When in Spain, we’re big fans of tapas-hopping, or jumping between laid-back tapas bars everywhere from the backstreets of San Sebastian to sun-splashed Malaga and padding our bellies between glasses of Rioja and Albariño. But when it comes to a big-time gourmet meal, it’s always worth making a big splash at one of the country’s hundreds of restaurants that have been awarded a Michelin star.
Finally, there’s one in Ibiza to set sights on, too, at the five-star Ibiza Gran Hotel, where Chef Oscar Molina’s La Gaia just snagged its first Michelin star (the first on all of Ibiza) in December 2021.
Chef Molina’s menu offers the finest of fusion experiences, combining Ibizan flavors with a dining approach influenced by Japan—with a common thread of local and sustainable ingredients throughout. Trust us, if salt-baked local lamb and cured toro tuna are on the menu, you don’t want to miss them.
La Gaia is also now joined by a trio of new offerings that will inevitably make decisions tougher, but expectations should remain high for every meal. Zuma is the latest from Rainer Becker and features Japanese cuisine, while ASAL features the best of Ibiza’s native flavors and was created Chef Mario Sandoval, who knows a thing or two about Michelin stars. Finally, Club Chinois is guaranteed to be an influencer haven, as it was inspired by jazz clubs of 1930s Shanghai.
As fantastic as these restaurants are, the hotel in the heat of Ibiza’s Golden Mile is more than just a destination for world-class dining, with signature experiences for guests that include scuba diving with a National Geographic marine expert and visiting Ibiza’s first organic winery (following by a customized tasting menu at La Gaia with the hotel’s expert sommelier, of course).
Whatever you do, don’t overlook Ibiza Gran Hotel’s 14,000-sq. ft. Open Spa, with its indulgent hydrotherapy circuit complete with heated pools, a Turkish bath, Finnish sauna, saline inhalation baths, and more.
