Explore Menorca’s dining scene with this guide to the island’s top ten restaurants. From typical Menorca seafood options to fine dining I have handpicked the top 10 restaurants you should try in Menorca.
10 Best Restaurants in Menorca
1. Mon
Felipe Llufriu is a chef who fell in love with the idea of setting up a true Spanish fonda in his native Menorca. Similar to a posada, a fonda is a lodging establishment with an eatery attached, similar to a modern bed and breakfast.
Mon is a charming boutique hotel located in the heart of Ciutadella; it has an Art Deco ambiance dating back to the period before World War II, and it offers just eight rooms often booked by travelers who are on cuisine tours of Menorca.
As a true Menorcan, Chef Felipe insists on only using local ingredients, and you will only find traditional dishes and local wines on the menu. As can be expected, the menu at Mon is filled with seafood dishes, but you can also find rabbit, ox, and bouche.
Everything down to the gelato and parfait desserts are made in-house, and they are intended to be paired with local wines.
- Address: Paseig Sant Nicolau 4, Ciutadella de Menorca
- Telephone: (+34) 971 381 718
- Website: https://www.monrestaurantfonda.com/
2. Sa Llagosta
There are quite a few seafood restaurants in Menorca, but Sa Llagosta stands out in the sense that it is one of the eateries most likely to be recommended by local seafood connoisseurs.
Located in the seaside village of Fornells, Sa Llagosta is just steps away from the water, which means that you will always be guaranteed fresh seafood.
As the name of this restaurant suggests, the main focus is on lobster dishes, and the one you must absolutely try when you visit is called caldereta menorquina, a stew that celebrity Chef Jose Andres often talks about in his television shows.
In and of itself, the recipe for caldereta is simple: The base is made with garlic, parsley, almonds, breading, onion, cognac, olive oil, and a couple of other ingredients.
But what sets Sa Llagosta apart from other restaurants in Menorca is the careful selection of female lobsters at the right age, the catch region, the flambeing, the application of spices, and the choice of bread accompaniment.
Aside from caldereta, you can also enjoy lobster grilled or in carpaccio-style.
- Address: Carrer de Gabriel Gelabert, 12, 07748 Fornells,
- Telephone: +34 971 37 65 66
3. Sa Pedrera d´es Pujol
This incredible restaurant has a history dating back to 1969, but it did not become internationally renowned until a couple from Asturias took over in 2003. Initial plans called for the transformation of Sa Pedrera from a seafood eatery to a fusion bistro, but Chef Daniel Gonzalez thought that the best move was to honor the rich culinary tradition of Menorca.
What you get at this restaurant are folk recipes such as Menorcan-style stuffed calamari, an island holiday dish, and the local version of beef Wellington, a meal that highlights British heritage.
The Mahon cheese dessert is a delicacy that earned first place at the 2020 Madrid Fusion Cuisine Festival. Of all restaurants in Menorca, this one is a must for serious foodies.
- Address: Carrer, Torret, Camí des Pujol, 14, 07711 Sant Lluís,
- Telephone: +34 629642422
- Website: http://www.sapedreradespujol.com/
4. Cafe Balear
This Mediterranean seafood restaurant started out as a modest tavern in the 1970s; over the last few decades, however, it has evolved into a culinary staple of the island that boasts an important distinction: The Rosa Santa Primera fishing vessel, which brings fresh catch on a daily basis exclusively for your enjoyment.
As should be expected from a serious seafood restaurant, the menu is highly seasonal, but it features tapas appetizers along with a few meat dishes sourced from island livestock fed with uniquely salted grass.
Depending on the catch of the day, you may be able to taste the bogavante lobster, known to be the largest edible crustacean in the Mediterranean, and which is often prepared as a Christmas meal.
- Address: Pla de Sant Joan, 15 – Port de Ciutadella
- Telephone: +34 971 38 00 05
- Website: http://www.cafebalear.com/
5. Torralbenc
Welcome to one of the most luxurious restaurants in Menorca. Torralbenc is located within an upscale country lodge adjacent to a farm where many of the ingredients are sourced.
If you are lucky to book a reservation at this hotel, you will get to enjoy not only sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea but also some of the most delicious Basque-Menorcan fusion cuisine ever prepared.
Dining al fresco is a must at Torralbenc; you will likely need reservations unless you are a guest of the hotel, and everyone who has dined here will tell you that the tasting menu is not to be missed.
When you taste wines and pair them with your meal, keep in mind that they come from the vineyard next door, where even imported olives are pressed to make oil for the kitchen.
- Address: Ctra. Mao – Cala Porter, Km.10, 07730 Alaior,
- Telephone: +34 971 37 72 11
- Website: https://torralbenc.com/
6. Smoix
Similar to Mon and Torralbenc, Smoix is a boutique establishment where you can spend your entire visit to Menorca. Conveniently located in the heart of Ciutadella, the elegant building occupied by Smoix used to be a shoemaker’s workshop;
There are five cozy hotel rooms where guests enjoy a gourmet breakfast each and every morning of their stay, and this early meal serves as a reminder of the delicacies available at the restaurant downstairs.
The menu is highly seasonal, and the meals are prepared according to haute cuisine. All dishes are recommended, but one that stands out is the ravioli stuffed with cigala, a Mediterranean crayfish, and smothered with a mushroom sauce.
- Address: Avda. Jaume Conqueridor, 38, Ciutadella de Menorca
- Telephone: +34 971 38 28 08
- Website: http://www.smoix.com/
7. El Rais
The port city of Mahon is the most cosmopolitan of the island, and this is where you can find the greatest diversity of restaurants in Menorca. El Rais is a different kind of Menorcan eatery in the sense that it focuses on rice dishes, which are not exactly a Balearic tradition.
The interesting menu combines traditional seafood dishes with fusion recipes inspired by Asian cuisine. In the kitchen, meals are prepared with the help of a wood burning oven used for smoking, grilling, and baking.
The dedication to rice extends to dishes such as seafood Caesar salads hidden within rice wraps; you can also find risottos and hearty stews that feature rice as a main ingredient.
Local and European wines are poured by a beautiful and experienced sommelier who is also a gracious hostess.
When it comes to desserts, you must make it a point to try the rice pudding with sweetened dairy sauces.
- Address: Moll de Llevant 314, Maó
- Telephone: +34 971362345
- Website: https://sesforquilles.com/elrais.html
8. Rels
Joan Bagur is an award-winning chef who calls Menorca his hometown. After studying culinary arts in France and Spain, he ran the kitchens of various Michelin-starred restaurants before returning to his native island with fine gastronomy in mind.
The resume of Chef Joan is impeccable; he worked at El Celler de Can Roca in Girona at a time when it was awarded three Michelin stars and deemed as the best restaurant in the world by an international consortium of critics.
Following his successful career overseas, Chef Joan realized that he needed to make a contribution to Menorcan cuisine, which is what Rels is all about. As one of finest restaurants in Menorca, Rels offers a nouvelle cuisine menu where traditional island dishes meet new gastronomic trends.
Chef Joan is the kind of gourmand who insists on going to the market himself to evaluate ingredients; he delegates the wine pairing to a trusted expert who must deal with requests from renowned vintners from around the world who wish to be included in Rels’ cellar.
- Address: Carrer de Sant Isidre, 33, 07760 Ciutadella de Menorca
- Telephone: +34 971 48 05 16
- Website: https://www.relsrestaurant.me/
9. Es Cranc
Fornells is the lobster capital of Menorca; this can be clearly seen by the various restaurants that compete for the distinction of serving the best caldereta of the island. Es Cranc is a waterfront restaurant that operates its own lobster tank located steps away from the local fishing pier.
Hundreds of lobsters are raised right in the restaurant for the purpose of underscoring freshness, and this has resulted in a highly esteemed reputation for Es Cranc, a restaurant where reservations are practically the only way to get a table.
You can expect to pay a little more for caldereta and other lobster delicacies, but they are worth every euro. The menu is packed with seafood entrees and appetizers; this is a family-style restaurant, so you should expect sizable portions when the plates arrive.
At Es Cranc, the decor is secondary to the quality of the dishes. Over the years, the restaurant has retained its ambiance of being a fishing village bistro, and this is reflected in the interior decoration, which is both charming and utilitarian.
- Address: Carrer de ses Escoles, 31, 07748 Fornells
- Telephone: +34 971 37 64 42
- Website: http://www.escranc.com/
10. S´Amarador
This Ciutadella restaurant offers excellent value for visitors who want to get a taste of Menorcan seafood prepared with very high standards. Similar to Es Cranc, S’Amarador operates tanks and reservoirs to keep the daily catch as fresh as possible.
The decoration of S’Amarador is in contrast to the pricing in the menu; this restaurant looks splendid, particularly to diners who are fortunate to get an al fresco table overlooking the water, but the prices are extremely reasonable.
This is a very popular establishment where reservations must be made a couple of days in advance, and you cannot choose a table even during the booking confirmation process.
Chef José Luis Ruesca is highly respected in Menorcan culinary circles; his versions of traditional seafood dishes such as oyster brown rice will make you forget about paella from mainland Spain.
All menu items are amazing, but the red lobster with eggs and potatoes plus the seafood pasta are strongly recommended.
- Address: Carrer de Pere Capllonch, 42, 07760 Ciutadella de Menorca,
- Telephone: +34 971 38 35 24
- Website: https://samarador.com/es/