Tuesday 21 June 2016

Vegan Ibiza


I have just got back from an amazing 10 days in Ibiza. Despite its reputation for being the ultimate party capital of the world, this beautiful island is also one of the most chilled out, spiritual and happy places I have ever visited. I genuinely feel at home in Eivissa and it's one of the only places in the world which I keep going back to. 

On this trip I was keen to explore what Ibiza had to offer its veggie and vegan tourists and after carrying out a little research online I was pleased to see the arrival of a few plant based eateries. The last time I visited the island I hadn't quite taken the plunge into Veganism so I was excited to experience yet another new side to this wonderfully diverse destination. 


The first hotel we stayed at, IbizaZen, was so beautiful and I'm so glad we chose to spend the majority of our holiday there. Although it's not a specific veggie/vegan hotel we found it to be pretty accommodating for our needs and there were quite a few veg friendly options on their lunch & tapas menus. They even had soya milk available too! We love to explore Ibiza and eat out at the numerous restaurants and bars so we didn't eat a great deal at this hotel but here's a little glimpse at what we did enjoy...





I'd heard good things about Caos in Santa Eulalia and I was pleased to find that it was only a short 5 minute drive from our hotel. We really loved the chilled out vibe of this place and it's seafront location. We enjoyed the most amazing smoothies here and an incredible lunch. Everything on the menu was clearly labelled veggie, vegan & gluten free. They also serve some meat options too. I particularly loved the doilies and crochet cacti decorations too which added to the quirkiness of this cafe! 






I had heard that this was a good spot for vegetarians if visiting the Ses Salinas beach area but on visiting I was surprised to see not a huge amount of choice on the menu. The food we had there was very enjoyable but the service was painfully slow and quite pricey for what we had.





If you only visit one place off my list make it Sunset Ashram! We had the BEST night here and the free spirited hippy vibe totally captures what Ibiza is all about for me. It's also in the perfect location to view an incredible sunset. The menu is so diverse with everything from sushi to Hindi dishes. We were lucky enough to visit on an evening when the most amazing band were playing and the atmosphere was electrifying. I've never been anywhere as cool as this in my entire life! If you do want to visit make sure you book well in advance. Although there isn't a huge amount of choice for veggies and vegans there are some great options available which we really enjoyed. Sunset Ashram will definitely be on my return to list for years to come. 







Andy & I don't really party anymore and a great night for us usually involves being in our pjs in front of the TV! That being said, I think you just have to experience a little bit of the Ibiza club scene when you visit the island. After all it is the party capital do the world! I would suggest checking out the Ibiza Spotlight party calendar to see what's on before your trip and booking the day or night which most appeals to you. All the top famous DJs are in Ibiza over the Summer and I would have to say that my ultimate clubbing experience in Ibiza is Pacha. I've had many amazing nights there and it's definitely something for your bucket list if you haven't been before. 

Anyway, I was keen to visit Ocean Beach to see what all the fuss was about. This is in essence a day time pool party venue where you can sunbathe, listen to some loud music, enjoy some food and if you fancy it dance the afternoon away! We enjoyed quite a strange combo here but it was actually really nice and completely vegan friendly - vegetable sushi & chips! 






Wild Beets was the first fully plant based eatery we visited during our stay and we were so impressed. Not only was it very nicely decorated and very Ibizan, the food and options available were crazy good! We really loved the overall vibe here and it would definitely be somewhere we would come back to again and again. The food was so tasty and it was really good to see different vegan cheeses being used. 






I'd been told to visit the Passion Cafe and when I looked into it some more online I soon realised that this was the main place to eat vegan on the island. They also have a number of different outlets across Ibiza which is impressive! Luckily for us there was a Passion Cafe very close to our hotel in Santa Eulalia and I just wish we'd discovered it earlier in our holiday as I'm sure we would have been back a few times over the 10 days! The food here is simply stunning to look at and totally delicious to eat. For me the Passion Cafe ticks all the boxes. The menus were clearly labelled as vegetarian, vegan & gluten free. The selection of different juices and smoothies was like nothing I've seen before! We were so excited we ordered so much that we couldn't even finish everything that was served up to us. And this will go down in history as the first and only place I've ever had the pleasure of trying avocado fries! Yes, you heard me right! 










This was the second hotel we stayed at and it's also where we stayed for our minimoon back in 2013 so it was really lovely to be back here again. The Giri are more than accommodating when you dine with them & they pretty much ask you what you would like them to make you to eat. For breakfast we requested a vegan friendly cooked meal which they happily supplied us with and it was delicious! They also served up some beautiful fruit selections and a variety of  toasted breads. We didn't dine there for dinner but they are also as accommodating any time of the day. If you are looking at staying and dining with them it may just be worth emailing them in advance to let them know if you are vegan. 







This is a really chilled beach bar with a very hippy centric vibe which we paid a little visit to for lunch on our last day. They have quite a few veggie & vegan dishes including some amazing hummus with pitta, falafel and a veggie burger with fries! 






These were all of the places I enjoyed a good eating experience but there were also a few places where the vegan options especially were pretty limited to salads and chips. That being said, and on the whole, I would say that Ibiza is definitely a vegetarian friendly island to visit and it would appear to be getting more and more vegan friendly. 


Ibiza is very open minded and accepting. It's home to the hippies and many who are passionate about leading a healthier lifestyle including yogi's and wellness retreats. They also love their animals and recently banned bullfighting which is a huge step in the right direction for the Balearic Islands. I have certainly felt less judgement for being vegan in Ibiza than I have in the UK!  


Places that were on my list which I sadly didn't visit include:

The Lab (*now closed down)


If you do come to Ibiza be prepared to pay a price for both food and drinks as it is undoubtedly an expensive holiday destination, but one that I personally feel is worth every penny. Most main meals range between €10-€15 euros but at top spots be prepared to pay between €20-€25. I think on average we spent about €120 a day on food and drink for both of us and that's without alcohol (I don't drink and Andy was driving). 


And as always I recommend doing some of your own research before you visit Ibiza as what may be open one Summer season could be closed down by the next (as we sadly found out after trekking around for an hour looking for The Lab). I personally find the Happy Cow website and app very useful  along with searching on Trip Adviser for veggie friendly eateries. I also came across this Vegan Ibiza website which was pretty useful.

To see more of our adventures and recommendations for holidaying in Ibiza check out our YouTube vlogging channel 'Keeping Up With The Kirby's'! 

Have you been to Ibiza yet? 
Where's your favourite place to eat? 
I'd love to know if you have any other recommendations for me :-) 

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11 comments

  1. This is such an in-depth post, all the food looks amazing and the giri residence sounds absolutely beautiful for someone looking for a relaxing break away. Thank you for sharing your Ibiza experience :) xx

    Yasmina | The July Journal

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  2. Hi Sarah, I live 3-4 months a year in Ibiza, and know these places well, also the restaurants you sadly were unable to visit - plus many more. You're right in saying that Ibiza is nowadays very vegan friendly. 18 years ago it was a very different experience with chips, salad, olives and bread being a staple diet of mine   . The increasing 'wellness tourism' market has done wonders for the island and I know from friends that are chefs and restaurateurs that the demand for vegan and raw food is increasing year on year. A particularly good friend of mine is a chef at private parties in villas/yachts - he joiking derided my diet for so many years, and now can do a billion amazing things with tofu - by his own admission he would never have predicted this!. The Rabbit Hole is amazing, as is Happy Carrot in Santa Eulalia. My local bar/restaurant owner is a great friend of mine and now makes a vegan chilli for me as well as tofu a la plancha. My favourite place to eat is Can Nuts in my village of Cala Llonga where my friend Nanu makes AMAZING veggie burgers and the best salads. I am back in a few weeks so will make more effort to record some of my meals and places I know  

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    1. Thanks for your comment Claire! How lucky you get to spend so much time out there. I hope one day to have a home there too! We went looking for Happy Carrot but couldn't find it. I've heard a few people now say the Rabbit Hole is also a good option! I'll have to try them the next time I visit. Can't wait to go back! X

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  3. Well, this made me want to go to Ibiza! I've been twice as a teenager, and ate lots of veggie burgers and chips! Looks like the vegan options are a lot better now!

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    1. Ooh yes Susie you should defo go back now! It's pretty amazing :-) xx

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  4. Great post Sarah, super helpful, thank you! x

    www.heygeorgiegirl.com

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    1. Aww thanks for reading and your kind comment x

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  5. You have definitely made me want to book a holiday! *sends post to bae*

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    1. haha! do it Tara! have a great time on your upcoming break away xx

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  6. Really useful reviews - Booking my hub’s 40th on the back of this!

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