Formentera Island Chill Vibes
Arriving by boat for lunch at Juan y Andrea on Formentera is an experience like no other. Miles upon miles all you can see are stretches of fine white sand and turquoise blue waters on Formentera's Playa Illetes, ranked as the seventh most beautiful beach in the world.
In the midst of this tiny isle resides Juan y Andrea, a seaside restaurant that boasts not only beachfront views but some of the freshest and tastiest Mediterranean seafood dishes you will find.
Dining on copious amounts of seafood, bottomless bottles of Cava, chilling to Balearic grooves with the sand between your toes - that is the Juan y Andrea experience. I cannot imagine a better way to spend a lazy afternoon with friends on the Balearic Isles.
Juan y Andrea opened in 1971 by founders Juan Bonet and his wife Andrea. Juan, a local fisherman and sailor from Formentera fell in love with Andrea and they cared for the uninhabited island of s’Espalmador together for 14 years before opening Juan y Andrea. Originally starting as a beach bar, Juan y Andrea is now one of the most sought after seaside reservations in the Balearic Islands run by their children Juanjo, Andrés and Jorge.
The specialities at Juan y Andrea restaurant feature the flavours of the sea: lobster in garlic sauce, grilled lobster and fish paella, among many other wondrous delights.
One of our favourite dishes was the Grilled Mediterranean Lobster Fideua. Fideua is a noodle dish which originates from Valencia and is prepared in a similar style to Paella. The finely thin noodles of the Fideua soak up all of the rich flavours of the seafood and is mouth-wateringly delicious.
Another rare delicacy of the Balearic Islands is the Raor fish which is typically served fried. Raor, also known as llorito, galán, prejpeine or Pearly Razor Fish is one of the most prized catches for fisherman and anglers in the Balearic Islands. The Raor inhabits clear shallow sandy seagrass beds and corals of the warm Mediterranean and Atlantic waters. They are often known to dive head first into the sand when frightened. The Raor are considered to be one of the most expensive fish in Spain. Given how highly coveted they are, we were beyond delighted to have spotted this culinary treasure on Juan y Andrea's menu.
The perfect accompaniment to all of this gorgeous seafood is a chilled bottle of the 2017 Raventós i Blanc de Nit Reserva Brut Rosat, a sparkling rose Cava from the Penedès wine region in Spain. Raventós i Blanc is harvested by hand and follows an ecological viticulture classifying its wines as biodynamic.
The Raventós i Blanc winery is located in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, the centre of the viticulture area in Alt Penedès. The Raventós family, a leading, world-renowned winegrowing dynasty, has lived on this estate since 1497. "Twenty-one generations have worked its land, 90 hectares of vines, forest and lake, with a specific microclimate influenced by the river, a lake, two streams and a hill known as the Turó del Serral. The soils were formed over 16 million years ago. They are calcareous with marine fossils, and this provides the ideal conditions for producing wines with a potent mineral expression."
This 2017 Raventós i Blanc de Nit Reserva Brut Rosat is a blend of Macabeo, Xarel·lo, Parellada and Monastrell grown across three estates: La Plana La Barbera and El Llac.
You can easily spend the day chilling barefoot in the sand at Juan y Andrea enjoying the cool sea breeze, delicious seafood and picturesque seaside surroundings. Time does seem to stand still on Formentera. We were certainly not in any rush to head back to our boat for the 30 minute sail back to Ibizia.
LOCATION
Juan y Andrea
Playa de Illetes · Formentera
Balearic Island · Spain
GPS Coordinates: 38.7535762, 1.4330123
RESERVATIONS
Advanced bookings highly recommended by email or by phone at +34 630 258 144.
When arriving by boat, please use VHF channel 74.
MOST RECENT VISIT
29 July 2019