Grills and garum: Aquanaria sea bass by chef Andrés Fernández at Six Senses Ibiza

At Partal, the new restaurant by Six Senses Ibiza, Ibizan haute cuisine surrenders to the taste of the Atlantic. Chef Andrés Fernández displays all his culinary imagination with a dish that is pure fire, memory and technique: Aquanaria sea bass cooked in a Josper oven with a homemade garum velouté, a dish that changes everything and sets the tone for the new season at the most exclusive resort on the island.

At Six Senses Ibiza food is not just cooked with produce: it is cooked with ideas, respect and an approach committed to excellence and sustainability. And that is where the Aquanaria sea bass comes into play—a fish with a clean taste and impeccable texture that has won over some of the most discerning chefs on the current scene. For Fernández, it is an old ally: “I have been working with Aquanaria for many years. It is a constant, fresh product, with an excellent flavour. Just what you are looking for when you cook at this level”.

Partal: the new gastronomic gem by Six Senses Ibiza

Partal is the big bet of the year at Six Senses. A Mediterranean-inspired space, with Andalusian touches and echoes of North Africa, it takes its name from one of the Alhambra’s most emblematic courtyards. “We wanted it to be a meeting place, like the original. And that’s why it is right in the heart of the resort”, says Fernández.

His menu features whole grilled fish, paellas with lots of character and fine cuts that are carved at the table. But it is at night when the concept really raises the bar. There, among the soft lighting and sea breeze, the jewel in the crown appears: Aquanaria sea bass cooked in a Josper oven with a homemade garum velouté, verbena couscous, pomegranate and pickled fennel. “It is a dish that reflects our approach”, says the chef, “respecting the produce, cooking it with precision and building complex flavours from simplicity”. 

Grilled sea bass with homemade garum velouté © Partal

Aquanaria sea bass: for Fernández it is more than an ingredient, it is a philosophy

It is not just its flavour or its invariably perfect texture; what makes the sea bass special is the overall treatment it gets in the kitchen. Fernández and his team are not satisfied with just cooking it. Instead, they study it, use it to the maximum and reinvent it. From the bones fermented in brine, they create their own garum—an ancestral condiment that enhances the umami, used here as a replacement for salt to craft an elegant and deep velouté. “The garum gives the dish not only salinity but a hint of cured sea bass flavour that is powerful and subtle at the same time. And we also maximise use of the entire fish”, he notes.

It is haute cuisine with no frills. Technique with meaning. And a very direct way of talking about true sustainability. Because, as the chef points out, “in order to work with Aquanaria, our sustainability team thoroughly analysed its production model, and it meets very high standards. That is also very important to us”.

Six Senses’ relationship with Aquanaria sea bass is not limited to Partal, however. At the Latin American-inspired Beach Caves restaurant, it also plays a starring role, cooked in a Josper oven and accompanied by a corn puree, a yellow chilli pepper beurre blanc, capers and pine nuts. It is also served as nigiri, sashimi and ceviche in other parts of the resort and is the star of many of the private events held at the complex. Because when Fernández and his team are looking for an elegant and versatile fish with quality guarantees, the choice is clear.

“Consistency is something very difficult to come by in fish these days, ” adds Fernández. “With Aquanaria you always know that it will be good quality, with the same fat, the same flavour, and that allows you to cook without fear”.

Partal is just one more piece in the culinary universe of Six Senses Ibiza, which this year redoubles its commitment to diversity and gastronomic excellence with eight locations, three restaurants with their own identity and a philosophy committed to local produce, fire and flavour as paths to true luxury. But it is in this corner called Partal, where Aquanaria sea bass becomes more than just a high-quality fish. It is a statement of intent, a tribute to taste. And, needless to say, it is also the perfect excuse to stop by a restaurant that will undoubtedly give people plenty to talk about this summer in Ibiza.