When it comes to outdoor dining, visitors to Deià are a little
bit spoiled for choice. There’s the wibbly-wobbly Ca’s Patró March down by the water’s edge,
where the seafood is so fresh you literally watch the fishermen
sail in; there’s Nama, an Asian-fusion restaurant with heart, run by a
tight unit of foodie experts; and there’s the super-luxe Belmond La Residencia whose terraces are some of the
prettiest in Mallorca. To us, Es Raco de Teix is a cut above.
It might be Michelin-starred, but there’ll be no pomp or
unnecessary formalities here. Food is served on hand-painted
crockery and eaten under the flicker of jaunty candelabras. We
can’t get enough.

Okay, Monte doesn’t have a terrace or garden per se, but it’s
undoubtedly the chicest venue in Rovinj – the ideal spot for a special occasion – and
feels al fresco thanks to a collapsible glass partition which opens
out onto a leafy street-side. If you’re looking for a lesson in
traditional Croatian fare, you’ve come to the wrong place.
Expect bubbling emulsions, zingy froths and other miscellaneous
textures. It’s the type of culinary wizardry that makes you want to
have a tête-à-tête with the chef afterwards. You’ll leave with more
questions than answers, but a full stomach and an unforgettable
meal.

There are two big reasons that we keep returning here time after
time. Firstly, the menu is a delectable mix of hearty Italian classics and fashionable seafood crudités, all
of it sourced locally. Secondly, it has one of the most enviable
terraces in Porto Cervo – one primped with dusty-coloured cushions
which, on particularly spectacular evenings, are known to turn a
pink-ish coral as the sun sets in the near distance. The only thing
that needs improvement? The name. We love a pun, but this is almost
too cringe to tolerate.

The idea that a destination is best uncovered through its food
sits at the core of Hotel Signum’s open-air restaurant. Designed by
the outrageously talented chef Martina Caruso, the menu here
changes with the seasons, depending on what fresh grub she and her
team can get their hands on. Much like the food itself, the decor
is honest and authentic – by which we mean, there isn’t any. Signum
Restaurant is blessed with a spot looking out over Panarea and
Stromboli. Why ruin the view with flower-strewn trellises or garden
lanterns? Hear hear.

This seafood restaurant is an outpost of Borgo Egnazia, Puglia’s most exclusive luxury
hotel which made headlines in 2012 when Jessica Biel and Justin
Timberlake reserved the entire place for their big, blow-out
wedding. While its main restaurant, Due Camini, is exceedingly
formal, Cala Masciola has more of a casual swagger about it –
dressed with gauzy drapes which flutter in the sea breeze and
soundtracked by tinkling glasses of rosé, undercut by gurgling
waves. It goes without saying that everything on your plate was
caught that day.

It might not look like much, but O Dinis is the place to be if
you’re after a cracking fillet of fish. Given their prime location
and captive audience, beachside restaurants can often slump into
lazy habits and predictable menus, but the chefs at O Dinis take
pride in their craft. Back in the day, this place used to be a
humble canteen for local fishermen, the types who knew a good
grilled fish when it passed their lips. Though this converted shack
now attracts a more diverse crowd, it doesn’t take its customers
for fools.

If you’ve holidayed in Ibiza without popping into The Giri, it’s time
for a return visit. Pronto. This place is about as charming as
hotels come – a pared-back, cosy little boutique number, studded
with modernist furniture and tucked away behind the sun-blanched
walls of a 300-year-old townhouse. When they say “garden out back”,
they mean it; The Giri Café’s kitchen garden is sprawling. Bamboo
canes tangled with runner-beans, leafy troughs of veg and wicker
lampshades provide ample distancing between tables so you can
tattle away without worrying that your neighbours might be
listening in.

Located slap-bang in the heart of the quay, La Baleine Bleue
delivers sea views and then some. Wherever you’re sat, you’ll be
lucky enough to feast upon an ocean panorama spiked with yacht masts. Food is seasonal and interesting,
but not too fussy – think ceviche spliced with peach and
watermelon, or roast quail with a smudge of chimichurri sauce and
swirly duchess potatoes.

You’ll know you’re at the right place when you see the
humongous, pillar-box-red VW camper van which looms over Chezz
Gerdi’s entrance. Dare we say it? We think this might be the most
fun spot on the island to grab lunch. Expect to find the best bits
of Italian and Spanish cuisine whisked into one irresistible
menu. By day, this hippy restaurant pulses with DJs and cocktail-toting revellers. By night, the
terrace assumes a more ambient feel, with a more grown-up crowd
typically settling in for dinner.