Dalt Vila’s hidden dining room

It just feels like a real-life fairytale, each and every time I walk up the drawbridge into ‘my’ castle, and I never, ever cease to be amazed by the impressive stone walls, cobbled streets, maze of alleyways, eclectic bars, shops and restaurants, lookout points, views… and even the stray cat colonies too!

So as you might imagine, I consider myself to be somewhat of an expert when it comes to the area. But I have to admit, sometimes it’s an area where I want to keep all my secret places and spaces to myself. After all, it’s my home. I love that no cars can drive into my barrio, that passers by rarely stroll into my street, that – despite its obvious popularity with sightseers in the high season – there are parts of Dalt Vila that still seem undiscovered, untouched, retaining their rustic charm even though the hipsters have started to move in at the foot of the hill!

But! There is one recent discovery I think deserves a mention, as it is just such a special, unique dining experience I think everyone should experience at least once. Kyupiddo by B.For is truly hidden, tucked away behind a discreet gate, in a back alley at the top of Dalt Vila, near the cathedral. And once you’re inside, it’s completely open-air, an amazing alfresco experience with no cars, no pedestrians and no noise to interrupt your revelry.

Sure, I can almost hear you girls thinking… I don’t really want to traipse up and down the back streets of Dalt Vila looking for a secret gate in the hot peak of summer. Guys, I can hear you thinking, I don’t want her complaining about not being able to walk in heels on the cobbled streets. Stop right there! Kyupiddo (which, by the way is Japanese for Cupid!) has its very own little golf cart, with a lovely bow-tie clad driver, who will pick you up and drop you off at the base of the fortress walls.

Even though it’s super close to my house and I COULD walk… I have to say, it was a treat to let them chauffeur me – if only I could have this every day when I walk to my car!

After being dropped off at the doorway of the beautiful hotel La Torre del Canonigo, we were then led through a small tunnel, and around to the rear of the hotel, where we were greeted by a beautiful girl semi-hidden by a discreet door in the stone wall. Once we stepped inside, it was like landing in another world… totally peaceful, zen-like ambience with views across the whole port and up to the cathedral that truly make you feel like you are the king (or queen!) of the castle.

A sparkling swimming pool is the centrepiece of the restaurant, with the entire façade of the hotel reflected in the water as you look from one side, and the stunning sky and sunset from the other (presuming you arrive early enough for sunset – and I would recommend it!). A very intimate number of elegantly designed tables surround the pool, and a small lounge and bar area provide the perfect place for pre or après dinner cocktails, and the size means it’s never going to be overcrowded or noisy.

On the subject of cocktails, Kyupiddo has its own twist on many of the classics. Expertly prepared by world-class bartenders, and exquisitely presented, the Japanese names are a little tricky to pronounce, but there’s nothing difficult about tasting them… yum!

Although Kyupiddo is the latest creation in the B.For empire, don’t expect to find sushi on your plate here. The fine dining style menu is strictly fusion – Japanese and Mediterranean – with an emphasis on quality above all else. The first page of the menu is all about ultra-finely sliced carpaccio and tiradito, plus an array of fresh seafood starters and five-star caviar – Beluga of course darlings.

I’m not going to give away the entire menu – some things need to be a surprise when you get there – but what I can tell you is there’s something to satisfy every appetite and every taste bud! Leaving room for dessert is essential, whether you have a sweet tooth or not!

The most magical thing for me is watching night fall over Dalt Vila, the port and the Mediterranean Sea. Blue turns to rich, deep purple, gold turns to pink, white buildings become a wash of twinkling lights. The cathedral walls are softly illuminated and it’s one of the most romantic settings I have ever experienced in Ibiza.

And then you get another joyride back down into town in the golf cart! Yahoooo!

From generation to generation

The couple – hailing from France and Germany – fell in love with the location instantly when searching for a location to open a restaurant, and the rest, as they say, is history…

After six years of business, the couple welcomed a little girl into their family. Living in Dalt Vila, in the same street as the restaurant, their daughter Lisa spent her childhood running through the cobbled streets, playing, eating her dinner in La Oliva every night – it was just like home to her.

Fast-forward to 2014, and little Lisa is all grown up, having taken the reins from her parents and been managing all aspects of the business for the past four years – from reservations and staff to accounts, décor and more – allowing Rene and Ursula more time to relax and enjoy life.

To be running an iconic, successful restaurant of this size at just 22 years old is practically unheard of in Ibiza, but to Lisa, it’s just a regular part of her everyday life. But she didn’t always see herself as the future of the family business – far from it! “I never, never wanted to work here!” she laughs, talking of her teenage years. “I thought I wanted to be a journalist. But when I was 15 I was horse riding a lot, and in order to enter a competition, my parents told me I needed to earn the money. So I worked in La Oliva for one month… and it was really hard for me, I was so shy you wouldn’t believe it.”

Hard to believe, given her friendly and bubbly personality today, where nothing is a problem and everyone is equally as important as the person next to them. So how did this go from it being a necessity to a passion? “When I met Marc-Antoine, we were both really motivated to get my parents to make some changes, starting with the colour of the chairs and then the wine list, then getting Marc-Antoine into the kitchen because he’d studied in all the best schools in France.”

“My mum trusted us both from the very first minute,” she says, of the transition from daughter to manager. “My dad… well, he liked to keep an eye on us for the first few years, but now he’s much more relaxed and only comes in once or twice a week. It makes me happy knowing they can relax now!”

Each year sees a new customer ‘click’ that Lisa is Rene and Ursula’s daughter running the restaurant, and many loyal clients remember her as a child. “It’s strange for me, because I don’t always know the people,” she says. “But they’ll ask me if I’m the daughter and when I say yes, they’ll tell me they saw me in my mum’s belly when she was pregnant! I always tell my parents who has been in the restaurant, and then they’ll tell me about other people who haven’t told me they know my parents, but then tell them they had a good experience.”

Now the shoe is on the other foot, Lisa says it can feel strange to Ursula and Rene – who know only too well how much hard work running a business like la Oliva can be – to see her working so much, when they are enjoying island life. “My mum encourages me to go out all the time – she has so much energy – but usually I can’t because I’m working, or tired… then she offers to come and work for me!”

Crediting her parents with teaching her the value of working hard for your money, always being kind to people, finishing what you start and being an example to others around you, Lisa says she definitely sees her future in La Oliva now, having developed a real passion for her work… but it doesn’t stop there! “I wish we could do more,” she says, with a sparkle in her eyes. “We have a lot of energy, a lot of ideas… we will see!”