Four chefs reveal their experiences, memories and inspiration in Ibiza’s kitchens

There are aromas that smell unmistakably of Ibiza. Products that no kitchen should be without. Places worth visiting to enjoy the island’s gastronomy. And flavours that stay with you for a lifetime. Four chefs from different parts of the world now based on the White Isle share what drives them: where they like to eat when they are the guests, which chefs catch their attention and which recipes from Ibizan cuisine deserve to be valued more.

Each answers from their own experience and from a different point of view, shaped by their origin, career and personal taste. All of them, ultimately, are united by a profession that inspires true passion.

Óscar Molina, chef at La Gaia; David Grussaute, chef at Unic Restaurant; Tess Prince, daytime chef at Pikes; and Pep Torres ‘Racó’, from Port Balansat, open up about their passions, their memories and the figures who have most inspired them in the kitchen. What do they have in common? Respect for local produce, a commitment to sustainability and the determination to remain highly relevant in a changing gastronomic scene in Ibiza.

The questions

1. Origin.
2. A flavour from your childhood.
3. A product that never fails.
4. An Ibizan dish that deserves more recognition.
5. A restaurant on the island you enjoy visiting as a guest.
6. A chef who inspires you.
7. A young chef worth following.
8. A smell that reminds you of Ibiza.
9. A weakness of today’s gastronomy.
10. A strength of Ibizan cuisine.
11. A dish you would no longer cook in the same way.
12. A sentence to define your cooking today.

DAVID GRUSSAUTE, chef at Unic Restaurant

1. I am French, from Bordeaux, and I have lived in Ibiza since 1997.
2. There are many flavours from my childhood: a lamb navarin my mother used to make, my grandmother’s apple tart, ceps from Bordeaux with duck magret cooked by my father... and I could name many more.
3. For me, a product that never fails is a good Arbequina olive oil, because of its sweetness on the palate, or good Ibizan honey to sweeten any dessert.
4. If I had to choose an Ibizan dish, it would be bullit de peix. It reminds me a little of the French version of bouillabaisse, a dish made for sharing and enjoying.
5. The restaurant would be Sa Nansa, because of what I mentioned before: the bullit de peix they prepare and master so well.
6. Pascal Barbot, a French chef who earned three Michelin stars in a tiny kitchen, inspires me. I admire many others too, but he achieved a great deal with very little.
7. I would choose Martina Puigvert, from Les Cols in Olot, which has two Michelin stars. I admire her sensitivity towards cuisine rooted in its surroundings.
8. The smell that most reminds me of Ibiza is fennel. The island smells of fennel, especially when the roadsides are being cleared. It is very inspiring.
9. One weakness of today’s gastronomy is that it remains very seasonal, when Ibiza should be capable of attracting a gourmet audience outside the summer months.
10. Ibizan cuisine has a great deal of tradition, with very emblematic dishes. We should all be very proud to preserve that tradition and never lose it. Losing it would be like losing our identity.
11. A dish I would no longer cook in the same way is paella. There is a lot of technique behind it: stocks, the quality of the rice and many other elements. Over time, I have realised just how many factors need to be considered in order to make a truly outstanding paella.
12. My cooking is deeply rooted in the surroundings, in tradition and in the product. It is a very personal interpretation of how I live and feel the island. It is also a way of showing the people who visit us everything good that Ibiza has to offer, through an evolving tasting menu.

ÓSCAR MOLINA, chef at La Gaia

1. I am from Barcelona.
2. My mother’s croquettes.
3. Olive oil.
4. Borrida de rajada.
5. S’Espartar.
6. Albert Adrià is a chef who inspires me a great deal.
7. José María Borrás.
8. Carob.
9. One weakness is that we often get carried away by the magic and the staging, rather than by flavour, which for me is the most important thing.
10. Ibizan gastronomy stands out for elevating the simplicity of local, seasonal produce through a sustainable, waste-conscious cuisine that preserves centuries of Mediterranean tradition.
11. It is difficult to choose just one dish, as the evolution of today’s techniques and tools has allowed us to enhance our traditional recipes. Thanks to this innovation, we can now achieve much more precise textures and cooking points than in the past, elevating the dish without losing its original essence.
12. At La Gaia, the honesty of Ibizan produce meets fine dining to create an experience that moves guests through technique and respect for the original flavour.

Pep Torres ‘Racó’, chef at Port Balansat

1. I am from Ibiza.
2. The coca con sobrasada that was made with homemade bread. They used to make little cocas with sobrasada for children, and they remind me very much of my childhood.
3. A product that never fails is olive oil. It is used in everything, and in every possible way. Even in something as basic as toast, you add olive oil, and it is also used in all cooked dishes. Everything starts with olive oil.
4. Sofrit pagès. It is a dish that has gone out of fashion, and I do not really know why. Young people today do not seem to like it as much as they used to, which is a shame because it is very good and very complete.
5. I really like going to Balafi, a restaurant that still serves the same things it did on the very first day: grilled meat, chips, bread... It is quite an achievement to spend so many years working with the same product, without changing, especially in a place like Ibiza.
6. Uff... I would not dare name anyone. There is no one in particular.
7. In Ibiza, I think one of the chefs who stands out most is José Miguel Bonet, from Es Ventall. He inherited a family business, transformed it in his own way, and I think he is doing a very good job.
8. The smell that most reminds me of Ibiza is paella, without a doubt.
9. One weakness today is that everyone claims to have fresh fish and fresh produce, when that is not always the case, and they charge as if they did.
10. The strength of Ibizan cuisine used to be that you could run a restaurant with meat and fish, and everything could be local. We had everything. Now, in 95% of cases, that is impossible. Not so much because of the volume, but because of the availability of the product.
11. I think what I would try to change is Salsa de Nadal. It used to be made as something unique and special, but it is a real calorie bomb. Nowadays, people think much more about diets and sugar, so perhaps it is a dish that should be reworked to make it lighter.
12. Ibizan and Mediterranean cuisine.

Tess Prince, day chef at Pikes

1. I am from Amersham, in the south of England. But Ibiza has been my home for 13 wonderful years.
2. My grandmother was a deeply instinctive cook, known for her delicious cakes. My favourite was her cherry and almond cake with buttery shortcrust pastry.
3. The Thermomix has become a trusted tool. We use it for foolproof emulsions, such as romesco, or for an emergency alioli.
4. Aofrit pagès captures the rural soul of Ibiza: rich, rustic and deeply festive. It is an honest, comforting recipe, and one that feels very relevant to the bold, soulful style of cooking that attracts so many chefs today.
5. I love going to La Paloma. Its origins as a family collective project give it a very special spirit, and the atmosphere is naturally charming.
6. Yotam Ottolenghi, for the way he celebrates Mediterranean cooking: vibrant seasonal vegetables, bold spices, generous herbs and bright flavours.
7. The chef I truly admire is my friend Nisha Parmar, a MasterChef winner whose cooking brings a fresh, modern approach to Indian flavours.
8. So many smells remind me of Ibiza: the pine forests, orange blossom, rosemary and wild curry plant in the hills. And then there is the less botanical side: sunscreen, that chaotic mix of heat, pheromones and the excitement of long nights.
9. One key weakness is the rising cost of food, which is pushing us further away from seasonality. We need to actively promote regenerative farming that supports both producers and flavour.
10. Its strength lies in its honesty and simplicity. It is based on exceptional local produce, from both land and sea, treated with very little intervention.
11. Meat-focused recipes are something I now approach differently, incorporating principles from the Blue Zones and the Mediterranean diet. I use beans, lentils, pulses, leafy greens, herbs and spices to add nutritional value.
12. Colour, joy and a deep respect for ingredients, because they are what create the real magic. Also, clear communication and genuine teamwork under pressure.