nūn Ibiza, the beachside wood-fired restaurant you can’t miss
Could nūn ibiza be the next global brand to come out of the island?
By our lifestyle correspondent Katya Kvasova
The island of Ibiza (Eivissa in the local Catalan language) is undoubtedly one of Europe’s summer hotspots, its charms attract a diverse crowd from ever distant shores (to the point that United Airlines is even launching the first ever nonstop route between the island and New York in 2027).
Ibiza, often celebrated for its vibrant nightlife, offers a tapestry of experiences that cater to diverse tastes and preferences. Each visitor can discover a unique facet of the island. Ibiza ensures that there is truly something for everyone.
The magic and absolutely unique vibe of Ibiza have been making me come back every summer for over a decade now and a special feature about how best to discover the island with itineraries, logistics, hotels and recommended places to visit is definitely on the editorial calendar. However, I felt that nūn ibiza deserved a piece of its own, since this restaurant is one of the places that, in my opinion, best represent the soul of the island and make it feel like home.
This beautiful Cala Llonga seaside restaurant has elevated wood-fired cooking into something close to art, while keeping the whole experience light, deep, rich and natural throughout.
Follow me as I show you how is it like to eat at one of the most charming restaurants you can find on the entire island of Ibiza!
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The meal was courtesy of Nûn. All opinions are my own.
A very personal project
It’s impossible to write about nūn Ibiza without mentioning its founder. Because nūn Ibiza is the very personal project of French restaurateur Olivia Fleury (“nūn” is, in fact, her childhood nickname), whom we had the chance to meet in person during our visit to the restaurant.
Olivia has been in Ibiza for more than 20 years, 18 of which spent in the restaurant business. Prior to setting up nūn Ibiza, she was instrumental in setting up two other popular names of the Ibiza restaurant scene: El Chiringuito and Beachouse.
Those who have been coming to Ibiza for the last ten years or so, have likely seen lots of places come and go, unable to hold through more than a couple of seasons, not Olivia’s restaurants, though.
El Chiringuito, in particular, has made a name for itself on the south side of the island. That is a part of Ibiza, which has seen a lot of changes in the last few years, and even if Olivia is no longer running the place, El Chiringuito’s staying power says lots about Olivia’s capability to come up with the right formula for the right place.
In conversation during our visit, Olivia attributed this to two factors: attention to detail and the ability to pick the best possible team, one that will stick around for years and works its magic.
Picture: nūn ibiza
Started four years ago, nūn Ibiza is, in fact, the first restaurant project which Olivia has set up and led entirely on her own.
“I first came here [to Ibiza] at age 18 and thought “one day I will come back and live here. It was wild. I loved it”" she told us. “to me, nūn ibiza feels like El Chiringuito at its very beginning. I want to spend time talking to the guests, to be able to give this type of quality again. This is the first time i own my own restaurant and the season can get long and heavy but I really like it. This is what i call happiness and I enjoy creating happiness for other people!”
The setting: Cala Llonga
nūn ibiza
Carrer Monte Rosa, 12
07849 Cala Llonga, Eivissa
Before we get into the actual food side of things, it’s worth mentioning the setting, since it plays no small part in the overall experience.
This includes, of course, Cala Llonga, a long narrow cove of white sand nestled between rocky outcrops on the east side of the island.
nûn Ibiza is located right on the northern side of the cove, literally on the sand’s edge.
“The idea was to create kind of a home on the beach. Because not a lot of people have the opportunity to live like this, with their feet on the sand.” explained Olivia during our chat.
The restaurant has actually a nice terrace with views that offer an immersive experience.
Picture: nūn ibiza
The firewood cuisine at nūn ibiza
If there’s one thing that sets nūn Ibiza apart it’s the centrality of firewood to its cooking. In fact, pretty much everything at the restaurant is grilled over firewood, giving it the complexity of flavour and unique point of smokiness only this way of cooking can provide.
“I think one of the nicest things you can have is grilled food. It's an amazing product, very simple. We use only wood fire.” Olivia told us. “It took us a few days, even a few months, but we just realized that it brings some flavours that you don't usually get with the traditional way of cooking. Everything has a little bit of a smoky taste, but not too strong.”
This is a way of cooking which requires a certain know-how, including the sourcing of the right types of wood, as well as patience. Fortunately, Olivia has the right man for the task: chef Sebastián Nicoletti, who brought to nūn ibiza some of the cooking techniques from his native land of origin, Argentina, where firewood cooking is part of the culture.
But it’s not just the way food is cooked, the time and pace at which it is consumed matters too.
And on this front, nūn Ibiza again, distinguishes itself through its relaxed approach. The restaurant is open around the clock, morning to evening, catering to different tastes, all times of day.
There is no such thing as time or schedule on Ibiza for many of those holidaying on the island, mentioned Olivia, sharing the recent real story of a family with kids who showed up mid-morning for breakfast (the restaurant has also a pastry corner) and ended up leaving in the evening after having had lunch and dinner, as well.
Local DJs add another sensory element to the experience, with sound always a presence that makes you feel like you never want to leave. It’s a feeling of flow that you blend in the day, a slow life, a “dolce far niente”.
“The idea is to provide always this welcoming vibe, and let people feel free from breakfast to dinner.” stated Olivia.
The menu and the ingredients at nūn ibiza
When it comes to sourcing the food for its menu, nūn ibiza combines a principled approach with a dose of pragmatism. But perhaps is best to learn what this means directly through Olivia’s own words.
“What we've tried to do in the last few years, is to select as much organic produce as possible. There is all this romanticism about km.0 produce, but the reality of an island like ours is this is that if you need to have a lot of ingredients and products, you can source everything locally.” acknowledged Olivia.
“It’s a lot about the quality and also about the price, because if the prices are going crazy, and here we are trying to be focused on the value. So, you know, it's not just about some dishes going to have a high price point, like the vongole, for example, the clams, which are coming from Galicia. Once you try them, you understand why you're paying this. For me, it's about having a value point of view more than trying to get everything as cheap or as expensive as possible.”
“Because we've been working for many years together with the team in the kitchen, we kind of understand each other now. So, we're trying to respect the suppliers as much as we can to get the freshest produce. And sometimes we don't have this product, or we don't have that other one, because every day everything is coming fresh. that's the policy. If we were organic km-zero, I would need to change the menu every two weeks, and I would have 10 dishes at most, realistically.”
Our eating experience at nûn ibiza
We came to nūn Ibiza for lunch and were immediately confronted with what can only be described as a version of the so-called paradox of choice.
And while you may end up with a little bit of remorse for having selected, let’s say, skirt steak over one of nūn’s perfect burgers or the fish of the day, the good news is that you are very unlikely to choose wrongly, because everything was truly top notch.
To say we opened the meal with some starters would be an understatement, since among them was possibly the best Greek salad I've ever had: big chunks of warm cheese, generous handfuls of capers and olives, plump, juicy cherry tomatoes, all served alongside crusty round bread.
We also had some fish tacos, which are served in small corn tortilals and topped with guacamole, watercress and coriander
Oh, and did I mention the Padrón peppers? I am not sure where else you would be able to find better ones…
Trust me, it was all unforgettable.
nūn is also the place that will make you a lifelong fan of cooked carrots. After being cooked over fire, they are served on a bed of labneh, the Levantine yogurt-style cream, which has been sprinkled with chickpea crumble and cumin, drizzled with honey and covered in fresh coriander and herbs for good measure. This is what I would call a mouthful of Mediterranean flavours!
Skirt steak, served with a side of fries, was my final choice of main, and it turned out to be an excellent decision. It was on a whole other level, no surprises here!
Getting to Cala Llonga
Cala Llonga is in the municipality of Santa Eulària del Riu, on the eastern side of Ibiza. It takes around 20-25 minutes from downtown Ibiza to get there.
So, you will need to get a car or take a taxi to get there, because public transport is not really an option.
Worth mentioning that, since our visit took place pretty much at the peak of the summer season, we were, at first, a bit concerned about parking space availability in Cala Llonga, but I am happy to report this turned out not to be a problem at all! (we even managed to park for free)
Our Take
Few places in Ibiza, if any, encapsulate better the concept of barefoot sophistication that this island has come to represent than nūn iIbiza. It is also proof that sometimes what looks like a pretty straightforward culinary approach, cooking over firewood, can produce the most extraordinary multi-layered flavours.
But, most of all, nūn Ibiza is about the vibe that leads so many of its customers to lose track of time.
Ibiza, an island wrapped in prejudice and myths, is also a platform certain brands can leverage to become international references in their respective fields. I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being the case of nūn, an amazing and well deserved success story.