In one of Ibiza’s biggest surprises of summer 2025, the opening of Hell’s Kitchen, the first European enclave for celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s US restaurant chain, has added a touch of razzmatazz to the dining options at the newly reimagined The Unexpected Hotel in Playa d’en Bossa.
A spin-off from the long-running culinary gameshow of the same name, which puts experienced chefs through their paces with a series of pressure challenges, whittling them down to a lucky winner of a substantial cash prize and the offer of a head chef position at one of the franchise’s restaurants.
Much of the formula of the television show is on display at Hell’s Kitchen Ibiza - the red team vs blue team aesthetic, the familiar menu and the fully open kitchen, where diners can observe the restaurant’s chefs energetically preparing their food, are all carried forward to Ibiza’s most popular holiday resort.
Similarly, the TV series’ DNA is reflected in the menu, which consists of dishes inspired by the show and some British classics, enhanced with favourite local ingredients and recipes; in Ibiza’s case, this means tortilla española, grilled octopus, and carabiñeros - the massive scarlett shrimps that inhabit the Mediterranean.
The influences are truly international, catering for just about every possible palate. (Although vegetarians might feel a little left out…)
Well, is it actually any good? Has Chef Ramsay’s encouragement and cajoling resulted in creating dishes worthy of risking the famous restaurateur’s impressive reputation? Let’s dive in together.
First stop on our travels is always the cocktail bar where we love to get our lips wet with the most tempting concoctions, and Hell’s Kitchen’s bar is a prime destination in its own right, boasting a big-city, cosmopolitan feel.
Our choices were: Notes from Gordon – a fruity, gin-based concoction with a selection of Chef Ramsay’s motivational words wrapped up in a Union Flag! A very dry and smoky classic Red Eye Old-fashioned. And, the most intriguing and original of the trio, the Thyme Traveller, a blend of thyme-infused tequila, our favourite local digestif, Hierbas Ibicencas, topped with a Muga Rioja float. Give it a try, it will pleasantly surprise you.
After breaking delicious warm bread together, we indulged in a selection of stunning starters.
Carabiñeros, topped with crispy garlic and a dash of Hellfire sauce, make a deluxe twist on the Spanish classic, garlic prawns.
HK’s own Hellfire Sauce is a devilish blend of Valentina sauce, Tabasco, salsa Americano and piquillo red peppers in just the right quantities to tantalise your senses, without setting your hair alight.
Perfectly pan-seared scallops on a bed of corn purée with braised bacon lardons, pickled shallots and micro herbs are a HK staple and justifiably one of their most in-demand dishes.
Even HK’s humble Caesar salad is surprisingly robust, with extremely desirable Parmesan crackers, crunchy croutons and a peppery salsa that tingles the tongue.
The standout starter, though, was the divine buttered lobster tail, lemon and fennel risotto. With the addition of Mascarpone cheese, this dish was rich, creamy, and verging on overindulgent. But this is an American chain after all, so it’s what you would come to expect.
Chef Ramsay’s signature Beef Wellington certainly lived up to expectations. Many an aspiring hopeful on the TV show has been given the boss's trademark hair-dryer treatment for failing to deliver up a perfectly moist filet mignon, wrapped in mushroom duxelles and pasty, drizzled with red wine demi-glacé. No need for histrionics today! It was totally on point.
Likewise, a crispy-skinned salmon fillet, topped with a tangy apple slaw and served on a bed of sticky rice, accompanied by the richest and greenest Thai green curry sauce, received universal approval.
For dessert, the moisture level meter was off the scale again when the sticky toffee pudding, topped with a generous scoop of Vanilla ice, arrived. From British school dinners to royal banquets, it’s high time this erstwhile classic made a grand return to the Balearic Islands in its most delectable incarnation. Utterly divine!
A salty and smooth four-cheese cheesecake, consisting of Burgos, mascarpone, Gorgonzola and cream cheese, with a healthy dollop of raspberry sauce, was another richly satisfying option.
Talking of cheese, the musical soundtrack on the night was an uncool selection of Afro House remixes of classic tracks, played way too loud and practically unlistenable. It detracted from what was otherwise a satisfying dining experience. To paraphrase the wise man’s notes, “My grandmother could do better, and she’s deaf!”
The entertainment is on rotation, so it won’t always be the same, but the volume level could easily be lowered.
Hell’s Kitchen offers up complex dishes, with bold flavours and in very satisfying portions. The desire of the kitchen and waiting staff to succeed in upholding Gordon Ramsay’s rightful reputation is obvious, and all dishes hit some high notes. We look forward to returning to see how the menu evolves over the season, and to find out what dishes got the chop...
Why not book a table to find out for yourself?
