Álvaro Sanz | Estragón Chef: «Defending the land is, for me, both a responsibility and an obligation»

After making history in 2019 by earning Ibiza’s first Michelin star, chef Álvaro Sanz is back with a new chapter for Estragón. The restaurant leaves behind the traditional country house where it first gained recognition and moves into a more comfortable setting: the five-star Insotel Fenicia Prestige Suites & Spa, in Santa Eulària. Its aim remains the same: to preserve its Mediterranean outlook and continue defending a cuisine connected to the land, the product and the identity of the island.

After a year’s pause to begin a new stage in a new location, do you feel as though you are starting again or continuing a path that was interrupted?

No, it is not about starting again. It is about taking up all the good work that was done, improving it and continuing along the same path after a pause of a couple of years, although it has not really been a pause as such. During these two years we have been creating spaces, recipes, drinks, teams and a concept.

Estragón made history by earning Ibiza’s first Michelin star. What did it mean to you not only to achieve it, but to keep it for several years?

When we achieved it, it was an objective and something very special: making history and seeing that we had managed to do something that had not been achieved before. After that, keeping the star was the result of day-to-day effort. It became a consequence, not an objective.

How do you manage, emotionally, putting a chapter like that on hold, even when it is in order to evolve?

These have been two years in which we have been working to improve the new Estragón, so emotionally it has never really felt closed. We have been able to work with a little more calm because the main restaurant was closed.

What will diners find at Estragón now: continuity, evolution or a completely different proposal?

Diners will continue to find the essence of Estragón, which is a full representation of the Mediterranean, but with more tools and, after a period of study, always seeking improvement and adding the experience of the previous ten years.

What part of the old Estragón remains, and what has been left behind?

The Estragón team remains, as do the concept, the cuisine, the flavour, the collaborations, the research and the representation of the Mediterranean. What has been left behind is the country house where we were based, which had become too small for us. Now we have a space more focused on offering greater comfort to the guest.

You said that the first Michelin star was initially an objective. Is recovering it one of your goals, or do you prefer not to cook with that in mind?

Yes, it is a goal, but in reality it comes as a result of the daily effort of many people. It is the consequence of that work.

You have always defended a cuisine linked to the territory. What does that mean on an island where land is limited and tourist demand is huge?

Defending the territory is, for me, both a responsibility and an obligation, because this island, just like the world, is losing its identity. I believe that someone like me, who has the ability to speak to people from different parts of the world, has the responsibility to show where we are, where we come from and, above all, to represent such a wonderful culture as the Mediterranean one.

What should the relationship between chef and producer be like?

The relationship between chef and producer is extremely important. We surround ourselves with specialists in every field, and the same applies to producers. We do not create a dish without first speaking to them, because they are the people in direct contact with nature. The kitchen and front of house at Estragón defend, above all, the cycles of nature, respect for seasonality and respect for the product.

If you had to define Ibiza through three products, which would you choose and why?

Three products from Ibiza would be fish, such as grouper, red scorpionfish or red mullet; almonds; and porc negre.

That connection to the land has a lot to do with sustainability, but also with management in the kitchen. What were the pillars at Estragón that led to the Michelin Green Star?

Estragón’s Green Star came naturally, without us setting out to look for it. At Estragón, we really see ourselves as a house of food, and we looked at what the old Mediterranean country houses were like. That respect for the product and for the season led us to obtain the Green Star. How? By respecting producers, nature, products, animals and plants; by being self-sufficient and defending actions such as making use of atmospheric water, studying plants and producing compost.

What advice would you give to other chefs who firmly believe in applying a sustainable philosophy in their restaurants?

Advice, none. We can simply show what we do here. Perhaps the only piece of advice, on a global level, would be to empathise with the place where we are and with the territory. We are beings who have to live alongside this planet and respect everything around us. If we kept that idea as a guiding principle, I believe everything would be better.

Returning to the diner’s experience at Estragón, what do you want a guest who already knew the restaurant before to notice when they sit down at the table this season?

A guest who visited the old Estragón and comes to the new one will notice more maturity, more elegance, more comfort and more study.

And what do you hope someone visiting for the first time will discover?

They will notice all of the above, as well as the story that defines Estragón: a great kitchen and a great front-of-house team, important research work in biology and history, a representation of the Mediterranean and a strong focus on self-sufficiency.

What does Ibiza need in order to consolidate itself as a year-round gastronomic destination?

The first thing we need is to be able to work all year round. For that to happen, we need visitors throughout the year and workers who are able to stay during that time, with all the problems that involves.s los problemas que ello conlleva.

Does the arrival of major international names and brands such as Paco Roncero, Gordon Ramsay, Dabiz Muñoz or Dani García help Ibiza, or can it dilute its culinary identity?

The arrival of these major international names and brands obviously helps to strengthen and create Ibiza’s gastronomic brand.

What do you most appreciate about Ibizan cuisine?

What strikes me most is the tradition: that of the fishermen, that of the farmers, the attachment to the land and the respect for the seasons.

Is there any local product that inspires you in particular?

We have already spoken about some of them, but I would say the carob tree, lamb, the vegetable garden and, of course, the sea, which gives us so many products.

A dream still to fulfil?

To establish the foundations of the new Estragón and ensure that it endures over time, sustainably for the staff, for nature and also as a business. And, above all, to continue telling the world, through our cuisine, how the Mediterranean works and how it used to work.

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