Hostal La Torre, Ibiza

It’s easy to feel smug when the patio of your studio faces one of the most beautiful sunsets in Ibiza – and to feel smugger still when it’s also situated opposite hot-property bar, restaurant and residence Hostal La Torre.

From La Torre’s sea-facing perch the land falls away steeply towards the sea in a craggy mass of rocks. It’s rugged, it’s beautiful, and it’s certainly not what you’d expect just five minutes’ drive from notorious party haven San Antonio.

But the Cap Negret area has remained entirely unbothered by super-clubs, fishbowl cocktails and all-inclusive wristbands. Instead of 18-30s on the lash, it’s populated by pine trees, deafening cicadas and cacti like the prickly pear on our street which I vow never to brush past again.

Endlessly-popular Hostal La Torre is open all year-round and, in mid-August, it’s no surprise that every one of its 17 rooms are occupied. It’s not fancy but it’s lovely – ‘barefoot chic’ is a cliche, but here it’s a cliche that applies.

La Torre’s carpark is sizeable for good reason: come sunset, every table has been bagged, including those scattered across the rocky terrain in front of the restaurant terrace down towards the endless sea.

Folk feeling more intrepid than us navigate a sort-of path that winds its lazy way down towards the water and we vow to embark on our own exploration on another occasion.

Tonight, however, we’d be fools to abandon our prime-location table. And we’re hungry. The comprehensive cocktail list is tempting, but for us the sun sets best when toasted with the palest rose. At La Torre, that box is ticked in the form of a Provencal example, Saint Sidoine.

It’s hard to concentrate on what’s on the plate when what’s in the sky (or rather, sinking rapidly into the sea) is so spectacular. But we happily munch a trio of tapas-with-a-twist: crispy squid lent piquancy with a scattering of sobrassada crumbs; a hearty tortilla with a lively citrus mayo; panko-crumbed croquettas on a slick of romesco.

Night falls, twinkly lights come on, the atmosphere’s a happy hubbub. We drink more pink and eat grilled pork pluma – that intensely flavoursome Spanish cut and a big old Black Angus ribeye, then linger long enough to find room for pudding.

The intriguingly-monikered ‘Argentinian caramel volcano’ is sadly unavailable, but a berry coulis-drenched baked cheesecake and a caramel ‘souffle’ that actually more closely resembles a silky semi-freddo mousse prove to be fine stand-ins.

We don’t have far to go when we finally make our way home, and if it’s on your doorstep, a visit to La Torre is a no-brainer. But even if you’re coming from far further afield, that sunset renders it an Ibiza essential.

Make it happen

Where: Hostal La Torre, Cap Negret No.25, 07820 San Antonio, Ibiza
Find out more: To visit the website, click here