“El Banquet Oblidat” revives Menorca’s stately cuisine over the December long weekend

Menorca is once again looking to the past as it sits down at the table. From 5 to 8 December, coinciding with the Spanish Constitution long weekend, around ten restaurants on the island are taking part in the second edition of El Banquet Oblidat, a gastronomic event promoted by Menorca Restauració with the support of the Fundació Foment de Turisme de Menorca. The initiative invites residents and visitors to discover – or rediscover – dishes from Menorca’s stately and historical cuisine, reinterpreted with seasonal produce.

The participating establishments are spread across the island: restaurants in Ciutadella, Ferreries, Es Mercadal, Es Migjorn Gran and Maó have joined an initiative that aims to breathe new life into the recipe books of noble households and the dishes that, for centuries, were reserved for special occasions. Each restaurant has chosen its own formula: some are offering a recommended off-menu dish, while others have created full special menus of traditional cuisine, designed as a gastronomic journey back to the 18th and 19th centuries.

José Bosch, president of the Associació de Restauració de Menorca, stresses that these days “allow the sector to preserve dishes that are part of our gastronomic heritage and, at the same time, provide a strong incentive to eat out in the middle of the low season.” At the same time, the event reinforces Menorca’s image as a distinctive gastronomic destination, with its own cuisine rooted in the island’s stately, convent and seafaring traditions.

El Banquet Oblidat also has the collaboration of the association Fra Roger, Cómete Menorca, Foodies on Menorca and GastroSelect, organisations and collectives that have been working for years to recover, document and promote Menorca’s historical cuisine. The organisers highlight that the use of local, seasonal produce is one of the pillars of the event, both for the culinary quality it brings and for its positive impact on the countryside and environment of the island.

Full details of the participating restaurants, featured dishes and special menus can be found on the website menorcarestaurants.com. From there, the public is encouraged to book a table and take advantage of the long weekend to experience for themselves, with fork and spoon, that the “banquet” of Menorca’s stately cuisine is no longer so forgotten.