Ocean Beach Ibiza opening has been one of the highlights of the season so far, the stunning beach club in San Antonio has grabbed headlines on and off the island as celebrities from the sports and music world flock to the promenade to join thousands of tourists from all over the world. Sister Sledge performed live recently and many of the world’s top DJs have already graced the decks over looking the magnificent swimming pool. Tonight, however, we are in for a completely different treat from Ocean Beach, as we head for Pearl, one of the fine dining experiences that can be found within the beach club.
As we walk along the promenade, the tunes from the huge sound system fill the air, people are standing outside the beach club looking over the glass that surrounds it, Ocean Beach has certainly got everyone’s attention in the few weeks that it has been open. We head for the VIP entrance, which doubles as the entrance to the Pearl and, as always, are met by friendly staff who waste no time in showing us to our table. Shapely designed seats await and although the music is still audible, it doesn’t interfere with conversation and you still get the feeling of belonging to the party that is in full swing. Alexandre Sennu is in charge of proceedings and talks us through the various choices on the menu and what most of them entail, suggesting suitable dishes as we tell him what normally tickles our palate.
As we take a minute to ponder our choices, we can’t help notice the stunning view from the restaurant. Looking out over the glass surround, San Antonio strip is lit up and the masts of the numerous moored boats stick up into the night sky, which is a rainbow of colour as it makes the transition from sunset to darkness. For starters we opt for prawn tempura, spring rolls and tuna tenaki, sliced tuna in a slightly spicy/ tangy sauce. For main courses, the table is firmly split in two, the steak camp and the Thai green curry camp, with a choice of chicken or prawn. While we wait for the food to arrive we have a peek into the beach club to see what’s going on. The pool is lit up, acrobats are performing high above it and people are dancing inside it, Ocean Beach offers a genuine full day/night experience. From the sunbathing during the day moving into party mode when the sun goes down, a stunning restaurant which then becomes an intimate after party venue after midnight, it has everything covered.
It’s not long before the food starts arriving and the table talk disappears as we concentrate on destroying the beautifully designed dishes that have been put before us. You know the food is good when the debate after the starters is a result of everyone defending their choice as the best on the menu! The main event goes similarly to the starters, each steak is cooked to perfection and the Thai curry is a huge success. Alexandre is on hand throughout the meal to make sure we have everything we need and to make some wine recommendations. Like everything else at Ocean Beach, they have got it just right and it’s not just that the food is good, which it is, it’s that the dining experience is exactly as it should be. Not hurried with a warm and friendly vibe, in the hands of staff that are not only good at what they do but who do it with ease, which helps diners feel instantly at home. There’s no doubt that the giant pool and the performers who play around it will catch most of the headlines this summer but don’t be surprised if they gets some competition from The Pearl.
