection.
Ibiza Town
Cocktail hour gets a glamorous twist at UP, with a signature serve to match the setting.
UP bar at The Standard brings advanced mixology to rooftop drinking, with creations such as Rebel Red and Wild Strawberry fuelling appreciation of the panoramic Dalt Vila views.
Suggested Sample: For the whiskey lover, the Sesame & Silk is a smooth sip. Made with Hibiki Japanese whiskey, infused with sesame oil and special honey varieties.
Some samples for 'research' at Café Pereyra
Whether you're heading inside Teatro Pereyra for the show, or into Ibiza Town for the night, Café Pereyra's cocktail veranda is the place to start it all off. Offering an exciting list of signature cocktails, there's a lot to get stuck into. From sweet concoctions to classic twists, we suggest taking a seat for a few rounds of taste testing and letting the night unfold.
Suggested Sample: Make sure to try the Kalimotxo, which features Sierra Cantabria wine, white chocolate, strawberry and mint. Magnificently moreish.
Calle de la Virgen is always full of surprises, and Mystic Bar Ibiza is certainly one of them. Sit inside in its cave-like interior, or outside to watch Ibiza come to life - both are equally as alluring. The menu is no different, and offers a medley of creative cocktails inspired by travels to far-off places.
Suggested Sample: The Mystical Mist is a smooth refresher, made with cardamom seed-infused gin, rose syrup, and lemon, combined with egg whites to give it a cloud-like top and fluffy texture.
Just a few unsteady steps away, Paradise Lost is an eccentric little cocktail bar where potent pours, curious interiors and friendly faces make getting lost part of the fun. You cannot leave without trying their Black & Stormy
A few cocktail spots had to remain off the list of our recent recce, simply because by that stage we’d already done rather too much research from the glass. Consider these the ones that got away ... for now:
Tucked away in the old town, 1805 brings a touch of Parisian cocktail-bar culture to Ibiza, with absinthe at the heart of its drinks offering. Look out for the theatrical Green Beast, or opt for one of its inventive signatures. Room Service - a chic corner restaurant with a terrace oozing old town atmosphere - is famed for its tailor-made temptations.
A little higher up in the old town, S'Escalinata Ibiza meets the criteria for both curated cocktails and people-watching.
Outside of town, the open-air terrace in ELIA Greek restaurant, at Destino Five Ibiza, does some mean signature cocktails, with a Hellenic twist. Savour one after a long, hot day on the beach as you gaze at the spectacular sea views.
Suggested sample: the tequila-based Artemis is infused with a refreshing combo of cucumber cordial, lemon and dill.
Playa d'en Bossa
The busy resort of Playa d'en Bossa is hardly short of places to drink, but look beyond the obvious, and you'll find some seriously creative mixology going on here.
The Cloud 9 at BLESS Ibiza The Site benefits from a collaboration with Mexico City's celebrated Handshake Speakeasy, bringing serious cocktail technique to the rooftop. Precision and creativity are the focus, with the Mediterranean setting providing an equally compelling reason to linger.
Suggested sample: Ask for one of Handshake's current creations and let the bartender explain the technique behind it.
The Pisco Bar's fun-loving bartenders shake, stir and serve up something special.
Pisco is the starting point at COYA, but the drinks venture well beyond the Pisco Sour. House macerations and clarification techniques create unusually clean-looking cocktails packed with flavour. The rooftop Pisco Bar is designed specifically for cocktails, music and socialising.
Suggested sample: Coqui Choclo, a milk-clarified take on a Piña Colada.
One of AISH's creations: Piña Colada al Pastor
At StreetXO's dedicated AISH cocktail space, the drinks receive the same irreverent treatment as the cuisine. Expect unexpected ingredients, heat, smoke and serious technique rather than predictable classics.
Suggested sample: One of the chilli-led creations using smoked Mexican peppers - a perfect example of AISH's culinary approach to cocktails.
In and around Santa Gertrudis
Santa Gertrudis and its surrounding villages have become something of a gastronomic hub, and the cocktail scene is following suit, with inventive drinks in some surprisingly sophisticated settings.
At The Overall, local and seasonal ingredients are transformed through distillation, fermentation, tinctures, cordials, hydrosols and infusions. The result is a drinks programme that changes with the produce rather than following a conventional cocktail formula.
Suggested sample: Ask the team to create something around the day's local ingredients.
The finishing touch: mouth-watering creations at Mira Lounge
Low sofas, music and an unhurried atmosphere make Mira Lounge - situated in the village of San Miguel, five minutes away by car, somewhere to settle down rather than simply stop for a drink. Its cocktails take a distinctly gastronomic approach.
Suggested sample: The Chelo vodka and rice, an elaborate creation that demonstrates Mira's "liquid gastronomy" philosophy.
Santa Eulalia and the east coast
Santa Eulalia brings a more relaxed pace to cocktail hour, with stylish spots by the sea and around town serving everything from polished classics to more creative concoctions.
Soul Good is the laid-back option: a relaxed coastal spot where cocktails, conversation and sunset take precedence over formal dining. It lacks the laboratory theatrics of some entries here, but its informal, bartender-led approach is part of the appeal.
Suggested sample: Island Fizz
Just off the promenade, Mr Freddy is an eccentric little cocktail bar where signature creations are as much about the presentation as the flavours. Try one of its Ibiza Elixirs or ask the friendly Italian owners to mix something to your taste.
With the marina as its backdrop and Motown and Northern Soul on the soundtrack, Liquido is a long-standing Santa Eulalia favourite. Its extensive cocktail list (over 100!) includes the quirky smoking absinthe drink – one for the adventurous.
A trifecta: three tasty LU:UM temptations
Head northeast towards the village of San Carlos and - halfway there - you will come across LU•UM. Its cocktail programme takes a decidedly adventurous approach, with unusual combinations and house-made juices served in an intimate bar and outside, on its shaded terrace in the garden.
Suggested sample: Velvet Gorgonzola, combining Gorgonzola-infused rum with pear and grape cordial, white chocolate, lime and pink pepper.
San Antonio
Tucked away along the side streets of San Antonio, Pinguin offers something very different from Ibiza's polished rooftop scene: an intimate independent cocktail bar where the drinks take centre stage. Ben (owner, bartender, and cocktail connoisseur) is always on hand to lead you through the menu, which plays with smoke, fruit, and herbs to create exciting twists on familiar classics.
Suggested sample: Smoked Rosemary La Paloma, or anything from its creative cocktail list.
Possessor of a Solete award from the leading Spanish gastro guide Guía Repsol, La Santa puts author cocktails centre stage, with bartender Fernando Oviedo's “map of flavours” leading into a world of tequila, mezcal and inventive serves. Live music adds to the atmosphere.
Some destinations are worth going out of your way for.
Expert mixology with a smile at Jul's
Jul's, on the road to Sa Caleta and Cala Jondal, takes cocktail-making into the laboratory, with ingredients prepared in-house using techniques that go far beyond standard syrups and infusions. Its drinks incorporate everything from kimchi and jalapeño to coffee and goat's cheese.
Suggested sample: Serendipity, combining vodka, mastiha, thyme, rhubarb and goat's cheese.
That creamy-looking finish is the result of a carefully crafted cocktail at El Clo.
The charming, atmospheric courtyard at El Clo - in the historical heart of the village of San Rafael - is an ideal setting for its Mexican-Nikkei-influenced cocktails. The drinks mirror the restaurant's cross-cultural approach, with fresh, aromatic combinations designed to work as an aperitif as much as an accompaniment to food.
Suggested sample: the Lemongrass Yuzu
