History

S’Espartar has spent more than four decades making the Ibizan and Mediterranean culinary tradition, the quality of its products, and the love for cooking its best credentials.

Going back more than a quarter of a century, this restaurant opened its doors on June 23, 1983. It was the personal venture of the four Marí sisters who decided to embark on a new professional journey, leaving behind the family restaurant they had in Cala d’Hort. Pepa and Catalina, the entrepreneurs, bet on a new space, while Francisca and María followed them in the new project.

A place where the food and service were not just personal but also offered the richness of the island’s gastronomic tradition. “In the beginning, we served about forty customers daily; now we serve around two hundred,” explains Vicent Ramis, Pepa’s son, and currently the face of the business. In the kitchen, Pepe, Vicent’s first cousin, has inherited the family’s culinary knowledge and tradition.

The two current managers of the restaurant started their professional careers from a young age at S’Espartar.

Pepe inaugurated the restaurant alongside his mother and aunts, while Vicent began his journey over thirty years ago. Some of the island’s culinary professionals grew up and learned the trade among the stoves and tables of this restaurant.

“There has been a change of generation but not of philosophy,” Ramis tells us.

The quality of the products, the freshness of the fish, especially from the local area, the care in their preparation, and the mastery of the techniques to achieve the perfect point in each dish, make S’Espartar one of the great restaurants on the island. “For fish, we rely on our own fishermen, mainly from the area.”

The decor may have changed, but the strength of Ibizan cuisine remains. Among the restaurant’s recommendations are Guisat de Peix, Bullit de Peix, Arroz a Banda, various types of Paella, Arroz a la Marinera, Frita de Calamar, Baked Fish, Lobster Stew, or by special order, a magnificent Sofrit Pagès.

Unpretentious cooking, where the work lies in the perfection of the dishes. And they achieve it. “Perhaps the main difference over the years since S’Espartar opened is the clientele. Customers are increasingly demanding, and we make it our daily exercise to meet their requests,” Vicent Ramis emphasizes.

This restaurant is located on the road connecting Sant Josep de sa Talaia with Cala Tarida and offers spectacular views of the islet of s’Espartar. The sunsets experienced from its terraces allow us to forget, for a few minutes, the problems that come with our existence.

Coco Chanel said in fashion, “less is more,” and the same phrase applies to S’Espartar. There is no need for culinary experiments or last-minute sophistication. A good foundation, magnificent ingredients, and the necessary and precise time to cook the food to perfection. This is the secret behind these more than four decades.