Sol Post team
Sunsets and Flavours: The Gourmet Experience of Sol Post
Today, the Sol Post restaurant has a young and innovative team, with experience in prominent restaurants. Under management by Joan Costa (28 years old), talented chefs Armand Vidal (26) and Mauro Rivas (29) are in charge of the kitchen where they creatively blend Catalan and Salvadoran recipes. This exciting combination reflects their roots and leads to a unique culinary experience where tradition, and classic, local stews feature prominently. Clara Campoamor (28) works alongside them, doing fantastic work in the patisserie section where her creations are inspired by the island’s landscape.
Restaurante Sol Post offers diners a unique gourmet experience that starts on its outdoor terrace, where you can enjoy one of the most spectacular sunsets in the world reflected across the clear waters of the Mediterranean. Sol Post isn’t just a restaurant, it’s an experience that combines tradition and innovation, taking visitors on an unforgettable culinary journey.
What will we find at Sol Post this year?
Armand: We’ve changed the approach of our dishes and have introduced more local products, with aromas and herbs from Formentera. We want our customers to feel the essence of the island and to notice its landscapes, flavours, and aromas in every dish.
Which products do you mean in particular?
Armand: Herbs such as glasswort, samphire, rosemary, thyme, and fig leaves from the island. We also use prawns from Formentera and Ibiza, and are bringing back the Mallorcan black pig. We’re focusing on local herbs and aromas, using them in desserts, savoury dishes, and cured meats to create flavours with different nuances.
Why do you just have one long tasting menu this year?
Mauro: We only have a tasting menu because when you have two options, like we did last year, it confuses people, especially when you can’t reveal details about the menu. Lots of people were put off when they saw there would be 20 dishes but they didn’t know what those dishes would be. We now just have one menu, and it makes managing things easier. We’ve added aromas and landscapes from the island, such as our fish dish that’s inspired by Es Caló, Formentera’s fishing port. We want our food to be made up of the landscape and culture of Formentera, even though it’s difficult and challenging to do. Our goal is to make our customers continue their journey through our flavours, and know exactly where they are.
Armand, how do you think things have evolved over the past two years?
Armand: In the first year, we followed the set path, gradually adapting the menu and improving our image. Last year we focused more on the tasting menu and on being a gourmet restaurant, which is our real passion.
More and more people from overseas are coming to try the menu, and that has helped us grow professionally. Customer feedback has been really positive, and everyone emphasises that we have made excellent progress.
How do you see the future of food on Formentera, Mauro?
Mauro: We have the advantage of being one of the few restaurants here that has an extremely specific and clear-cut concept. I certainly don’t mean to discredit anyone else, I’d just like to underscore that what we do at Sol Post really is a genuine culinary journey.
The future of food on Formentera is promising but limited due to the short nature of the tourist season. If we were open all year round, or based somewhere else with a longer season, we would grow much faster.
It’s complicated but being pioneers with such a well-defined concept is a huge help for us. And while there was once a Michelin star in Formentera, it seems like no one has tried to achieve that level again. It’s hard, but we’re going to keep on trying.
What can you tell us about your team?
Armand: Everyone on the team shares the same vision and objective, which makes it easy to follow the path we want and to achieve our goals. There’s five of us, the same team that came from Cinc Sentits in Barcelona. I have total confidence that everyone on the team tries to achieve perfection and wants to surprise our customers with an exceptional menu.
What can you tell us about the gourmet experience and the staging?
Armand: This year the staging is incredible and really well thought out. We start with some snacks on the terrace, enjoying the sunset, and that already makes it a special experience. Food is plated up using local resources, such as herbs from the island and tuna roe, so dishes are presented in a unique and original way.
We offer an experience for twelve diners that starts with three Salvadoran aperitifs on the terrace, followed by three Catalan snacks. Then, customers move into the indoor dining room where there is an open kitchen so they can see us working. It creates a feeling of close interaction because some dishes are served on the bar and the chefs explain the details of the menu.
The menu has 18 courses and lasts roughly two and a half hours. We like to describe the dishes ourselves so that our customers fully understand the idea behind each creation. It’s an extremely interactive and unique evening.
How do you feel about the start of this new season?
Armand: We’re highly motivated this season. We’ve had a lot of press coverage and people’s response has been fantastic. We don’t only believe in achieving perfection in the kitchen, we also want to create an atmosphere that accompanies the experience, and so we take great care over every detail.
This year you can tell that our project is more serious and consolidated. We can see that the project is becoming increasingly solid thanks to all our work.
Mauro: I’m happier than last year because we’re attracting lots of sophisticated diners. That motivates us to constantly improve. Before, we received praise but didn’t see any specific results. Now, customers give us detailed feedback and challenge us to achieve our goals, and that’s extremely positive for our growth.
