ama lur - what's it really like?

alex311279

Active Member
i'm am on a quest to try the best restaurants in ibiza and ama lur is one i am researching for this year.

i've searched and read that its the restauranters choice and others just saying that its the good but whats it really like. read a review on another site which rates the food favourably but not the service.

it seems the menu is in spanish and the staff dont like translating? is this the case?

Restaurante Ama Lur
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Restaurante Ama Lur,Ctra San Miguel,Km 2.3, Tel.+34-971-314554
About one Km up the Ibiza to San Miguel road on the right before the roundabout.

The restaurateurs restaurant.Apparently voted the best restaurant on the island,three years running by the island´s restaurateurs.Its not my favourite but its good.Well the foods good but to be honest I think the staff although attentive,are rude sometimes and stand offish.They seem to think they are doing a favour serving you.
I usually go with first timers and most are family and friends from the UK and so don´t speak Spanish.Most of the staff don't want to speak English and show a sense of impatience when I translate the menu into English.Please don't let that put you off as they do and will speak English if you don't speak Spanish.
Why do I still go I hear you ask? As I´ve said the food is good,the place is great with history inside the old finca and the semi outdoor eating area is one of the nicest country settings on the island.Lots of ambiance and when full of Spanish diners (This is where the rich ones go) loads of atmosphere but just not helped by the staff.I´ve finished moaning now and will mention some of the good (Mostly) meals on offer.

An aperitif is served (And if accepted you will find a small addition to your bill) I don't know how to describe it really,is it a cold soup or a drink? Its a very small glass of cold soup, I suppose a Gazpacho.It tastes of tomatoes and olives with a basil oil floating on the top.I personally
don't like it (Few people do) but I and some others find that its one of those savoury flavours,whether you like it or not that you have to keep tasting.Its a little more palatable with the bread roll dipped in.

The menu is reasonably large to suit most tastes.The following is just a selection of what myself and/or company have tried.

Starters:
The "Pate de foie gras" is the best I´ve had but the portion is a bit too much but there is another option which may not sound exquisite but it is. "King Prawns with pate de foie gras" this comes with a salad garnish and a very unusual sauce.It tastes more than a little like "Branston Pickle Sauce"
and until I tried it would not have believed how these flavours and foods could go together so well.As already said the pate is the best and the fresh king prawns are sautéed and are beautiful.

Fresh Scampi (Dublin Bay Prawns),sautéed in butter and served on a bed of pea or avocado puree (I cant remember).The latter had little taste but was made up for by the Scampi.The starter comes with a salad garnish.

Spider Crab cocktail is full of flavour but doesn't look much,just a rough puree in a glass.

Sautéed prawns and wild mushrooms in a sauce is tasty.

Be careful with the freshly baked hot bread rolls because as fast as you finish one the staff will replace it ,this applies throughout the starter and main course and so bread lovers may be unlikely to be able to tackle the deserts!

Main courses:
Sea Bass fillets with a chunky almond crust served with a sweet sauce, maybe apple I cant quite remember but the fish is good with this unusual coating.

From memory two other fish dishes were good,fresh salmon with a cream sauce of some kind and Hake or Salt Cod in a green sauce.

Steaks are good but in some of my guests experiences cooked to the liking of the chef rather than the client.They offer various sauces and these are good.

There are some dishes that maybe one wouldn't expect to see on their menu such as Rabbit Stew,very good too.

Duck breast with apple and calvados sauce is another I remember.

Most dishes tend to be a bit Nuevo cuisine and accompaniments a bit on the small side but it does leave room for some of the wonderful deserts this restaurant offers.

For Ibiza its not cheap but compared to a London restaurant it is.Three courses,wine,after dinner liquers (On the house) and coffee will set you back around 40€ a person.( £27.50 )

I will go again but would prefer just my wife and I or with people that have been before as I feel pressured trying to make sure my company get what they want.For a special night out its worth going to,maybe a birthday or anniversary.
John.
 
Ama Lur is one of my 3 fav restaurants in the Island, one thing that u said is that its were the rich spanish go, it could be because for spanish standards is expensive to eat there (we dont earn as much money as in London). Dont be mad at the waiters , this is not a tourist oriented restaurant, this is just for people who know well the island and like to eat the best they can.
 
don't get me wrong that quote isnt my words. i do not think that every person must speak english. i am trying to pick up some spanish but i would be really uncomfatable if the staff were not as helpful as they could be.
 
I am surprised about the attitude of the staff, I haven't eaten there - yet -
but I have been in to have a nose and the setting is really good and the staff were really helpful even though I said I was only looking around to see if I might return. A number of Spanish friends have been for a meal and recommend it. I confess the aperitif and the starters don't appeal to my taste but the main courses sound interesting and the price is not unreasonable for a decent restaurant on the island and it is a possibility for early May - yes I have managed somehow to visit one more time, only a week but I will certainly make the most of it in visiting the beaches, bars and restaurants but best of all, enjoying the company of the locals.[/img]
 
alex311279 said:
don't get me wrong that quote isnt my words. i do not think that every person must speak english. i am trying to pick up some spanish but i would be really uncomfatable if the staff were not as helpful as they could be.


Alex,
Don't forget that you are visiting a foreing country, english is not obligatory, even tho in a touristic area
 
silvia said:
alex311279 said:
don't get me wrong that quote isnt my words. i do not think that every person must speak english. i am trying to pick up some spanish but i would be really uncomfatable if the staff were not as helpful as they could be.


Alex,
Don't forget that you are visiting a foreing country, english is not obligatory, even tho in a touristic area

for f***s sake. i have said i dont expect everyone to be fluent in english and as is happens i have a little amount of conversational spanish.

but i cant read it very well. my concern, based on the review i have read written by someone fluent in spanish, is that the staff are impatient with people not fluent, personally i would find this uncomfatable. i am just asking for others views as the restuarant gets regarded highly.
 
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