Feast, share, love – Amalur

Family in Ibiza can be made up of many constellations – the one you were born into, a menagerie of friends collected over many years or those BFFs you met just last week. Whatever your chosen family looks like, the holidays are the time to gather your loved ones to celebrate and there’s no place that epitomises the season of comfort and joy in Ibiza like Amalur. In the countryside near Santa Gertrudis, the iconic Balearic blue finca is open seven days a week with non-stop service from 1pm until midnight and invites islanders into its warm, winter wonderland embrace to indulge in festive feasting at its finest.

While Amalur is a year-round beacon of elegance and good taste, this winter, the restaurant has been imbued with seasonal charm courtesy of a stunning Christmas makeover. Decked from top-to-bottom with fresh garlands, glistening baubles and twinkling fairy lights, the building’s transformation evokes the feeling of big city icons like Annabel’s in London or The Churchill Arms in Kensington. This is the very first time a venue in Ibiza has gone all out with such an extraordinary Christmas display and the results are nothing short of magical.

The beloved fine dining destination’s transformation into a winter wonderland is the first of its kind in Ibiza, further cementing its iconic status.

Inside the restaurant, sophisticated seasonal vignettes keep the Christmas theme flowing seamlessly. Glimmering lamps cast soft golden light across tables cloaked in white linen, the fireplace roars with a heartening blaze, and the white grand piano shimmers in flickering shadows of candle light. With its allusions to Italy’s artistic heritage now embellished with exquisite decorations, the celebrated restaurateur behind Amalur, Francesco Manzoli, has ensured his guests are surrounded by beauty at every turn. High romance, haute cuisine and skilful service are at the heart of Amalur’s year-round ethos, further cementing its reputation as the darling of Ibiza’s culinary scene.

Whether you’re passing by for a spot of lunch between Christmas shopping hotspots, celebrating the end-of-year with work colleagues, enjoying a decadent date night or organising a full-scale family Christmas or New Year’s Eve meal, Amalur welcomes one and all. Escape the kitchen and the stress of holiday hosting, and simply relax as the experienced Amalur team – both front of house and in the kitchen – give you the peace of mind to relax and do what you’ve always wished for at Christmastime: to truly connect with those you love. Dine on your favourite à la carte dishes plus special holiday additions on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, all complemented with music, cocktails and festive vibes.

The Ara Starck-designed bar at Amalur serves up its own unique twist on Christmas cheer. Not only is the bar a beautiful piece of interior architecture, it’s also home to skilled mixologists, including the legendary Roberto Rossi, who has created a cocktail menu (metaphorically) overflowing with liquid brilliance. Time-honoured tipples such as a negroni or a margarita are always an excellent way to start a celebration, however Amalur’s signature creations take joyful precedence at Christmas. The Perfum Payes was inspired by the flavours of Ibiza with a mix of gin, aloe vera, lemon, rosemary and green tea, while the Vetiver Martini is a classic with a dash of difference, and a special surprise elixir has been created for the three official holiday meals.

Christmas and New Year at Amalur is centred around the concept of sharing – a meal, a moment, a memory and more – and the graceful handwritten menu is brimming with the finest Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Created with much love by Michelin-trained chefs Massimo Larosa and Antonio Boriello, the commitment to quality at Amalur is exemplary. Absolutely everything is made in-house, from silky hand-spun pasta to flavour-filled ice-creams, and ingredients are sourced locally where possible, or brought in from around the world when only the very best will do. Speaking of which, why not start with a glass of Italian Prosecco, some Siberian caviar and a round of French oysters? It is time to celebrate, after all.

Feast, share, love is the motto behind the Amalur holiday season experience, with seasonal special dishes and cocktails created especially for the occasion.

Next up on the menu at Amalur are a range of classic Italian dishes, including vitello tonnato, yellowtail carpaccio and knife-cut steak tartare, served alongside unique options such as the restaurant’s emblematic sea bass toast with caviar, the delectable chef’s own artichoke, and cuttlefish with bottarga and edible flowers. For the second course, it’s hard to bypass the Gragnano spaghetti (the only pasta sourced externally) with chef Massimo Larosa’s famous homemade red and yellow tomato sauce – perfection on a plate. Other homemade pasta dishes include the heavenly smoked tagliolini with prawn tartare and caviar, the hearty pappardelle with redfish and taggiasca olives, or the delicate plin stuffed with chicken and porcini.

Second courses come from the wood-fired grill, with standout options like sliced beef with rocket, tomato and rich parmesan fondue or melt-in-the-mouth Iberian pork cheeks. If you prefer your Christmas dish to come from the sea, it’s a difficult choice between stuffed squid, Ibizan fish soup and the classic fish of the day baked in salt, Mediterranean style. The chefs at Amalur are in the process of finessing an additional selection of seasonal specials for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve, all designed to highlight the best ingredients Ibiza has to offer and perfect for sharing amongst friends and family.

Finally, no feast is complete without sweet treats, and at Amalur this comes via an ever-changing dessert cart, plus four flavours of house-made ice cream – choose between (or combine) salted pistachio, macadamia, 70% chocolate or classic vanilla. Later on – there’s no rush here – order a hand-picked selection of cheese to go with those deep après-dinner conversations that last long into the night, paired with freshly brewed coffee or a digestif, perhaps an Espresso Martini (or two!) or a dram of sweet Pedro Ximénez – Christmas in a glass. And when the last cocktails have been finished, the festivities have subsided, and it’s time to bid your nearest and dearest good night, you can go home with the knowledge you’ll cherish the memories of this experience forever. Feast, share, love – Christmas and New Year, the Amalur way.