Ses Voltes Espai Gastronòmic Wins Foodies on Menorca Award for Best Set Menu

Míriam Triay / Ciutadella - It all began over forty years ago with the couple Paco Carrasco and Juana Florit. In the early 1980s, they opened a small café with a modern touch for its time, featuring American influences. In its early days, it even had arcade machines and games, alongside an ice-cream counter. Years later, their sons Carlos and Diego Carrasco Florit continue their legacy. Now, the business has become a consolidated gastronomic space and one of Ciutadella’s culinary landmarks.

For this journey, their dedication to local produce, respect for traditional cuisine, and the hard work behind their offer, Foodies on Menorca awarded Ses Voltes Espai Gastronòmic the Best Set Menu Award. This week, we speak with their head chef and second-generation leader, Diego Carrasco.

How did you receive the award?

With great joy and pride — especially for my mother. She was the first cook of the business, the one who introduced innovations and made it all possible. Without her, I wouldn’t have found my passion for this craft.

Also for my colleagues — our team. This award is for them too, our second family. The kitchen demands many hours and effort, so having that recognition is always a huge boost.

Why do you think you won?

Probably because of the passion we put into creating the menu — always innovating, creating, and doing our best. Although the à la carte menu also reflects our love for cooking and our respect for tradition, the daily menu gives us more freedom and flexibility. We can vary more — offering vegetarian, Menorcan, and even exotic dishes inspired by cuisines from around the world.

Everything we serve is homemade and treated with care; these are our own recipes. The only exceptions are the ice cream and bread — the latter made especially for us by a Ciutadella baker.

We offer two menus: the daily one, with five different dishes, and the weekend one, which includes a tasting of starters — two cold and two hot — followed by a fish, a meat, or a rice dish. Both menus highlight Menorcan cuisine, which is key for us.

How has the cuisine at Ses Voltes evolved?

When this space was born, it was rooted in my mother’s traditional Menorcan cooking — the most classic local dishes. We’ve modernised it using new techniques and fused it with global influences, especially Latin American and Asian cuisines.

For locals, Ses Voltes has long been known for its cocas or pizzas — perhaps less so now — but visitors recognise us more for our menus, rice dishes, and authenticity. They value that everything is made in-house and reflects Menorcan culinary identity.

How would you describe your personal journey?

Since childhood, I helped in the kitchen whenever I could. During summers, I worked alongside my mother, and that experience led me to study hospitality at IES Maria Àngels Cardona, in one of the first courses of its kind — which existed partly thanks to my mother. I didn’t finish because I was already needed in the kitchen.

Later, I worked at our family’s restaurant in Cala en Blanes, managing both kitchen and operations. Eventually, we decided I should take over as head chef at Ses Voltes. We had been looking for a chef but hadn’t found the right person, so I took on the role myself.

Now, after many years, I work with a close-knit team — colleagues who have been with us for years, both in the kitchen and dining room. We’ve built a solid, harmonious structure. In summer we’re nine workers; during the rest of the year, five. This consistency builds trust — guests feel at home here, recognising the same faces year after year, and knowing they’ll find what they love — or even better.

Any final thoughts?

Cooking is a demanding profession — our partners and children know it well. For me, being a chef isn’t about awards or television; it’s about respecting your colleagues, building a team, and giving your all so that customers enjoy your food. It’s about passion, enjoying the process, and making others enjoy it too.