Peachy's Picks Connecticut: Ibiza in New Haven
If you think Ibiza is merely a place in Spain for fun, think again, because it is the one in New Haven that you should be going to. The cocktail de cava, above, was a refreshing start that boasted cava, St. Germain and fresh pink grapefruit juice.
Ibiza opened in the late 1990's and was originally Tapas; we are thrilled to say that now it is fine dining, not Tapas, and it has been that way since 2002.
This creative cuisine from Spain will simply amaze you and you'll be delighted!
It is a summer treat that lasts all year.
Ibiza was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
and it has easily advanced to Peachy's Picks Connecticut with its total class, high caliber cuisine highlighted by the Langosta, and its overall hot spot appeal that makes New Haven look like Manhattan or Beacon Hill. We are thrilled to continue our coverage of the Best Restaurants in the State of Connecticut! The decor is sharp: brick walls and clean lines adorn this pristine bastion of Spanish excellence and everyone we saw there had a smile on their face.
This is a hot date spot, with candles at every table. Executive Chef Manuel Romero has a smashing menu that screams fun and excellence all the way from New Haven, and we know you can hear it from Manhattan. Let us assure you that Ibiza is in a beautiful part of New Haven, an area that Peachy forgot existed, right next to the prestigious Yale campus.
Managing Partner Juan Gonzalez was ready to greet us when we arrived and could not have been more upbeat and pleasant all evening. We also were greeted by some tasty bleu cheese croquets , served aside melon gazpacho shots. Even if you are not a bleu cheese fan like Peachy, you'll love these. The vericho ham was wonderful too.
We are in love with the bread there and it did not last long enough for a picture; the amazing white fluffly clouds that Yalies may lie on their back in the quad and gaze at in the sky are harvested by Ibiza and turned into bread.
Peachy Deegan began with the ceviche de gambas. The presentation was stunning:
Yes, this is what you want as an appetizer if you like seafood.
A symphony of shrimp, bay scallops, diced tomatoes, mango, avocado, cilantro, fresh lime and orange await you in this lovely martini glass.
Totally refreshing, it was the perfect start.
You should know Juan and his team know it all about wine.
We enjoyed:
You know we LOVE Caravaggio (click that and you will see a cute picture of Cosimo, Peachy, and the lobster who did not last long!), and we love Cosimo Bruno, and we love all of the Bruno brothers and Sistina and San Pietro too. Well, you should know we have not had a lobster as AMAZING since Caravaggio until we got to IBIZA:
Langosta!
Steamed Maine Lobster, carmelized endive foam (Peachy did not know how enamored she would become of endive foam!), sauteed oyster and shitake mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, and lobster oil with lobster served at room temperature is a complete knockout and you know the lobster did not leave Maine long ago. Every bite will melt in your mouth and every parents weekend at Yale we are certain that there is a LONG waiting list and that this little guy is Mr. Popular.
Here is a close up:
Since we have covered the main food groups of Cava & Lobster, chocolate was the only thing missing. Well Ibiza has that covered too. Savarin de chocolate: chocolate savarin, mixed berry salad, and muscatel snow will combine to make your day when you leave Manhattan and head to New Haven. Muscatel Snow we have never had before and we would be pleased to meet it again! Raul Flores was a delight all evening in addition to Juan and everyone is the consummate professional at Ibiza.
Our esteemed panelist adds:
As a Yale grad, I will take any opportunity to take a trip to New Haven and relive the bright college years. I had been to the former incarnation of Ibiza which was a tapas restaurant, and I am pleased to discover the current Ibiza which features cuisine from all over Spain. The restaurant is spacious with a lovely rounded bar with blue glass tiles, and the lack of music was nice because it made conversation easy! Juan, the managing partner, is extremely gracious and visits the customers at various tables.
I started with “Setas silvestres”, a rich and flavorful medley of chanterelle, porcini, shitake and oyster mushrooms. Although I don’t know the term for “amuse-bouche” in Spanish, the chef also delivers some extra surprises, such as the blue cheese croquettes served with a shot glass of refreshing melon gazpacho! A taste of Iberico ham was also delicious. I must also mention the perfection of bread that is served with olive oil that must be fresh from the Mediterranean. The bread is from Chabaso Bakery, a New Haven based artisan bread company that I highly endorse. For my main course I had one of the specials, the Normandy duck breast- I was served a succulent and tender piece of boneless duck, and it was nice to have duck that was flavorful but lean and not fatty.
Next to my duck was a wonderful flavor blast of granny smith apples, polenta cubes, scallion and bacon in a citrus sauce! I could be happy eating just this side dish for dinner any night of the week. Dessert began with another surprise from the kitchen, a tiny chocolate milk shake served with delightful cookies. Finally I tried the Crema Catalana, which took a step beyond the traditional dish with praline crème interspersed throughout! The drinks were also perfect pairings to our meal! Juan suggested an Ondarre Reserve Rioja (2004) that brought out the flavor of the duck, and for dessert I had the chance to try a golden honey colored muscatel as well as a taste of Pedro Ximenez, made from grapes that have been dried in the sun to evoke flavor of raisin and figs.
And if you have room for cocktails, the Pisco Sour here is perfectly executed. Whether you are strolling along Chapel Street, visiting the art galleries or the theater, Ibiza is centrally located in downtown New Haven and should be a part of everyone’s next visit there! Muy delicioso! And after dinner, as New Haven is very walkable, do as Peachy and I did and take an evening stroll through the beautiful Yale campus.
Peachy Picks Ibiza!
Ibiza is highly recommended by Whom You Know.
