On the island of Rhodes, in a unique natural setting, there is a majestic tree that grows only there and whose resin produces a substance that attracts thousands of butterflies with its sweet fragrance. This special tree is called Zitya. When visionary Lebanese entrepreneur Omar Abdel Khalek took over the grounds of the traditional Ibizan finca where the iconic 90s club Naïf was once located, he felt a sense of peace and freshness similar to that which enraptured him when he visited the Valley of the Butterflies. An inspiration that beats in every corner of this restaurant that fuses Greek, Lebanese and Mediterranean essences with a contemporary and sophisticated touch.
Located at kilometre 3.9 of carretera de Sant Josep, Zitya is much more than just a place to dine. It is a sensory experience that transports you as soon as you cross the threshold of its lush courtyard, where the dim lights intertwine with the native vegetation, creating an intimate and welcoming atmosphere. The same colours of the Jersey Tiger butterflies, red, black, green and orange, inspire the decoration of the place, by the Parisian studio PINTO, as well as uniforms that look like party outfits, signed by Mrs Keepa, the Dubai brand of the Egyptian designer Mariam Yehia, with pieces that include kimonos, dresses, capes, tops, shirts or trousers, many of them reversible.
The charming manager Natalia Muñoz Bodoque explains that it was also in Dubai last winter that they met Steve O’Shea, the bar manager of Zitya, one of the 50 best in the world and three times winner of the best cocktail menu in Spain. Steve has almost completely revamped the cocktail menu, a poem in itself that explains, through the names of the cocktails, the beautiful history of Zitya. The only cocktail that remains from previous seasons is Beating Colors, an exquisite combination of tequila, mezcal and grapefruit with a spicy twist, a must, but all of them are worth trying.
While the deep house beats of the DJ duo Koloko, who play on the terrace every Friday and Saturday, play, we sample an exquisite selection of appetisers: King Crab cones with caviar, Crunchy Olives stuffed with meat and spices, and a delicate hummus. Chef Iván Santos Fuste’s exquisite menu, we are told, has been almost completely revamped this summer, but retains some gems such as the essential hummus, the fresh Karpouzi watermelon salad, the Feta Kataifi or the Lamb Kebab. One of the star dishes, the Sultan’s Delight, also remains. We are told that this delicious dish is inspired by a recipe dating back more than 600 years, when Napoleon’s wife visited Istanbul and Sultan Abdulaziz’s chefs created a special dish combining their favourite delicacies: smoked aubergine and lamb. Here the lamb is cooked for 12 hours to achieve an indescribable tenderness and is presented in marked cubes for crispness, accompanied by smoked aubergine puree, lamb reduction sauce, dill oil, pickles and mint. A real delight.
Accompanying the exotic flavours on the menu, Madison Blue Walsh, the F&B Manager and sommelier, has made an exquisite selection of wines, with Lebanese and Greek wines obviously predominating, including the unique Sept, from a very small vineyard in the mountains of Lebanon, whose owner is coming to visit them this summer. Of course, they also have the best references of the best known Mediterranean wines.
All the dishes stand out for the subtlety and balance in their combination of flavours, such as the Carpaccio of carabinieri, delicately seasoned with drops of infusion of its coral, a sublime delicacy that won us over. We were also able to taste delicacies such as tuna sashimi with melon, asparagus with lemon butter and salmon roe or oyster mushrooms coated in corn flour with smoked black garlic mayonnaise. The icing on the cake came with a creamy pistachio cheesecake, filo pastry, kataifi and orange blossom honey water.
But at Zitya you come above all to enjoy and socialise, and proof of this is the large cocktail bar on the terrace where you can enjoy the Social Dining, a small tasting menu from the menu in canapé format, perfect for snacking with friends before going out to party. It usually consists of 8 courses, ‘we’ve found it to be the perfect size’, says Natalia, but it can be totally personalised, although it is preferable to book it in advance. You can also go for a drink and enjoy the atmosphere, the music and the charm of the garden under the starry sky. And for those infrequent rainy days in Ibiza, or for those who want more privacy, Zitya has La Finca, a renovated old farmhouse with impressive stone walls and adjustable lights, adaptable to any event.
More than a restaurant, Zitya is a place where the roots of the Aegean and the spirit of Ibiza intertwine in a dance of flavours, textures and emotions. An experience that comforts and invites you to stop time. An emotion, a memory, a butterfly that rests gently on the soul.
