Ramón Freixa has crossed the Mediterranean to set up shop in Formentera with a dual culinary venture at the sophisticated Hotel Cala Saona: a beach bar overlooking the sea and a fine-dining restaurant designed to pay homage to the landscape, local ingredients, and Mediterranean tradition. From sunrise to sunset, the Catalan chef—who maintains that “without tradition, there is no avant-garde”—will bring to the island a cuisine deeply connected to the region, elevating the culinary offerings of one of the Mediterranean’s most exclusive destinations, a place that has also been part of his personal history for over fifteen years.
The chef, who heads Ramón Freixa Madrid and holds two Michelin stars, has described this venture as:
“a wonderful reality, a dream come true“
since Formentera has been his summer retreat and creative inspiration for years.
“I’ve been spending my summers on the island for over 15 years, and I’d always imagined doing something here. Formentera has a special energy, a way of understanding life and ingredients that resonates perfectly with my cuisine.”
Freixa spoke about a project that stems from an emotional connection to the local environment.
Mediterranean culture, ecosystem, and identity emerge as the central themes of Restaurante Cala Saona Ramón Freixa, the new sophisticated beach bar overlooking the sea that will open at noon to offer a relaxed, bright experience fully integrated into the landscape. The chef has described the space as a “sophisticated beach bar facing the sea” designed for those who understand luxury through “simple pleasures and fresh ingredients.” A concept where grilled dishes, clean-tasting fried foods, fresh dressings, and precise technique all come together to enhance the flavor.
Come evening, the concept will shift at Freixa’s fine-dining restaurant with a tasting menu centered on reimagining tradition, ingredients, and the local region.
The menu explores traditional recipes from the coast and the islands through refined, contemporary preparations. Grilled lobster, scarlet shrimp with sobrasada, or oven-baked turbot with a view of the sea will place the Mediterranean at the heart of the dining experience. Signature rice dishes will also take center stage, such as dry rice with shrimp, butifarra sausage, and octopus or blue lobster rice, along with desserts inspired by Balearic recipes, such as ensaimada with crème brûlée and cream ice cream. All of this is accompanied by a culinary philosophy based on absolute respect for local products and those who make them possible: the island’s fishermen, farmers, and producers.
“We wanted to create a cuisine that is authentic, elegant, and deeply rooted in its surroundings—a cuisine that tastes of the sea, salt, and summer.”
Freixa commented on this Mediterranean-inspired concept, designed to be enjoyed in an unpretentious way, with the sea as the main setting and the cove as the backdrop.
When night falls, the venue takes on a completely different atmosphere, giving way to Sol Post Ramón Freixa, the chef’s fine-dining restaurant in Cala Saona. There, Freixa presents a contemporary haute cuisine tasting menu that explores local ingredients with a modern approach rooted in tradition. The space, designed to complement one of the most spectacular sunsets in the Balearic Islands, offers an intimate and sensory culinary journey through the rich gastronomy of Formentera and the Mediterranean.
The tasting menu explores local flavors and ingredients through dishes such as fish and pumpkin pastisset, crystal bread with black pig fuet, and cuttlefish with Iberian ham and caviar, on a menu where the sea and the mountains are in constant dialogue. Freixa thus presents a sophisticated yet emotional signature cuisine, where each dish aims to capture the island’s natural landscape.
“Sol Post explores the region, its origins, and its history, but from a contemporary perspective. It’s not about reinterpreting for the sake of it, but about evoking emotion through flavor and respect for the ingredients,” the chef explained regarding a project that aims to transform evenings in Formentera into a unique dining experience.
Hotel Cala Saona also highlights that Freixa’s concept is designed to become one of the major culinary attractions of the Balearic summer, open to both hotel guests and the general public, with access either from the hotel itself or directly from the cove. “This summer, Formentera’s most intimate and special evenings bear Freixa’s signature,” the hotel has announced.
