Menorca - anything goes

Places
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Thanks all!

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Good shout about Bar Imperi- decent food and Pomadas ( Xoriguer gin and lemonade - the island’s signature drink for those wondering)

I think they might do Greixonera too- know I had a good one somewhere in the town- the Balearic bread pudding made of old ensaimada and custard . Essentially, if you see one on a menu, try it

Nibs do a decent breakfast too with some healthier choices , but I find sobrasada , tortilla, ensaimada and a pomada or two to be the breakfast of champions versus the more traditional Spanish breakfast which is fuck all of note normally

I can say this as my missus is Galician . 20 years on and she still can’t believe she met an Englishman who loves seafood

Ciutadella is a gem of a town

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Can recommend Ulisses in Ciutadella, right next to the fish market. Also Sa Taula located in Fornells, really lovely fishing village.

If you’re into cheese, you can buy Mahon Cheese (cow milk) directly from various farms on the island. Cala Pregonda and its red sand dunes is my favorite, a bit of walk (20min) to get to it but it’s worth it.

Enjoy your balearic trip !

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superb advice

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Greixonera is my ultimate balearic dessert :slightly_smiling_face:

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I’ve just returned from a far too brief visit to Menorca, which was made even better by the tips from you lovely people on here.

Here’s my report:

Beaches

Beaches are generally rockier in the north and sandier in the south. The wind is key, if it’s blowing from the south, head north and vice versa.

I found Wind Guru useful for figuring out the wind direction: www.windguru.cz

Go early for popular beaches south of Ciutadella, such as Turqueta and Macarella, as the car parks fill before 10am. In high season I think access may be bus only.

Places to Eat/Drink

Ciutadella

Bar Imperi – As mentioned in this thread. Loved the sobrasada & honey llonguets. Ses Àmfores, a little further out, seems to do similar food in a more casual setting, but we never made it there. A big part of Imperi’s appeal is sitting outside watching the world go by.

Bar des Casino Nou – Social club/cultural centre where older locals gather to chat, play cards etc. Good, simple tapas and bocadillos.

Hogar del Pollo – As mentioned in this thread. Buzzy, no frills tapas place with a mix of locals and tourists. Watch what the locals are eating and order that.

S’Aramador – As mentioned in this thread. Good seafood. We thought Restaurant Cafè Balear next door was just as good, so try that if S’Aramador is rammed.

Mahon/Mao

Candela / Bar Augustin – Next door to each other and despite the separate branding, seem to offer the same menu. Slightly more sophisticated takes on Spanish staples, with good quality food. We tried to like Sa Botiga on the same square but it didn’t do it for us.

Restaurant Es Jardí de Ses Bruixes – The closest we got to a romantic meal, although they happily served us Tinto de Verano, so they’re not exactly snooty. Lovely courtyard and nice food. The same people own El Rais at the marina, which is also supposed to be good.

Elsewhere

Restaurant es Molí d’es Racó (Es Mercadal) – Specialises in meat and has its own farm. Really tasty, simple food, but portions are absolutely enormous, so order accordingly.

Cap Roig (Sa Mesquida) – Good food, but the location is even better, perched on a cliff overlooking Sa Mesquida beach.

Can Tanu (Fornells) – Good seafood, although I suspect you could eat to the same standard at several other Fornells restaurants, such as Es Cranc. We avoided the Caldereta de llagosta, despite it being everywhere, as lobster is supposedly only caught locally between April and September.

Records

Sad as it is to mention records on an island full of beautiful scenery and great food, I’m doing it anyway in case any of you are like me and have a sallow record shop complexion rather than a bronzed adonis beach body.

As far as I can tell, there are four places to buy records.

Three are charity shops:

  • Mestral, Ciutadella
  • Mestral, Mahon
  • Age Concern

They yielded nothing for me, although the Mestrals are good for cheap beach essentials like parasols, presumably donated by hotels after tourists leave them behind.

The best place was Flea Market Alcolea & Krauss in Mahon, near Age Concern. They have a proper antique shop elsewhere and seem to use this place for stuff that doesn’t make the cut for that. I loved it. Piles of completely unsorted LPs, 12"s and singles. Lots of crap, obviously, but some really interesting stuff too. I was gutted to discover it only opens on Saturdays, otherwise I’d have gone back for another rummage.

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