Formentera has a small but serious food culture, anchored in local fish and the seasonal rhythms of an island that more or less closes in winter. Many restaurants open only from May to October, and the best of them fill up quickly in July and August — book ahead or eat early. The local catch is the main event: langosta (spiny lobster) is the island's luxury signature, expensive but sweet; bullit de peix, a two-stage dish of boiled fish and saffron rice, is the more workaday classic; and grilled dorada or lubina done simply with olive oil and lemon is hard to improve on.
The port area at La Savina has the most concentrated options, ranging from terrace tapas bars to the celebrated Can Carlitos. Els Pujols is the most tourist-facing part of the island, with more choice but also more mediocrity — avoid anything with a photographed menu outside. The villages of Sant Ferran and Sant Francesc each have a handful of reliable local restaurants where prices are slightly lower and the atmosphere more genuinely Formenteran. Wherever you eat, order the local wine — Formentera produces small quantities of crisp white wine from the Moll grape that pairs well with everything on the menu.