10 Best Local Dishes from Ibiza

Butifarra and sobrassada are traditional Ibizan pork sausages cured with salt and spices. Butifarra is an Ibizan version of a black sausage mixed with blood from a slaughtered pig and then boiled. Sobrassada is a red, soft and spicy sausage that combines minced pork and cloves, nutmeg, paprika and cayenne pepper.

The sausages are typically added to other dishes or eaten on their own as an appetiser on bread, accompanied by a glass of red wine. The origin of butifarra and sobrassada dates back centuries to when subsistence farming was the way of life in Ibiza. At that time, pigs were a fantastic source of protein. However, the island’s climate meant the local Ibicencos needed to preserve the meat to last all year long.

Sofrit pagés, meaning “peasants fry-up”, is for all the hungry carnivore foodies visiting Ibiza. This hearty dish consists of lamb, pork, chicken, and Ibizan pork sausages, and sometimes even rabbit and goat meat. Add potatoes, peppers, artichokes, garlic bulbs, saffron, cinnamon and parsley, and sofrit pagés might become one of the tastiest local dishes you’ll every try in Ibiza.

Back in the day, sofrit pagés was only served in winter during special occasions. Today, you can find this rich dish in almost every restaurant serving traditional Ibizan food. Insider’s tip: sofrit pagés can be the perfect hangover cure after a night of clubbing.

Bullit de Peix is a traditional fish stew loved by locals and foreigners alike. It's believed that the dish originated from Ibizan seafarers who threw any unsold seafood from that day's catch into a clay pot and boiled it all up. They also added potatoes, garlic, tomato and saffron.

Common seafood ingredients include grouper, flounder, monkfish, lobster, or prawns. The stock from the stew is used to make the accompanying rice dish called arroz a banda. Restaurants serve Bullit de Peix with an aioli sauce – olive oil emulsified into mashed garlic – to intensify the taste. And as the tradition goes, you must first eat the fish, then the potatoes and finally, the rice.

Paella de mariscos is a seafood rice dish ideal for a long, lazy lunch by the sea with friends and family. While each region in Spain has its own version of seafood paella, Ibiza's ingredients come fresh from the island's waters. That makes Ibiza the perfect place to try this traditional Spanish dish.

Each restaurant across the island prepares its paella according to a unique recipe that, often, has been in the family for generations. So, you can go on a paella journey and discover your favourite recipe. A good paella de mariscos is golden with a crunchy, caramelised bottom and loaded with local seafood, such as prawns, mussels, clams, crab legs, shrimp, grouper, and monkfish.

Greixonera is a beloved local dessert made from yesterday’s bread or pastries such as ensaimada, a Ibizan spiral-shaped sweet pastry. Similar to bread pudding, greixonera is prepared by mixing stale pastries with milk, eggs and cinnamon or lemon zest. The mixture is then baked until firm and golden brown.

The resulting dish is a warm, decadent dessert that goes well with cream and a cup of coffee. Greixonera originated from a zero-waste culture where no one wanted to throw away yesterday’s leftover pastries. 

Cheesecake lovers alert! Flaó or flaons (plural) are circular pastries filled with goat's cheese, ground almonds and honey, flavoured with hints of spearmint and anise. The history of flaó dates back to the 13th century and was traditionally eaten on Easter Sunday. Fortunately, this exquisite sweet treat is available all year round.

The secret of a good flaó is in the quality of the white homemade cheeses, farm-fresh eggs and the patience invested in making it. And when baked in a wood-fired oven, flaó is the perfect dessert or afternoon snack.

Orelletes are tasty pastries that you can find in bakeries, markets, and restaurants across Ibiza. Meaning “little ears” in Catalan, the pastries are ear-shaped and made from eggs, flour, sugar, aniseed, and olive oil. They are then fried and coated in plenty of sugar. 

Like all traditional Ibizan recipes, everyone makes their orelletes differently, but the ingredients remain the same. After a day of exploring or chilling hard on the beach, you won’t go wrong with a couple of orelletes and a cup of coffee. And be sure to pack a few in your suitcase so you can reminisce about Ibiza when you’re back home.