Mahon Restaurants have to be particularly good. In the same way that most resort restaurants have a certain standard they must achieve to survive, I would say that counts double for Mahon Restaurants. There really is so much quality competition, particularly in the harbour area, which really is THE PLACE for eating out in Mahon, that anything even hovering around the “average” mark quickly disappears after a summer season. I think part of the reason for this is that there are so many villa owners who come to Mahon Restaurants time and again and they learn which are the best and which are not so good and they don’t go to the ones that haven’t made the grade. We’ve tried quite a few Mahon restaurants in Menorca over the years. Parking can be a bit of a problem in high season and if you don’t want to drive endlessly back and forth looking for a spot to pounce on, I’d recommend making an early evening start.
Mahon Restaurants
Generally in the evening, Mahon harbour is the place to go and our favourite was always The Grill, also known as Il Porto. The a la carte menu is superb although not cheap, but if you are not looking for a slap up meal out in Mahon, but like quality food, their pizzas are first class.
It was at Il Porto that we had our celebratory lunch after having bought our villa, although because I was driving it had to be the two glass size mini Champagne bottles! Living up to its name, the grill offers a good selection of flame grilled meat, my personal favourite being the fillet steak, which really is best reserved for a special dinner as, again, it is not cheap. Worth every penny though in my book.
Calas Fonts Es Castell Harbour
For Mexican style food, The Nashville, at the inland end of Mahon Harbour is a must. You can share a platter of Enchiladas and the quality is superb. Their Chilli is also nicely spicy and overall, the food quality is great. Check their schedule to see which evenings they have live music as it’s a super setup and well worth planning an evening there. Of all the Mahon Restaurants, we’ve had most fun at The Nashville. The staff are friendly, although they can be a bit forgetful when they are really busy, but they are quick and efficient generally. Parking at The Nashville end of Mahon Harbour is easier than at the other end near the Casino and Il Porto.
Another great Mahon Restaurant towards the inland end is The Minerva. This is a restaurant aboard a boat (The Minerva) and, according to close friends of ours who celebrated their wedding anniversary there when holidaying with us, the fish menu is nothing short of superb. I am not a great fish fan and so haven’t eaten there, but as they are fish lovers, I think the Minerva probably stands out among Mahon restaurants as being a must visit if you too like fish. Beware though, The Minerva is expensive so save it for a treat.
What You Might Not Expect Amongst Mahon Restaurants
Now, you might not imagine that an Indian restaurant would fit well with some of the quality Mahon Restaurants, but The Taj, Indian restaurant up from the Port in Mahon town offers great quality and an interesting environment. We’ve always made a point of having at least one meal there whenever we’ve visted Menorca. Not outlandishly expensive compared to other Mahon restaurants and a delicious selection of Indian favourites. We also found that the service was excellent and you could eat indoors or out, where there is an enclosed courtyard and “waterfall”. I’d rate it easily as good as some of the best Indian restaurants I have tried.
Dos Dos Dos is just along from Il Porto and we’ve eaten there several times. Quality has been variable from good to superb. Lunchtime eating is easy and relaxed and it’s great to watch the antics of the “sailors” trying to manoeuvre their boats into moorings up against the jetty.
We’ll be adding more recommendations of Mahon restaurants as we remember them, but I think it’s fairly true to say that the standard of Mahon restaurants in general is very high – if a restaurant is not good in Mahon harbour particularly, it will not stay open very long, the competition is so severe!