Taco Paca, Ibiza
TACO PACO: IBIZA
18/09/15
By Beth
WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT:
- The food is delicious and there is a lot to choose from
- They serve fantastic margaritas which come in big glasses - double points!
- It has a funky bright and colourful interior with hints of Day of the Dead style decor
- The friendly staff and buzzing atmosphere
Mexican food is one of my favourites and when we heard about a great Mexican restaurant during a trip to Ibiza’s Santa Eulalia in September, I knew we had to pay a visit.
Situated at the quiet end of Carrer de Sant Jaume, you wouldn’t know Taco Paco was there unless you were looking for it. However at 8pm on a Friday evening, it was nicely busy and throughout our evening, it became fully booked with the staff having to turn diners away, which we were told is a regular occurrence at Taco Paco.
These is a small outdoor raised dining area at the front of the restaurant but we were seated indoors at a table for two and straight away, I loved the decor of the restaurant. It was bright, fun and full of detail with a sort of Day of the Dead display adorning a mint green sideboard and cool Clara Bonet prints hung on the walls. I also loved that you could see right into the kitchen, which is run by a lovely young lady named Franziska, with her partner running the bar and front of house.
We were very kindly being prepared a special tasting menu for the evening, but had a look at the normal menu anyway, and it was a mixture of typical mexican dishes such as tacos, tostadas, quesadillas and burritos but also featured mexican burgers, which all sounded delicious.
Whilst waiting for our first dish, we ordered a margarita and a passion fruit margarita and they arrived full to the brim in deep glasses with salt rims. It was the first time I’d tried a passion fruit margarita and it was wonderfully fruity but not too sweet and is now my margarita of choice, it was that good! The classic margarita was also very good and we knew that we’d found our chosen drinks for the evening.
Whilst enjoying our drinks, we were brought some Nachos with cheese, salsa and guacamole on a pretty and bright pottery plate (crockery which all our dishes arrived on throughout the evening), which were the perfect snack for with our margaritas. Everything in the restaurant is homemade and both the salsa and guacamole were delicious, with each dip left chunky and full of flavour.
Next, we were brought one of the starters to try, the Prawn Ceviche Salad. It was one of the nicest salads I’ve had in a long time and was full of fresh flavours. The juiciness of the mango worked with the sweetness of the prawns and the creaminess of the avocado to create a perfect summer dish.
We then, with another margarita each in hand, got to sample one of the burgers from the menu and we were given a smaller ‘slider’ style Wagu Beef Burger topped with melted cheese and avocado with some potato straw chips with salsa, sour cream and avocado on the side. The burger literally melted in the mouth and it was incredibly tasty, as were the straw chips, which were like a cross between a chip and a crisp in texture.
Lastly, we were given some tacos, tostadas and taco dorados to taste. We started with a beef and an aubergine & refried bean taco, which both came on soft flour tortillas and were little mouthfuls of spice and flavour. Next came the tacos dorados, which were long, thin and crispy tortillas and were filled with a creamy potato puree. And finally, we were brought tostadas mexican, which were flat, crunchy corn tortillas topped with chicken with guacamole, refried beans, tomato salsa, cheese and sour cream. They were the perfect snacks to end our meal!
After a parting shot (we chose limoncello), we left Taco Paco feeling happy, full and content. Taco Paco serves really authentic mexican food (the tacos were as good as ones I’ve eaten in Mexico) but it also has it’s own twist with the likes of the mexican burgers. Everything is made in the restaurant and it definitely tastes just that way, with food that is made with love and care and packed full of flavour. Not only is the food fantastic, but the decor, ambience and staff all make an evening at Taco Paco one to remember. If you are visiting Ibiza, you must visit Taco Paco.
Dotty Dishes was a guest of Taco Paco.
Taco Paco, Carrer de Sant Jaume, 34, 07840 Santa Eulalia Des Ríu, Islas Baleares, Illes Balears, Spain
