The best restaurants L'Est

Right in the heart of Maó, Le Romero treats regulars and visiting travelers alike to fresh Menorcan-inspired seafood dishes in a more modern version. Fabio and Francesca, an Italian couple, will welcome you with a smile and will be happy to guide you according to your tastes: fresh fish and seafood (no meat) and organic vegetarian dishes to enjoy on the terrace or in the dining room. The entire menu is gluten-free, and products are sourced from eco-responsible production chains.

Located in the village of Sant Climent, this restaurant is a veritable institution. Vicent Vila, an expert Valencian restaurateur and long-time expatriate in Menorca, has converted this former ^19th-century grain mill into a modernist restaurant specializing in rice dishes! The man honors his Valencian origins with a wide range of paellas and other superb arròs prepared according to traditional recipes, sometimes reinterpreted. Local products and straightforward flavors!

Patrick, a Frenchman who has lived in Menorca for many years, offers French specialties combined with local produce. The menu varies according to the season... and the imagination of the chef, always ready to explore new trends. Some suggestions? Duck confit with orange and carrot purée with cumin, aubergine-tomato crumble, vegetable Tarte Tatin... The place is very pleasant, starting with the terrace-pergola open in summer. In winter, it's best to head for the welcoming indoor lounge. Excellent wine cellar. We love it.

El Rais restaurant invites you to an inventive gastronomic experience in Port de Maó! This new address is the brainchild of the owners of the Ses Forquilles restaurant. The restaurant specializes in rice-based dishes, hence the name "El Rais", a play on the word "rice". The original, gourmet tapas to share make an excellent introduction. The proportions are small, but the flavors are there! A fine wine list.

Opposite the fish market - in other words, right in the center of town - this restaurant is run by a friendly couple from Barcelona, offering creative tapas made from fresh, seasonal produce. Everything is served in small, tasty portions to share: Russian salad, braves à l'aïoli, knife-cut tartare, cooked fish and other seafood... it's all very good! Don't hesitate to ask for advice when choosing your wine, as the owner is an enthusiast. Perfect for a quick bite or a serious dinner party.

Right in the heart of Maó, the Mercat des Peix (Fish Market) is an institution. Not only has it always been the place to go for fish and seafood shopping, but over time it has also become a gourmet meeting place, with a string of small restaurants facing the fish stalls. Choose from a variety of specialties, then take your tray and sit down in the small, picturesque courtyard to feast in a cosmopolitan, seafaring atmosphere. Stopover recommended.

This restaurant is a must for all gourmets. Founded in 1969, it offers a selection of typical island dishes, made from local products. Combining finesse and creativity, the chef invites you to a fabulous tasting in a rustic and warm decor. The restaurant has 3 rooms and its major asset is, of course, its "bodega", open to the public, where you can choose, among a variety of 200 wines, the one that will best accompany your gastronomic journey. Reservations are essential.

Contrary to what its name indicates, it is not a casino but a restaurant-bar, or it is good to come in the evening to take a drink, eat tapas or listen to music; jazz concert every Tuesday evenings.

Breakfast, sandwich (4 €), salad (from 7,5 € to 10,50 €), tables of cheese, blocks, salmon (12 € to 13 €), tapas. Ice and sorbets. Air conditioned room or a pleasant terrace on the central square of Explanada.

Small restaurant with a lovely terrace, although it is situated on the road. A large choice of salads (from 7 € to 11 €), but mainly from fish and meat cooked to plancha. The daily menu is 11 € and includes an entrance, a dish and a dessert with water or wine. The special menu is 21 €, and lets you choose from a vast proposal of fish, seafood and meat, all unappetising.

Traditional and international cuisine served in a boat décor designed as a tribute to the shipwrights (translation of "Mestre d'Aixa") of Maó harbor. Start with a few homemade croquettes, one of the chef's salads or a green tomato gazpacho, followed by bacallà amb pisto i ou, octopus ramen, chicken canelons or corb ceviche and llagostins, and finish with a delicious French toast or a tasty lemon tart. Sounds appetizing, doesn't it?

A great place to eat tapas, but also more elaborate dishes, shoulder to shoulder with the locals. The lunch menu is copious and the rations generous. In short, a true bar de poble as we like it. To whet the appetites of passers-by, 36 photos of the sandwiches you can order at Can Xavi are displayed at the entrance, so there's plenty to choose from! When it comes to beer, you'll be able to choose from more than twenty offerings. A popular, typical address with timeless charm, where you get what you pay for.

You will dine in a great patio, surrounded by plants and about other tables. Excellent service and service but a little slow service.

On the map, soups, gazpachos, paella, fideua… and also sandwiches and pizzas. From 10 to 30 €.

A small chiringuito set right on the beach, facing the pretty bay of Es Grau, the Es Moll bar is a great place to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature while indulging in some unpretentious, well-made, iodized tapas. If your appetite is stronger than that, it's sometimes possible to enjoy delicious paellas or grilled fish. Otherwise, the simple pleasure of sipping a glass of Minorcan wine or lemonade with the sea as a backdrop will do just as well. Simply magical.

Es Cap Roig is one of Menorca's favorite restaurants to enjoy - after a starter of gaspatxo, shrimp cocktail or fisherman's salad - good fresh fish facing the sea, but also to feast on a solid llagostí menorquí (langoustine), one of the island's specialties. There's also a selection of braised meats and paella. The place is packed all summer long. In fact, the restaurant's location offers one of Menorca's finest views. As you can see, advance reservations are essential.

Ca'n Santi, which has been serving continuously from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. for more than 40 years now, is an address that stands out a little among the tourist restaurants on the promenade. You can enjoy good seafood and excellent paellas that are particularly well-stocked, but also some simple snack dishes and children's menus. The service is pleasant and the prices reasonable, and the restaurant's terraces offer a beautiful view of the blue horizon. Simple and efficient.

The Club Nautica Binisafua is not a nautical center, but a place with the appearance of a small chiringuito, where you can taste fish and seafood. You can also enjoy rice and pasta, always prepared with seafood. A superb view in the evening, an ideal place to enjoy a nice sunset. The welcome is pleasant and friendly. However, think of booking if you want to go there in the middle of August.

It's in the port of Maó that you'll find the modern, cosy and bright Calucha. It's a small gastro-bar offering simple, well-made dishes based on local island produce. Here, locals and tourists alike can enjoy one (or more) of the five dishes of the day, washed down with one of the wines from the premises' excellent cellar. The menu includes sandwiches, cheese and charcuterie platters, and high-quality preserves. A reference in the port.

Popular with locals for its arroces (rice), the cuisine at l'Arjau promises some nice surprises. Launched in the spring of 2018 by Max, a chef with over 30 years of experience behind the stove, the business is doing rather well: Minorcan specialties such as caldereta are on offer here, but also, and above all, a whole variety of lobster-based preparations. There are also a number of original arrossos , such as rabbit and artichokes, or duck and foie gras. A fine selection of wines and a very pleasant atmosphere. A very good address.