For the thousands of you who have used Essentialibiza for your club ticket or VIP needs so far this summer, you will have shared numerous emails and conversations with Keith Matthews. He is the latest addition to the essentialibiza operation and has quickly become an integral member of our team. Having spent the first couple of months of the season working tirelessly to make sure you all get the best from your holiday, we thought it was about time he got out and let his very short fringe down a bit! When he came to us for advice on where to take his lovely girlfriend Leigh for the evening, we didn’t hesitate to point him in the direction of Javier and his amazing staff at Villa Mercedes…
So here I am in Ibiza, I’ve been here for four months now (for my sins) it’s been hard work, hard going at times with the occasional bit of fun (yeah right!). My long lost, patient girlfriend has just arrived to lift the old rave spirits and to bring me back down to earth, reminding me who I am and to give me a kick up the backside or a well earned kiss depending on how much attention I can spare her without showing off about bumping into this person or hearing this DJ or how nice the restaurant was I’d been in the night before or the night proceeding that one! So what do you do with the love of you’re life for one night in Ibiza? So I ask the team at Essential Towers to recommend a special night out, something romantic that will put a big smile on my lady’s face and surprisingly, for once, everyone is in agreement – Villa Mercedes in San Antonio. News of the romantic dinner isn’t long in reaching Nic, our trusty snapper, and the dinner for two becomes a dinner for four!
So we head to the Villa and what a sight it is to behold, located opposite the marina in San Antonio, beautifully lit up with an amazing sky as a backdrop, it is a stunning piece of architecture. We are whisked to our table VIP style, seated outside in the sumptuous terrace and then hosted by the gentleman that is Javier, who delights us with tales of Ibiza and food, food, food! He talks extensively and with a passion and vigour about tonight’s menu until we are at the point of almost eating said menu! (if ever a host did his job Javier is this host) I particularly liked the description of the suckling pig that was cooked for six hours and the beef for twelve but even more, quoting the wisdom’s of the demi god Jose Mourino (yes I’m a Chelsea fan for those who want to carry on or for those who’d like to turn off now). We return to the business at hand, ordering our food and there is one thing that we are all in agreement about, after Javier’s in depth descriptions, it has a lot to live up to…
We start with some light, refreshing cocktails. The Villa Mercedes special is amazing and easily the pick of the bunch. The gang went for Daiquiris and Mojitos and I choose the special (thanks Javier) and go about the business of the starters – I opt for stuffed tomatoes, goats cheese and avocado mash, with marinated salmon with wasabi for my good lady Leigh (with extra wasabi as she likes it hot), prawns and scallops with cream of banana and orange sauce for Lellie Mel and a straight up salad for Nic well I say straight up but it was anything but. And whilst we waited for our starters we order a couple of bottle’s of the house Red ‘Nuviana’, which, I’m led to believe, is a good way to judge a restaurant. If there is any truth in that last statement, Villa Mercedes is an amazing restaurant! But, I’m guessing the team knew that already!
As a warm haze descends, courtesy of the cocktail and wine, the starters arrive and they stunning. I tuck into mine, forgetting the pact we had made to share all of our starters. After a quick and painless demolition of the goats cheese, which is as good as any I have tasted this summer so far, my dinner companions forgive my haste and offer a taste of their starter – each of them has something special to offer. The prawn, banana and orange combination has us in agreement that it tastes like toffee, but hey, what do we know. Time for more wine I think!
We decide on ordering four separate main courses, primarily to get a full idea of the menu, which leads to a free for all as everyone opts for the suckling pig. Mel is fastest and loudest and is therefore rewarded the dish, while the rest of us discover that there are many more amazing treats to be found on this extensive menu. I go for the 12 hour braised beef in Guajillo chilli sauce and black bean salad while the others decide on tuna teak with avocado mash and duck salad. Once again the presentation is spectacular, matched easily by the taste, and Mel lets everyone try a small bit of pig, I’m not sure that was the right thing to do as I just wanted to eat the lot after tasting it! My braised beef, however, soon takes my mind off it – full of flavour, it melts in my mouth.
Villa Mercedes is the perfect venue for a relaxed meal, there is no rush, the staff look after you and make you feel very welcome and most nights there is something musical going on in the garden. Paco Fernandez famously occupies the Friday night and has done as long as there has been one. Tonight, we are being entertained by Querencia, a very talented flamenco band. The music provides the perfect accompaniment to an amazing dining experience. As we listen to them play, it is tie to deliberate on dessert. As we debate the pros and cons of ordering dessert and the extra hours that would need to be done at the gym as a result, Javier takes the decision out of our hands, as well as the menus, and declares that he will “do something special for you” for dessert. As the dessert platter arrives at the table I can’t help think that Javier may have just won the award for understatement if the year and it’s still only August! Cheese cake, chocolate cake, apple tart, the list is endless and the ability to move afterwards has long since been lost.
There is nothing better than chilling out after a satisfying meal and, as with everything else, Villa Mercedes is perfectly prepared – we retire to the chill out, where huge luxurious beds covered in white drapes offer the perfect spot to regroup, relax and enjoy some coffee and conversation. We accept the offer of shisha/ hookah and the pipes are delivered to our beds, at this point I find myself lying on my back, looking up at the moon, hand in hand with my gal, laughing and smiling thinking, ‘who says romance is dead’. All that is left is to thank Javier and all his staff at Villa Mercedes, who contributed to one of my favourite nights out this summer, the food was delicious, the venue is perfect and we will be back very shortly!
How To Book:
t: (+34) 971 34 85 43
e: reservations@villamercedesibiza.com