Fornells, a foodie route between the harbour and the flavours of Menorca

Fornells is much more than lobster stew. Its close relationship with the sea has shaped the gastronomic identity of this northern Menorcan village for generations, but a walk through its streets also reveals cheeses, cured meats, bread, pastries, ice cream, fruit and vegetables, and other products made on the island.

For the foodie traveller, we propose a different route. This time, we leave restaurant tables behind and step into shops, bakeries and small local businesses where we can buy, taste and take home a little piece of Menorca.

The route can easily be explored on foot, combining the village’s inner streets with a walk along the seafront. It is a way of discovering that the gastronomy of Fornells also lives behind its shop counters.

Tastdemenorca, cheeses and cured meats with a name of their own

Tastdemenorca Formatgeria was created with the aim of bringing the work of the island’s producers closer to visitors. The shop, located on Carrer Major, specialises in Menorcan cheeses and cured meats and makes it possible to discover local produce without having to travel to the island’s different farms and agricultural holdings.

Here we find Mahón-Menorca Protected Designation of Origin cheese, but also cheeses made from goat’s milk, sheep’s milk or different milk blends. Alongside them is another essential part of the Menorcan pantry: sobrassada, carn-i-xulla and camot.

One of the most interesting aspects for foodie travellers is the chance to taste and compare. Discovering the differences between a softer cheese, a semi-cured cheese and one with a longer maturation helps us understand that behind every piece of cheese there is landscape, livestock farming, milk, ageing and artisan work.

The selection is completed by other products made in Menorca, from wines and gin to ensaimadas and carquinyols.

Foodies recommends: asking for advice and enjoying a small cheese tasting before buying. It is an opportunity to compare different levels of maturation and also discover carn-i-xulla and camot, two cured meats that may be less familiar to visitors than sobrassada.

Carrer Major, 3 · Fornells
Tel. 636 200 692
Web: tastdemenorca.com

Sa Figuera Mercat, a small pantry in the centre of Fornells

A gastronomic route does not have to be made up only of prepared specialities. Fresh produce also tells the story of a place, and Sa Figuera Mercat brings this side of local food into the route.

It is a small food shop in the centre of Fornells where fruit and vegetables sit alongside Menorcan products and a selection of organic foods.

For travellers staying in an apartment, a house or aboard a boat, this type of shop can become an excellent starting point for preparing a simple meal with local produce. It is also ideal for anyone who wants to put together an impromptu picnic before heading to one of the beaches in the north.

Cheeses, pantry products and vegetables remind us that eating Menorca does not necessarily mean always going to a restaurant. Buying produce, preparing it and sharing it is also part of the gastronomic experience.

Foodies recommends: looking for seasonal produce and completing your shopping with a Menorcan cheese or speciality. With good bread, tomatoes, cheese, fruit and some cured meat, we can prepare a breakfast or picnic with a true taste of Menorca.

Carrer del Rosari · Fornells

Ricardo Riera, the sweeter side of Fornells

After the savoury flavours comes the moment for something sweet. Ricardo Riera is one of the best-known gastronomic stops in the centre of Fornells and a business closely connected with pastry-making, ice cream and, especially, the artisan production of nougat.

The story of Ricardo Riera began in Fornells in 1981 within a family that had been linked to the sea and local gastronomy for generations. Over time, the project developed its own range of artisan nougats made with carefully selected ingredients.

Among its most distinctive creations are products that seek to combine the traditional world of nougat with more contemporary flavours and Menorcan references. A good example is pomada nougat, which transforms one of Menorca’s most popular drinks into inspiration for a sweet creation.

But a walk around Fornells, especially during the warmer months, has another ritual too: stopping for an ice cream while strolling along Carrer Major or heading back towards the harbour.

This combination of ice cream parlour, pastry shop and artisan products makes the establishment an especially suitable stop to round off the most urban part of the route.

Foodies recommends: during summer, giving in to the temptation of the ice creams and sorbets; and when the artisan nougats are available, discovering the house’s most personal creations, especially those incorporating flavours linked to Menorca.

Carrer Major, 41 · Fornells
Tel. 971 376 528
Web: ricardoriera.es

Farmers Market, Menorca gathered by the sea

When it coincides with the months in which it is held, the Mercat Agroalimentari de Fornells is a magnificent way to complete this route.

Set along the seafront promenade, during the season it turns the harbour frontage into a showcase for Menorca’s agri-food products. Producers and makers directly offer some of the island’s specialities, giving visitors the opportunity to meet the people behind each product.

Cheese inevitably occupies a prominent place, but the real attraction lies in discovering different zero-kilometre products in the same space and talking to the people who make them.

It is precisely this direct contact that makes agri-food markets such an interesting experience for foodies. We do not simply buy: we ask how a product is made, where it comes from, how it should be eaten and what it can be paired with.

Foodies recommends: arriving without rushing, tasting before buying whenever possible and looking for products that are difficult to find outside Menorca. Cheeses, cured meats, preserves, sweets and other artisan products can become the best gastronomic souvenir of the trip.

Passeig Marítim · Fornells
Seasonal market

Fornells, beyond lobster stew

Fornells is inevitably associated with lobster stew, and rightly so. It is one of the great icons of Menorcan gastronomy and the village has played a fundamental role in its reputation.

But reducing Fornells to this dish alone would mean overlooking a large part of its gastronomic experience.

Walking through the village tasting cheeses and cured meats, buying fresh produce, enjoying an ice cream or browsing the stalls of an agri-food market shows us another way to discover it.

It is also an easy route to turn into a complete experience. We can start with an ensaimada, continue with a cheese tasting, buy products for a picnic, treat ourselves to an ice cream and, if it happens to be market day, finish by talking directly with Menorcan producers beside the waters of the bay.

Because being a foodie traveller is not just about looking for the best restaurants. It also means going into local shops, discovering producers, talking to shopkeepers and returning home knowing a little more about the place we have visited.

And in Fornells, among whitewashed streets, Menorcan produce and the scent of the sea, this way of travelling makes perfect sense.