FORMENTERA - PILAR DE LA MOLA - PLATJA DE MIGJORN - LA FRAGATA

LA FRAGATA

I walked into La Fragata (founded by Mari y Juan in 1979), the restaurant just down the beach from me, and the waiters immediately grabbed my hand and hailed me because they remembered me from last year.

The owner came out and declared, "Jon Listen ", the man from California ......... It was close enough, and I felt like frigging Ernest Hemingway………

I have been craving fish, especially the dorada (gilthead sea bream), and fish is what they have.

Certain fish are priced by the kg, so be careful when you order.

Here is a menu/price list

The place wasn't open for another hour, so I said, "No problem; I am going swimming." I padded down to the sand, removed my clothes, put on my sunsuit, swim shirt, and hat, and dove into the most beautiful, warm water I had ever seen.

The sky was a deep blue matching the eyes of a woman I once knew, and the sea was marvellous

and I swam heartily for an hour, working up even more of an appetite.

After my swim, I headed back to La Fragata.

I started with the aioli (a local pungent garlic mayonnaise), a basket of bread, and the olives that are green and meaty, which I liked last year. I rounded that off with a shandy (beer with lemonade - cerveza con limonada or clara in Spanish). It was just a small one to quaff as I enjoyed the view.

The owner brought out some just-made gazpacho with fresh fruit, including watermelon. It was refreshing and delicious.

I didn't go for the fresh grilled Dorada this time; for a change, I opted for the platter of pescados y mariscos a la plancha (fish and seafood cooked on a hot plate)

Calamar (squid), gambas rojo (whole red shrimp), merluza (hake), lenguado (sole) and another unnamed white fish all turned up perfectly grilled with olive oil and lemon. It was served with potato slices and vegetables. This was €19.

I rounded off the lunch with a café cortado (a small espresso with a touch of milk).

They then brought me a hierbas Formentera liquor on the house

which I savoured as I watched the beautiful sea.

Service is very friendly and professional. They have a good wine list, including a few local ones.

The whole meal was €26, including a shandy, aioli, olives, bread, a fish platter, and a cortado coffee with gazpacho and hierbas on the house because I am Jonathan Lipson, a man from California.

With legend intact I sauntered down the beach ready for some more swimming....