Ibiza Restaurant in New Haven may have closed earlier this year, but the Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bars in Danbury, Hamden and Northampton, Massachusetts are still going strong. A friend and I visited the Danbury restaurant this past weekend. To familiarize readers with the restaurant, let me first show you how Ibiza Tapas looked in early 2013, around the time of its opening.
The restaurant was beautifully appointed with this handsome wine display,
modernistic room divider,
gorgeous Emma Marianetti murals.
and twinkling bar top, shown here in close-up.
In our recent visit, my friend and I still found the décor captivating.
The room divider was as striking as ever.
We enjoyed some of the for-sale artwork, like this painting by a Spanish artist.
It seemed as if all the customers were enjoying themselves, too.
We studied the various menus, deciding what to order.
Soon, like the other customers, we were immersed in our meal, a well-chilled bottle of Albariño setting us upon the right path.
One delightful dish followed the next. We began with the grilled calamari special
and the crisp cannellonis with crabmeat.
We followed that with a salpicón
and a Spanish cheese plate.
Next were garlic shrimp
and tempura vegetables with romesco sauce.
A grilled watermelon salad
and pork belly
were also lovely. We also loved duck breast with polenta, dates and smoked bacon
as well as beautiful salmon belly.
And finally, along with coffee,
there was a pair of desserts, including a refreshing granita
and a bread pudding with sweet and sour strawberry sauce.
There’s still nothing on earth like Spanish food!
Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bar, 93 Mill Plain Road, Danbury, 203-616-5731