GET IBIZA VILLAS IN YOUR INBOX? SUBSCRIBE
GET IBIZA STORIES IN YOUR INBOX SUBSCRIBE
GET IBIZA VILLAS IN YOUR INBOX? SUBSCRIBE
GET THE LATEST IBIZA NEWS IN YOUR INBOX SUBSCRIBE
Cosmic Pineapple

Anyone who knows me knows I am probably the least cosmic person in Ibiza. I mean, I do confess to reading my star signs every now and again and I like a good pair of galaxy leggings for yoga, but as far as hippy dippy trippy spiritual type activities, well… I prefer give them a wide berth. Just not my thing. But as they say, you can’t knock it until you try it, and after two weeks of persuasion, the cosmic peeps at Pikes managed to talk me into visiting the very special Thursday day-to-night event Cosmic Pineapple. It was for charity after all – it would be rude not to! I have to admit, despite my strong resistance to all cosmic activitiy, they had me from the artwork. I may not consider myself cosmic but I do love a good pineapple, flamingo and palm tree in any kind of illustration, advertisement or décor. I’m also a huge fan of Josh Wink, who was part of the epic DJ line-up alongside  Tiefschwarz, Craig Richards, Mirko Loko, Ryan O Gorman, Cici and some other amazing musical talent, so I figured if the cosmic action all got too much for me, I could simply retreat to what was dubbed the ‘Space Rave’.

The event is a slow-burner, starting at 4pm with an opening ceremony and then casually leading you through the rest of the afternoon and evening with a series of workshops, talks, films, markets, classes, rituals and more, right up until the rave cave kicks off at 10pm, turning the party into a typical Pikes style fiesta. Having already checked out the photos and the reviews of the previous weeks (Cosmic Pineapple runs for four consecutive weeks on Thursdays), I convinced my mind to remain open, donned my best cosmic leggings (spaced out cat faces emblazoned all over the legs) and headed into the hills of San Antonio. Hitting the Once Upon A Time Market stalls on the hot pink tennis court was the craftiest way to ease a non-cosmic like myself into the proceedings – after all, is there anyone in the world who does not like market shopping? In my opinion, you can never have too many feathers, too many pairs of sunglasses or too much glitter and this was the place to stock up on all of the above. Customised hats and headpieces (hello next year’s Burning Man wardrobe), amazing quirky false eyelashes, festival-style sparkly face embellishments, crocheted swimsuits, handmade jewellery, crystals, oils… If this was cosmic retail therapy, then I was already a convert.

I was assured that beyond the tennis court and in the Rockovery area of Pikes was where the real cosmic action was taking place, so I braced myself and went in for the opening ceremony with Carli Susu, the girl who is dubbed Ibiza’s very own ‘white witch’, bedecked in feathers as we sipped welcome drinks, joined the circle, found a partner, locked on to each others’ energy and chanted ‘Har Haray Hari Waheguru’ – which I’m told is a Kundalini chant for creativity. There were bells, there was drumming, there was fire, there was more chanting for the fire element… and there were lots of smiles. Lots of happy, warm, friendly people, all happy to be there, happy to be connecting and happy to be taking part. The thing about happiness is, it’s kind of infectious. Even if you are a non-cosmic like myself, you can’t help but be swept away with everyone else’s enthusiasm. And being happy then opens you up to new experiences. For example… Reiki. I always thought it was just people who thought they had superpowers holding their hands out at you, Spiderman style minus the webs, but on this occasion, I have to say I really felt some kind of… dare I say… energy? And crystal healing – where previously I thought they were just a bunch of pretty rocks, this time I felt drawn to certain colours and discovered what that meant and what they could do to me. I had my Tarot cards read – and now I only wish I had recorded the experience, so I could analyse it more. I’ll just have to go back tomorrow night and do it all again!

Once I’d had my fill of happy hippy dippy trippy stuff I made my way to the pool where REAL LIVE MERMAIDS (also known as the MinxFX Mermaids) were making jaws drop left, right and centre as Ali Schwarz provided the awesome pre-sunset soundtrack. If you ever need to mesmerise a group of small children, simply bring them to the Pikes pool on a Cosmic Pineapple Thursday, where you can most definitely prove that magic exists. When I grow up, I want to be a mermaid! Up on the rooftop, a panel of some of the most awesome electronic music artists – including Josh Wink, Matthew Bushwacka, Acid Mondays and Ali Schwarz – had assembled to give a talk on taking a more conscious approach to dance music that had the audience enthralled. I even overheard one guest say it was one of the most interesting panels they’d ever been to, far more fascinating than the annual IMS. Perhaps approaching music from a conscious viewpoint rather than a business perspective is the way forward…

Cinema Paradiso were out in the garden screening my favourite ever film, The Lost Boys (previous weeks were classics Purple Rain and The Labyrinth), and even though I have seen it around 300 times in my lifetime, it didn’t stop me from pulling up a pew for a while and quoting every single word coming out of either Corey’s mouth, much to the dismay of my neighbours. Last of all was the dancing. With guest star drag artist performers BayBJane and Kalypso Bang looking fabulous, cosmic fluoro face paint creating awesome effects under the neon lighting and a soundtrack by the aforementioned DJs, who needs Burning Man? Ibiza has its very own little cosmic community coming together right here at Pikes… and though I may not be a fully-fledged card carrying member of the tribe, I have to admit my mind is a little less closed to alternative therapies and all that hippy dippy trippy stuff than it was before I arrived.

Tomorrow night is the final instalment of Cosmic Pineapple at Pikes at Ibiza Rocks House, celebrating the Autumn Equinox and the element of air. There’s more cosmic activations and healings, a candlelight yoga session, more tennis court market action, a Cosmic Pineapple Cocktail and as always, the DJ line-up will be kept a secret up until the last minute, but if the last three weeks are anything to go by, you can guarantee it will be a showstopper. Entry is free, however a donation to charity is recommended on entry, with this week’s charities being the Save Fabric London fund and the David Lynch Foundation. Sparkle leggings at the ready! Photography by Phrank for Cosmic Pineapple

Romance and relaxation

However delve a little deeper and the white isle will always provide – beyond the big names, brands and overcrowded venues are plenty of amazing places to indulge in some intimate bonding time with your loved one – the very best of them being Open Spa, the island’s most prestigious modern-day healing and wellness centre. Set within the luxurious surrounds of Ibiza’s only ‘Five-Star Grand Luxe’ resort, Ibiza Gran Hotel in the exclusive Marina Botafoch area, Open Spa boasts a specially designed, lavish Romantic Suite, where professionally trained, expert therapists devote their time to giving you and your partner side-by-side treatments. Whether you’re here on a romantic getaway, or simply wish to whisk your lover away from a busy group itinerary for a few treasured hours, this is the perfect place to be enveloped in positive, loving energy and be treated to luxurious pampering rituals.

In 2016, Open Spa introduce the all-new Romantic Massage – a deluxe couples’ massage experience offered within the romantic and well-appointed cabin – giving you all the more reason to indulge in some much-needed ‘us time’. A soothing atmosphere is created by soft candlelight while the air is perfumed with the essence of rosewood to awaken your senses while two plush massage beds lay side-by-side awaiting you and your partner to sink in, relax and let go of anything that enters your minds. The mini luxury lovers’ retreat begins with a welcome ritual where expert hands use gentle pressure and scented wipes to induce you into the utmost tranquil and serene state. The massage uses natural, organic essential oils of camelia and frangipani to encourage total wellbeing, while the physical movements relieve stress, tone aching muscles and bring you both into deeper relaxation. The massage is therapeutic and restorative and tends to your entire body, leaving no fatigued muscle behind.

Finally, the experience is completed with a farewell ritual, uplifting, invigorating and encouraging healthy blood flow throughout your extremities, leaving you feeling relaxed yet completely revitalised. Following the treatment, couples are invited to plunge into the therapeutic waters of Open Aqua and experience the healing powers of the water circuit, an ancient practice known to relax, detoxify and replenish. Together you’ll leave Open Spa with restored health, calm minds and relaxed bodies plus a very special experience carved into your Ibiza holiday memories to remember for years to come.

Visit the White Ibiza spas guide to read more and reserve a treatment at Open Spa
The Ibiza theatre show

The faint sound of a choir echoes through the tunnels. The hustle and bustle of the restaurants and people filling the streets aren’t ever enough to detract from the soundtrack filling the air as night falls on Ibiza’s old town. It’s almost like the town has its very own theatre troupe, moving through the cobbled streets and laneways, entertaining passersby and those who have a front row seat in its restaurants and bars. Every type of instrument, every style of performance, actors, performers, musicians and artists of all ages and all nationalities flock to the island in summer, to make their living busking in the streets – some of them amazingly talented, others just having a good old fashioned go, and those stalwarts who’ve been here year after year after year.

There are the painted human statues, ranging from beautiful mermaids and bronze pirates to windswept professors and amazing turban clad men balancing on an almost lifelike levitating magic carpet. I swear, you never see them arrive and set up – it’s seriously is like magic. You get the odd arm movement, whistle or smile, as a thank you when someone leaves some coins in their collection tray but these people must have nerves of steel as they can stay for hours in position! Funnily enough, I’ve also never seen them pack up and leave… it’s something like a phenomenon. Then there are the artists. Lining the frontline of the port, live painting anything from caricatures of friends and family, serious portrait style pencil or charcoal illustrations, landscapes and cityscapes capturing the scene set out before them. There’s a man who paints the Dalt Vila skyline in chalk on the concrete of Plaza del Parque every night; there’s another man who sculpts dogs from sand (when you walk past a second time, the dog has had puppies!) and yet another who uses his artistic talents to paint henna tattoos on those who are willing to give up half an hour of their time.

There are the bubble blowers, using huge circles of rope dipped in soap to create whimsical, oversized bubbles that float through the air and fill little kids (and the odd grown up like me) with glee. There are the crafty salespeople, arms laden with LED slingshots, shooting them up in the sky like colourful shooting stars or shining a laser in the shape of a heart, star, paw print or smiley face on the walls of the surrounding buildings. Of course, the little ones who are lucky enough to be gifted a slingshot seem to lose it on a nearby balcony or down a drain within minutes, meaning mum and dad snap up slingshot number two to avoid a dinner time tantrum – that’s savvy business sense from the sellers, right there! The musically inclined also hit the streets every night, ranging from the occasional out-of-tune violin player and always smiling accordion players to the wheelchair bound flute player who sets up camp at the top of the Dalt Vila drawbridge for hours on end. My personal favourite is the gorgeous Italian opera singer, who takes over a little corner of the castle with her little amplifier and incredulous voice, serenading us with Ave Maria, Nessun Dorma, Con Te Partiro and countless other classics I am sadly not cultured enough to know the names of, but will forever be burned into my memory because they have floated up onto my terrace and brought tears to my eyes on a nightly basis for years.

On Monday nights, we have the amazing Pacha Flower Power parade, streaming through the streets in their bohemian hippy outfits and blaring a ghetto blaster with the best tracks from the 60s and 70s as they sing along and hand out merchandise like fans, flower headbands and CDs. At the same time, concept store Sluiz sends a vocal quartet dressed in quirky rockabilly costumes, singing songs from all eras… with anything from Grease always managing to mesmerise their audience. If that doesn’t inspire you to get a headband on and head to Pacha… you’re obviously into techno and on your way to Cocoon. And last, but never least, there is always the boisterous Capoeira troupe, whose boundless energy (and perfectly sculpted muscles) never ceases to amaze me as they backflip, tumble and one-handedly walk their way through the fortress. If you were impressed by the professional Olympic gymnasts recently, then you’ll be guaranteed to love these guys. Though I must admit, I do wish they’d sing a different song every couple of nights – five months into summer, I think I know the words as well as they do.

It’s almost time for the 2016 curtain call for our nightly local theatre stars, as the restaurants and bars start to wind down for the season, the tourist influx slows down and they go back to…. Well that’s the thing! Where do they go? Is there another hot busking destination after Ibiza summer officially ‘closes’? Do they go back to their studies at university in their hometowns? Do they just spend the next two months counting up the bags of coins they’ve accumulated all summer, swap them for some nice crisp notes at the bank and live a happily ever after type winter existence on the island? What I do know is, you’ve only got a couple more weeks to experience this nightly show for yourself – come Space Closing these guys have all packed up for the season and disappeared off the streets. Sure there, are a few who stay all year round (hello curly haired man who still sings Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here offkey in a Spanish accent while playing an out of tune guitar every night – I am tempted to pay him just to get some lessons but then I find his ‘two lost souls in a fishbowl’ kind of quaint), but as soon as the calendar flips to October the airwaves go quiet. So come to town and check out our theatre show while you still have a chance – Ibiza is not always about house and techno you know…

Look who popped up at Cala Bonita!

Which is why, when we decided to open our very own little White Ibiza Pop-Up Boutique in 2016, we made sure we could run it for the duration of an entire month to avoid any serious cases of pop-up FOMO. I LOVE our little pop-up. It’s like my dream walk-in wardrobe – that is, if I was lucky enough to live on such a beautiful beachfront location as Cala Bonita! The gorgeous little beach restaurant has been a hit in its debut season on the iconic little beach of S’Estanyol, after giving the tired old restaurant a rustic-yet-sophisticated makeover. The attention to detail is amazing, with most of the furniture and finishes hand-made for the venue and the most high-end kitchen equipment flown in from around the world. Talk about raising the bar…

I have to admit, at first I was scared Cala Bonita might over-commercialise my favourite little ‘secret’ Ibiza beach – with Aussie celeb chef Karen Martini at the helm of the kitchen, it was only a matter of time until its gastronomic reputation grew – but the group of new owners truly appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of their location and are not about to spoil a thing. It’s not about numbers – it’s about quality. The intimate space is never overcrowded, the tiny beach always has enough space for everyone and locals still love to sunbathe on the rooftops of the fishermen’s huts around the bay. It’s perhaps now even more special than it ever was before – and let me tell you, the musical selection has certainly improved tenfold!

Anyway, I digress. I was talking about our pop-up. Our lovely little pop-up shop. It’s not flashy or overwhelming. Just like Cala Bonita itself, it’s intimate and chic, understated but high quality. There’s no pressure to make fast decisions as you’re surrounded by hordes of people. It’s laidback retail therapy in true Ibiza style. Have lunch, pick up a copy of WHITE Ibiza Magazine to peruse as you laze on the beach then come back pick up your favourite pieces from our SS16 collection on the way out (well, at least before 6pm as that’s when we pack up for the day!). We’re not going anywhere – we’re here all month! What I really love about the pop-up – location aside – is that finally, the beautiful White Ibiza Balearic Basics and Resort SS16 collections (plus our beautiful debut magazine) have a physical home. A place to try before you buy.

Because I’m going to admit – despite spending a huge part of my life working/socialising/obsessing in the online arena – I am not a very confident online shopper. I like to touch things. Feel the fabric. See myself wearing it in front of the mirror. Compare and contrast colours. Open my wallet, pay with cash and receive a lovely bag with tissue wrapped clothing to strut home with. Call me old fashioned… So at Cala Bonita, I’ve been able to try on each and every piece from the collection – much to the amusement of our lovely staff – and admire or criticise myself in the mirror. In case you’re wondering why I’d never tried them on before (they have been available online all summer, after all), it’s because I work from home and the collections are stocked at White Ibiza HQ. It’s summer, I’m busy and I hadn’t had the chance to faff around in a styling session… ‘til now!

My personal favourites include the Cavallet Maxi – I love, love LOVE this dress! It’s so Ibiza, but can also be worn in the city or to a festival. With wedges or with ankle boots. I envisioned myself floating through Dalt Vila in the white version (see my previous blog about Ibiza fashion fantasies here) however once I tried it on, it was obvious my complexion was much more suited to the black one. Black dress plus fluffy white cat does not equate to a logical purchase, but whoever said fashion was logical? It’s now hanging in my wardrobe, safely away from aforementioned kitty. I was also a sucker for the Caleta Kaftan. To be honest on the rails it looks kind of shapeless and I’d have thought twice about trying it on, but since I had a little time on my hands and it was in the name of research, I gave it a go. And once you throw it on… wow! It accentuates curves, shows off just the right amount of leg and sparkles beautifully in the sunlight. It also works well as a party dress – I know, because I instantly bought it and wore it to DJ Harvey at Pikes at Ibiza Rocks House!

The Xuclar Sundress – which I was convinced would not flatter my figure – turned out to be a great little dress I now wear for work and also out for lunches! I am yet to buy, desperately want, the Xarraca Maxi – the only thing stopping me is the combination of my pallor and its white shade. But I figure I still have all of September to work on my tan, so I’ll wait a few more weeks and try it on again before we shut up shop at the end of the season. Other pieces that surprised me were the Galera Gowns. I thought they looked a little too glam for me, but surprisingly, with some nice flat sandals, both colours look great for daywear as much as for night. The sassy little Pada Playsuits – which I thought for sure would make me look enormous – were actually easily adjusted to suit how much thigh you want to show (though I must admit personally, I need more of a tan for those) and really comfy to wear. And finally, the Carbo Kaftan… another winner, and another piece that works equally as well by night as it does by day. I still can’t decide between blue and black… maybe I’ll get both!

Whether like me, you’ve spent a couple of months ogling the collections online but were never brave enough to buy, or if you’ve never seen them before but feel inspired to update your wardrobe, the White Ibiza Pop-Up Boutique is now at your service! Combine it with a luxe lunch at Cala Bonita, a lazy sunbathing session on the rocks, or just pop in for a fast fashion fix. S’Estanyol is just a ten-minute drive from Ibiza town, there’s plenty of easy parking just outside making it much easier than trying to battle the traffic and parking of Ibiza town at this time of year. In fact, I think I might just pop in now to see if my tan has improved and my Xarraca Maxi wishful purchase can come true, and if not, there’s a Tarida Tunic calling my name…

Meet the founders – Ibiza Retreats

Larah began by connecting world-class teachers and group leaders with the island’s incredible retreat locations, therapists and chefs and when Susie Howell joined her as her partner in 2009, their offerings expanding to develop a range of their own inspiring holistic retreats. Combining yoga, meditation and tailor-made programs of treatments and therapies, Ibiza Retreats focus heavily on teaching techniques for self-healing to inspire their guests to nourish and care for themselves. Practicing what they preach is certainly part of the process for Larah and Susie, and a thorough understanding of life’s ups and downs means they connect with their guests on a deeper level. Moving into the new Ibiza Retreats HQ, Casa Lakshmi Luz, in 2016 has seen the dream come to full fruition, but the road was long and not always easy for these two beautiful and inspiring souls.

Meet Larah Davis – A holistic life and wellness coach (NCFE certified in the UK), NLP Master Practitioner, yoga teacher, yoga therapist and energy worker. When Larah’s previous relationship broke down, her partner’s business had become her world. Drowning in a negative spiral of co-dependency, smiling on the outside yet shattering inside, she was holding it all together but was stressed to the core and trapped in a painful comfort zone. Yoga, massages, meditation and time in nature were the only things keeping her sane. From Sydney to London, she had been training for four years as a Holistic Life Coach and NLP Master Practitioner and was quietly seeing clients, but when she started working with a terminally ill friend she saw a powerful transformation.

Working with dozens of complementary therapists and healers, Larah finally felt truly inspired. Whilst support-coaching at a workshop in London, the group visualised their ideal life and a vision of transformational retreats in Ibiza arose from her heart. She had already had experiences in Sydney studying energetic and spiritual healing, Life Coaching and NLP when she helped to develop a life transformations company in 2001/2002. Yet until that moment, had not felt ready to stand in her light and “serve”. “I needed to find the confidence, clarity and self-belief to break-free from the relationship and mental ‘gridlock’ of London living,” she says. “Every cell of my being was aching to retreat. Yet I couldn’t find, at that time, any retreats in Ibiza that offered the whole holistic package of coaching and wellness, yoga and meditation, integrated treatments and therapies, spiritual guidance and consciously created cuisine. There were none where I felt I would be truly nurtured as a woman, where I could rest my head, let go and release. I realised that there was a thirst for this, a market niche and a need.”

Larah felt deepy nourished within the Ibizan sisterhood. A community of women from all over the island and indeed the world who openly shared their own stories, empowering Larah to release the past, forgive her ex and most importantly heal and forgive herself. These women had gone through hardships and drawn on their inner resources to create a new life of grace, joy and gratitude. This open-hearted sisterhood continues to soothe her soul. “In a tepee at home, or high on the mountains, in workshops and retreats, we sit with women of all ages, sharing, our truths, our challenges, and our needs,” she says of her day-to-day experiences of life in Ibiza which inspire her work with Ibiza Retreats as it evolves. “Granting respect to the wiser older spirits and embracing the younger girls’ blissful innocence. And in the sharing flows acceptance, openness, courage, vulnerability, an expose of the inner-qualities that incarnate our sensitivity and our ability to honour and be the more emotional, feminine race. I am constantly inspired by the courage of each guest, to see themselves, to look into their shadow sides, face certain truths and to take up the gauntlet to create the health, happiness and success that they deserve.” Today, always looking to extend her wellness and healing capabilities, Larah is currently studying yoga therapy and is specialising in enabling her clients to self-heal anxiety, depression, recuperate from surgery and chronic back pain. And her philosophy that “women need to fill our cup first, so that we have more love and energy to give” rings true, as you find her rejuvenating her soul, from her morning practice outside under an almond tree, to the white islands’ women’s circles in yoga, meditation, kirtans, prayer and sound healing ceremonies as life allows!

Meet Susie Howell – A yoga teacher and wellness consultant who is passionate about yoga as medicine. Susie moved to Ibiza in 2010 after an intense 10-year career in advertising and a series of broken relationships saw her feeling trapped and uninspired, disconnected from her fractured sense of self and stuck in patterns of self-destruct. She had graduated at 21 and began her relationship with her yoga mat at 24, suffering from well-hidden anxiety attacks. Gaining promotion after promotion she was trapped in the cycle of wanting more, but struggling with anxiety as there wasn’t enough of her to do it all. She was functioning perfectly from the outside, but inside was merely existing. “Yoga allowed me to connect to something so much greater and more powerful, and was a space to be softer, away from the stresses of work and dysfunctional relationships. It helped me through a divorce, deaths of close friends and family, and a feeling of ‘who am I and why am I actually here?’” Time spent in the yoga studio steadily increased and in 2007 Susie undertook a yoga teacher-training course in London.

Over the course of 18 months this enabled her to break away from some of her destructive patterns, to build new friendships with inspiring people and to cultivate the strength to begin to explore what it is she was really looking for. When Susie was introduced to Larah she felt an instant connection to her passion and vision. Soon she became a partner in Ibiza Retreats, and building and evolving their shared baby has been a healing journey. “Connecting to so many wonderful people and their awe-inspiring journeys has given me the strength and courage to be authentic, to be present, and to explore beyond what is told and trained and conditioned. It has enabled the bondage of the past to be released – the guilt and the fear – and for me to use all that has been learned and shared with the brave women who come to begin or further their own journeys.”

Whether working one to one in yoga or co-creating and hosting a retreat, Susie’s passion for what she does shines through. She is fully present for you and your journey – without any judgment for the story – and helps you connect back to yourself – to what is real and authentic and to recover what has been lost along the way. “Ibiza became my place to grow, throw off the mask I had been wearing and align with my true self. Authenticity and honesty are some of the greatest freedoms – and helping people to tap into that has been a humbling journey.”

The kids are alright

You see… I’ve got to admit – I’ve never really been the biggest fan of children. Don’t have any myself, don’t ever plan to, try and steer clear of them as a general rule. Too noisy, too smelly, too… well, kiddish. But recently when two very good friends of mine were able to swing a last minute trip to Ibiza – en route home from a business trip elsewhere in Europe – I immediately offered to host them in my humble two-bedroom abode. But it wasn’t just Mr and Mrs C who were coming to visit – they were also bringing along the two little additions to their family who I’d never met in the years we’d been apart. I gulped nervously as I sent a text message that read: You’re all more than welcome to stay with me.

Everyone I knew thought I had gone totally mad. An entire week with two children under the age of five, living in my home along with their parents – keeping in mind I also work from home. But that’s just the kind of thing you do for your besties. You put your kiddie prejudice aside and start child proofing your casa like a crazy person. After all, if they’re the offspring of two amazing people I love, they surely couldn’t be all that bad… right? Never ever have I scrubbed my tiles so hard. Never ever have I cleaned the insides of my cupboards and drawers with such fervour. Never ever have I had to hide away my breakable prized possessions. Never ever have I hired baby capsules and car seats and tried (in vain) to fit them in the back of my car. Never ever have I called friends with kids to find out what kind of toys I should supply Little Mr M with to make him like me. Never ever have I spent so much money grocery shopping, trying to pre-empt what kind of food would make little people happy, despite the fact Little Miss L was still bottle feeding. Yes, I may have gone overboard, but never ever, EVER before have I considered myself a family friendly Miss W!

But dammit I was going to make those kids love me if it was the last thing I ever did. In the end I was completely blessed in the little person department, as it turned out Mr and Mrs C have two totally adorable and well behaved little muffins who I (gulp again) fell in love with the instant they batted their little lashes, lisped a little in a munchkin voice and goo gooed a dribbly smile at me. And, as it turned out (if I do say so myself!), I am quite good with kids. This could be due to the fact I am pretty much on their level, and my DVD collection consists of Disney movies and teen flicks and my bedroom is chock-full of plush toys. Once we’d all settled in – mum, dad and bubba in my bedroom, Little Mr M in a fun makeshift camp in my living room and me relocating upstairs to sleep in my office – to our new dwellings, it was time to make a plan. I’ve never been one to make a plan, generally steering away from most commitments (even lunch and dinner dates or RSVPing to events), preferring to make decisions and plans spontaneously. But as it turns out (obvs all the parents reading this know this already, but it was a shock to me), when you’ve got kids, you’ve also got to have plans. Bottles have to be sterilised, bags have to be packed, toys need to be gathered up and – here’s the tricky part – babysitters need to be booked. To find a reliable, trustworthy, qualified babysitter on the island isn’t as easy as downloading an app and pressing a button like you do in the city. Babysitters here are in hot demand, and so you’ve got to book them well in advance to ensure you can get them to watch over your little ones on your chosen nights (or days) out. Cue Kids in Ibiza, who I knew we could trust and were able to supply us with super lovely English speaking nannies on a couple of different occasions so we could enjoy some grown-up catch-up time minus the mini-mes.

But while we were supposed to be enjoying said grown-up time, I started to find myself worrying. Were Little Mr M and Little Miss L OK with the babysitter? Should we call home to check? Should I not have another glass of wine in case I might need to drive somewhere in an emergency? Should we leave early in case there’s traffic and we don’t get home by the time the babysitter has to leave? Relax… my friends assured me. Kids are fine. Kids adapt. Babysitters know how to handle them. But I was new to this kiddie game and I was nervous… and of course, they were right, as when we arrived home, both kids were fast asleep and safe as houses! As for the five other days without childcare, it was all about finding family friendly places to go. Now this is where my experience in researching and writing about Ibiza came in handy. El Chiringuito, BEACHOUSE Ibiza and Pikes at Ibiza Rocks House all came in handy with their cool little kids’ corners to keep the niño entertained with bracelet making, face painting and games (all of which I wanted to have a go at myself), and every single restaurant we went to went above and beyond the call of duty to make the kids comfy when they got tired, finding extra cushions and pushing chairs together to create mini-beds. They obviously do this all the time, but since I usually try to block children from my vision, I just wasn’t aware of it!

On the beaches, I learned that the language barrier between Spanish speaking kids and English speaking kids is no barrier at all when it comes to playing. Whether it was at Talamanca or Cala Bonita by day, Cala Conta or Experimental Beach Ibiza for sunset, or dining in the quaint village squares by night, Little Mr M had no problem making little friends his own size – it seems the language of fun is international. Kids can even get involved in Ibiza’s nightlife (to a safe extent). The island’s hippest new party WooMoon had a kids’ club and my BFF Paris Hilton hosted a special kids’ edition of her Foam & Diamonds party – who knew you could go dancing and bring the little ones too? And for those on more of a wellness tip, there’s also kids’ yoga and dance classes, acrobatic workshops with the Cirque du Soleil crew and special creativity workshops at hip new gallery space La Nave in Salinas. All if this existed under my nose and yet I’d never had a little person to use as an excuse to go along.

I saw so much of my wonderful friends in these two little teensy tiny people, and for the very first time ever since leaving my homeland over ten years ago, I felt a pang of sadness about the distance between us, knowing I wouldn’t be there for their future birthdays or soccer games or ballet recitals. I had only just met these little people and I already loved them so much – I wasn’t ready for them to leave. What if they forget me? Of course, I bought them presents (which in true four-year old style were broken in five minutes and in true five-month old style, dumped on the floor unceremoniously) and gave them cuddles and watched cartoons on the iPad in bed with them in the hope they’d always remember that special Ibiza holiday at auntie Miss W’s house… but I also knew it couldn’t last forever. I drove like a grandma to the airport – partially because I was always driving slowly for safety when the kids were in the back and partially because I was trying to make them miss their flight – and when we got to the check in desk, I started to cry like a baby. More than their baby! Not only would I miss my friends more than I ever had before, I would miss their little offspring too. Dare I say… it was one of the best weeks I have ever had in my Ibiza life! With one last lispy munchkin voiced goodbye and a final dribbly smile, they were off on the next leg of their adventure… and I was off to reclaim my bedroom, unpack the sharp objects and breakables, pluck the tiny lego particles out of my sofa and let all my friends who are parents know there’s a new ‘family friendly’ version of me! [Editor’s note: Before anyone thinks Miss W sounds like she is getting clucky – fear not. She was seen fleeing the scene of a dirty nappy on multiple occasions and was more than happy to pass her newly beloved smalls friends back to mama or papa the minute they started crying. Order has now been restored in the universe.]

Rules for a good August in Ibiza

Over the years, I have had my share of good Augusts and bad Augusts, but this year, I have had the very BEST August ever and it’s not even over yet! Which got me to thinking. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone could have an AWE-gust instead of an ARRGHH-ust? Wouldn’t life be pleasant if there were no social media posts complaining about the traffic, the queues, the heat or the influx of people on our little island. Wouldn’t the island just be a better place if we all stopped focusing on the parts of August that we don’t like and started celebrating those parts that we do? I’m as guilty as anyone of complaining about August in the past… it just occurred to me this year, that the month just goes so much faster when you try and actually enjoy it, rather than dreading getting out of bed every day! So I took the liberty of making a list – which obviously applies more to islanders than visitors, since if you’re here on holiday you’ll be doing your darnedest to have a good time anyway – that can help anyone make the most of the month.

1. If you don’t like the heat, stay out of the kitchen/beach/sun. Seriously. Heat (and its resulting sweatiness and stickiness) can really make a person cranky so if this sounds like you, just use the month of August to catch up on your box set binge watching rather than forced sunbathing. Read a book with a fan aimed at you rather than traipsing the streets shopping. And if the thought of slaving over a hot stove is your idea of torture… go out for dinner or order takeout! There’s nothing wrong with going into a little August hibernation when you need it… sometimes it’s the perfect balance for all the extra work that comes along at this time of the season. 2. Allow extra time for everything. It’s just a matter of August life that there is more traffic, less parking, more queues and not enough taxis no matter where you go, so be sure to allow an extra 10 or 15 minutes onto your journey and you’ll never be late. I recently heard that Salvador Dali loved to be forced into waiting, as waiting is basically totally free time you can enjoy that is not your fault. Use those 10 minutes while you’re looking for parking to phone home (hands-free of course), catch up on your emails while you’re in the queue at the post office and heaven forbid there’s no internet where you are… use the time to meditate, or just ponder your own thoughts in peace. 3. Drive safely and awarely. As above, it’s a fact there are more cars on the road in August than any other month. There are more people behind the wheel of hire cars, perhaps driving on the other side of the road for the first time, there are more people who don’t know Ibiza’s roads using GPS (rather than the old school methods of ‘turn right at the blue rock’) and there are more scooters wobbling with inexperienced drivers than ever before. Of course, there are also (as always) more frustrated people in a rush to get to their destination as quickly as possible (unless you’re in labour, see point 2). As seasoned Ibiza drivers, we need to be aware that not everyone is on their game on the roads. Forget the road rage – why not let someone in front of you who is trying to merge into a lane? Drive a little slower (and by that I mean the speed limit) so as not to intimidate the cars around you? If you drive considerately, you’ll get to your destination in the same amount of time and with much less stress. Of course it goes without saying – please don’t drink and drive, or text and drive either. Our newspapers have been full of sad news of accidents this summer, so any defensive driving we can do to avoid this is essential.

4. Dress appropriately for the heat. By this, I do not mean strut the streets of Ibiza town in a bikini while you’re shopping for shoes! I mean, wear light, organic fabrics that keep your body protected from the heat. Surprisingly, maxi-dresses – provided they’re made of quality fabrics and not cheap polyester – are surprisingly cool, as they’ll stop your legs sticking to chair seats in cafes and protect your skin from the searing summer sun. Wear a hat and you’ll find you no longer have those beads of sweat dripping from your temples and ruining your make-up. And in a club, loose fitting dresses can be equally as flattering as skin tight shiny lycra ones… and much more comfortable and easy to breathe in! 5. Invite friends to visit and experience August like a tourist. Ibiza in August is mind blowing if you’ve never been here before, so why not embrace it with a holiday mentality? This year I had some very good friends come to stay with me, and while I thought I would find it difficult to balance work life and social life, every single minute was an absolute pleasure. What I realised was, going out in August doesn’t have to be a huge commitment. Because the thing is… you don’t have to spend the ENTIRE day at a beach club. Just a couple of hours in the cooler later afternoon is enough to give you a taster. You don’t need to go clubbing until 6.30am every night – but it is fun to dip your toe in for just a couple of hours. You don’t need to drink yourself into a stupor… but a couple of delicious cocktails certainly do make the hour a lot happier. What makes you happy is taking part in the overall Ibiza experience. 6. Make the most of the sales. August is the month when the shops and boutiques in Ibiza drop to their lowest prices ever. Whatever you need to put a little pep in your step this month – be it new sheets, a sparkly top or a new nail polish, you’ll find it for a bargain, and I double dare anyone to feel sad when they get a bargain! 7. Try something new. Be it a new restaurant, a new bar or a new party, by August, we will have all heard about the new ‘it’ places of the summer and have a pretty good idea of which ones will be worth the wait. After all, the rest of the island has spent all season doing the trial and error parts for us! For me, it was WooMoon (you can read more about that here) and the beauty of trying something new for the first time in August is that you can’t compare it to the good old days or back in May when there was less people. This is your first impression and it is what it is.

8. Always call ahead and make reservations. In the past, it may have been possible to ‘pop in’ somewhere and know you’d be able to still score a beach bed or table on the terrace, but those days of holding tables for walk-ins are over. You see the empty beach bed photos on White Ibiza? We send our photographer at around 8am to get such crisp, clean shots… any later than that and they’re covered in bodies! Not only are restaurants and beach clubs booked out well in advance, they now even have cancellation waiting lists. You want to charter a yacht tomorrow morning? Good luck with that (unless you have a personal concierge in the know of course). If you want to guarantee no disappointments – call ahead or visit their websites and book. I learned this the hard way – but now at least I can share my findings and know better for the rest of the month so it wasn’t all for nothing! 9. Be organised. Don’t leave anything until the last minute. Now… this is another thing I learnt from experience. I am a very proficient procrastinator. But unfortunately, if you leave things until the last minute in August… you just may end up wasting a whole lot more time. For example… leave your ITV appointment until the last minute and your mechanic won’t have time to fix the car in time for its second inspection. Leave your house a mess and try to book a cleaner the day before your friends arrive and you’ll discover all cleaners are fully booked. Same goes for babysitters and pet sitters. If you leave a deadline ‘til the last minute, you can guarantee something else even more urgent will crop up right before it’s due and you’ll miss your deadline, then you’ll have to stay home and miss a party to make the deadline: cue typical August complaining. Just get ahead at the beginning of the month so no hidden surprises can bite you later in the month. 10. Be nice to people. Whether they queue jump, step on your toes at DC10, sneak into a parking space you were waiting for, cut in on you in traffic or send you a snappy email… just smile and be nice. It’s so much easier than getting mad, stewing on the incident, going home and writing something nasty on your Facebook page – it takes so much more energy to be negative than to be positive, and if there’s any month we need to conserve our energy, it’s August! And please, please, please… always say please and thank you! Or por favour and gracias if you’re speaking to someone Spanish. Those little details can go a long way… and who knows, you might even end up making a new friend! [Special extra rule] 11. Print and file for August 2017!

Meet the chefs – Babylon Beach

Babylon Beach chef duo Simone D’Elia and Filippo Alberi both hail from the magnetic city of Florence, Italy in the beautiful hills of Tuscany. The two have known each other since early childhood days, and it was here they fell in love with the culinary world and decided to chase their dreams in the kitchen. From kids to burgeoning chefs working their way through the London trenches (aka kitchens) to making the leap to continue their career in Ibiza, they’re no strangers to hard work. Today Simone and Filippo create magic in the kitchen of beautiful Ibiza beach restaurant Babylon Beach on the outskirts of Santa Eulalia. Rest assured when dining at the east coast destination, you’re in good hands. Diners experience first-hand the Babylon Beach ethos of heart, soul and passion injected into each dish coming out of the kitchen. Simone and Filippo don’t make good food and exceptional produce complicated – what they do is make simple food pretty darn close to perfect.

Tell us about your working relationship? Filippo: We have known each other since we were children; we grew up in the same neighbourhood, went to the same school and our families are good friends. We left Italy together and went to London for five years and even there we worked together in the same restaurant. Simone: We split up for a while to gain experience in different restaurants, but it wasn’t the same. We grew up together and we started this career together. We went through the stresses of becoming a chef together and now we are here creating food together in Ibiza. It’s just something that works. What is your connection to Ibiza? Filippo: We were working with a good friend who is Ibicencan, and she suggested we check out Ibiza, that there could be a future here for us. Simone: We came here for Filippo’s birthday and instantly fell in love with the island, saw the possibilities and here we are. We moved straight away and we’ve been at Babylon Beach ever since.

What is your first memory of food? Filippo: I remember when I was a small child, all I wanted to be when I grew up was a pastry chef – my parents recently reminded me that’s all I ever talked about. Simone: My family is the stereotypical Italian family. Food was everywhere and I basically came out of the womb cooking. My mother is a chef, my sister is a chef and my two brothers are chefs! I actually tried to choose a different career, but in the end, the kitchen is where I am happy and feel most comfortable. How different is Ibiza life from London life? Filippo: In London, you work very, very hard – and it is a good thing because you learn a lot! But it’s a tough job, double the hours and no quality of life. I remember when we were first starting out we would meet and have a cocktail every night and talk about our mistakes, our fears and what was happening. Simone: It’s very different; we worked by seconds. If you needed a plate in three minutes and it was ready thirty seconds later it would be a mess in the kitchen. The stress and attitudes were very different. Training was hard, our leading chefs were hard on us, but now we look back on those years as a funny period of time. I have memories of meeting Filippo for a cocktail, and our hands and arms would be burned and cut from our shift. We would share our experiences of being shouted at, by forgetting this or that, and the stresses. But we got through it and learned. Now we are in Ibiza living the dream, but it’s been hard work.

Talk us through the culinary concept of Babylon Beach? Filippo: The concept is that it’s not a formal restaurant and our food is not complicated. What we really are is an amazing chiringuito. Laidback and on the beach, but we base absolutely everything around quality. When we create a dish, we study a recipe to try and make it the best that it can be. Afterwards, we test it with the owner, then close friends and customers before finally putting it on the menu. Every dish you taste here has a very detailed story behind it. Simone: The concept is this: create something simple, play with its simplicity, but make it amazing. Our burger could look like a normal burger, but the meat is well-marbled rib eye, the bread is fresh brioche baked in our on-site bakery and the vegetables are picked from our organic farm. We want to create simple dishes that people love and provide a taste sensation for whoever is eating it. Sometimes food is overcomplicated and its perfect simplicity is lost you know? We want to reach a very proficient level of execution with our own contemporary twist and indeed some of our own traditional dishes, or at least come as close as possible. Why is it so important to use produce from your certified organic farm? Filippo: You see and taste an incredible difference – our tagliatelle with tomato sauce in which the sauce is made with seven different types of farm tomatoes and all different colours – I mean, wow, the flavour is intense, rich and beautiful! Simone: In many restaurants, even as a chef you never really know what you’re getting or where it’s from. We live and work in paradise and Ibiza has so much to offer regarding meat and produce. Working so closely with the farmers and suppliers makes a difference. We respect the animals, the land and the process and hope it is experienced through the eating of our food. Filippo: Sometimes people think organic needs to be complicated. It’s not. You plant a seed and watch it grow. Sometimes, what you’re growing will look different; maybe because it’s not genetically modified. But it’s so delicious, free of chemicals and full of nutrients.

How do you describe your style in the kitchen? Filippo: Our secret is that we’ve worked together for ten years. Simone is an amazing butcher and controls the business side of things. My skills lay in creativity, attention to detail and presentation. We complement each other perfectly. It’s like we do a dance in the kitchen. Simone: We actually fight like husband and wife! Sometimes we clash – but for me, this is the perfect working relationship because in the end, we have our way. It’s important to work with people that have the same philosophy as you; complementary but also people who challenge you and your ideas. What is your signature dish? Filippo: The fillet of beef on the menu. We use an inka oven to cook it, sealing the juices in and grilling it to perfection. The acid from the apple cider on the pickled vegetables cuts through the creamy foam of burrata, and it’s a delicious flavourful sensation. Simone: Swordfish with mango, papaya, ginger and courgette. An Australian inspired dish!

What is your favourite food to eat? Filippo: French and Italian. If I were to die tomorrow, I would want a French baguette with Pata Negra and a French éclair. Simone: Arancini, I’ve eaten all my life. If I die tomorrow, that’s what I want to eat tonight. What are your favourite places to eat in Ibiza? Filippo: La Paloma for lunch. I love the chilled atmosphere and the garden environment. The food is not over exaggerated or fussy, much like here in Babylon, but they do good food that’s well done and the passion shows. Simone: Amante Ibiza is a great location with great food. What do you love most about working and living in Ibiza? Filippo: Working and looking at the sea. When you open a door in London, there is another door. Here I open my door to the sea. When I get to work at 8am, I come here for ten minutes to look at the sea and all is okay. Simone: One kilometre from here is gorgeous countryside. If you want to chill, there are incredible beaches. If you want to party, there are exciting clubs. You can have everything you want and the quality of life is much better. People in Ibiza are nice, the sea is in front of you and life is simple and slower – just how life should be.

Visit the White Ibiza beach restaurants guide to read more about Babylon Beach
The wonderful world of WooMoon

In case you’ve been living under a rock the size of Es Vedra, in summer 2016 there’s a new ‘it’ party in town. Well, technically it’s not in town – it’s in the hills of San Jose – and it’s not a party in the sense of an Ibiza superclub style rave. But it’s the party that’s got the entire island talking due to its weirdness, its wildness, its absolute wonderment and its wow factor. Dearest readers, I’m talking about the wonderful world of WooMoon. WooMoon is a new party concept presented by Storytellers Ibiza – who I’m going to admit I’ve never heard any stories about prior to this event – in the weirdly wonderful surrounds of the Amnesia-owned Cova Santa restaurant. The venue itself lends itself to amazing open-air parties, as many a clubber has learned at after parties over the years, but let’s get one thing clear. WooMoon is no after party. WooMoon is a conceptual event, starting from 6pm and continuing through until 6am, celebrating what they call ‘nomadic sounds and artists’, art, nature, food, drink, nourishing, nurturing, performances…

But let’s hold up a minute. You can read all of that info in the press release or on the website. I want to share part of my real life WooMoon experience. I had some of my very best friends visiting from a faraway land – let’s call them Mr and Mrs C – who’d been to Ibiza before and wanted to try something a little more underground, a little more authentic, and a little less crowded than other open-air clubs on the island. They wanted to experience ‘the real Ibiza’. I’d never been to WooMoon but the one thing I had been hearing from people (I trust!) all summer is ‘you’ve got to go to WooMoon, WooMoon is amazing, WooMoon is like nothing else on the island, WooMoon is the new Acid Sundays, WooMoon is Ibiza’s mini Burning Man’ and so I decided that particular Wednesday would become Woomoonday for our little gang. Especially since another friend (let’s call him Mr L) had assured me if there was one DJ performance you did not want to miss this season, it was DJ N U at WooMoon. So we got our feathers on (if you’d watched videos of the party before, you just knew feathers were part of the dress code – think slightly understated Burners and you’ll get the picture) and grabbed a cab to Cova Santa. First of all, I was shocked by the sheer flocks of feathered people and endless stream of cars on the winding back road that is normally such a peaceful and quiet drive. The traffic was backed up so we decided to follow everyone else’s lead, jump out of our cab and walk the rest of the way, eager to get inside and see what the fuss was all about.

Arriving at WooMoon feels a little like Dorothy must have felt as she stepped out of her Kansas house into the technicolour land of Oz. One minute, you’re in the peaceful, lush green San Jose hills, and the next, you’re confronted with trippy trance music, hula hoopers, a rainbow made entirely of balloons and enormous dream catchers with scantily clad girls climbing into them like glamorous spiders in mystical webs… and that was just the kids’ club! Yes, seriously – WooMoon is for all ages, and you’ll see little ones inside dancing amongst people of all ages, but there’s also a crèche outside for the mamas and papas who want to get their groove on minus the mini-mes for a few hours. Like any undeground Ibiza party, actually getting in wasn’t the easiest of processes (don’t they know who I am? Errr… as an anonymous blogger, NO!), with multiple confusing queues and a few hundred people insisting on NOT forming orderly queues – clearly this was not a British crowd! Ultimately, we made it past the dream catchers and into the venue, and it was like stepping into a new-bohemian festival. Market stalls, organic cuisine, smoothies, Mezcal concoctions, healing areas and therapies, body painting, adornment… you name it, it was there. Quirky illustrated maps outlined the different areas of the venue, and (once we’d identified where the bar was of course) we made a beeline for the Dance Temple because DJ N U was already doing his hypnotic, rhythmic thing, the sun was starting to set and we wanted to find a good vantage point. Climbing to the highest point of Cova Santa, we discovered a daybed within a pergola. “Well, that’s obviously for VIPs,” I declared, being a veteran of Ibiza clubbing and general know-it-all. No – we were welcomed in with open arms by a group of French strangers… this magical daybed almost in the sky was free to one and all.

As the sun went down, the forest surrounding us was lit up with soft pink lights, and the stars started to twinkle over the hills, creating a real-life fairytale effect. More and more people flooded in – the Burning Man fashion inspiration starting to become more and more apparent after dark – and though I barely heard a word spoken in English all night, there was a feeling of unity, of warmth, of oneness. Smiles were LITERALLY on every face (plus the obligatory face paint, glitter and bindis) and it felt like everyone were old friends. It sounds cliché or contrived, but I swear to you there was a collective energy. They call it the WooMoon tribe, and unless you’ve experienced it… well, let me just say this. Go. Just go. Go to WooMoon soon. Experience it for yourself. As I write this… I kind of want to tell you NOT to go. I want to keep WooMoon to myself. I don’t want it to get overexposed. Of course, I wish them every success in the world but… I want it to keep its magic. But seriously… go. Performance art was a major part of the night, with the most incredible costumes and artists ranging from space-age mystical Maleficents made of reflective silver floating through the crowd with maids in waiting performing birthing rituals with crystal balls (or something equally as ritualistic and kind of difficult to decipher) to Cirque de Soleil style acrobatics high above the dance floor. I am still blown away by one in particular, a man in a loincloth spinning up and down and around at the speed of light suspended by nothing but a hook and a rope connected to his man bun! If there were smoke and mirrors behind that trick, I couldn’t spot them…

Behind the beautiful DJ booth, decked in gorgeous golden mandalas, were the who’s who of Burning Man: Behrouz hugging N U, Audiofly hanging with Bedouin, and all of their neo-bohemian pals along for the ride. I understand the obvious Burning Man association – a collective, a celebration of life, self-expression, communal art and nourishing the soul… but this is Ibiza. The Playa it is not. WooMoon is its own movement, here on the island, and a very welcome change (in my humble opinion) to the way the island has been changing over the past few years. Don’t get me wrong – there are still roped off sections with VIP tables at Cova Santa, but to be honest, they were mostly empty as everyone came together on the dancefloor, on the stairs or down in the subterranean cave club. For me, the most powerful part of my WooMoon experience was the music. It’s the kind of music that permeates your dreams; the kind of music you weren’t quite sure existed but had been searching for your whole life; it was pure magic. A natural state of euphoria, hands-in-the-air dreamily swaying like a Bedouin belly dancer beneath the stars and the moonlit Ibiza sky, listening to a tiny little man with a feather on his head who could have easily played a quirky part in a Disney movie, yet couldn’t be less commercial in reality, create his musical masterpiece. Since I got home from WooMoon, I have had their Soundcloud account on repeat – music really does conjure up memories and these are ones I want to cherish forever. WooMoon’s tagline is ‘The magic exists’ and I have to say I couldn’t agree more… Now I really believe in magic, even more than I ever did before!

A passionate, pure and professional philosophy

In the early days, it was a fiercely guarded locals’ secret, but as with anywhere serving up high quality home style cooking in a gorgeous surrounding, word started to spread and its reputation grew. And why wouldn’t it? A gorgeous contemporary interior, fusing modern Ibicenco style with Indonesian chic and natural materials; a breezy, sun-drenched garden dining space, where sunflowers shoot up towards the sky and bamboo rustles in the wind; views across the campo and a laidback atmosphere that makes anyone feel at home.

But the secret of The Giri Café’s success goes way beyond aesthetics. Danish restaurateur Rosa Pil Hidebrandt is behind The Giri Café, possessing a passionate, pure and professional philosophy when it comes to food and the overall dining experience. “I believe great food should be enjoyed without pretentiousness,” says Rosa. “This is truly the spirit of Mediterranean cooking, where we have our roots.” First things first with food. Focusing on sustainability and locally sourced produce is The Giri Café’s number one priority. The fresher and closer to HQ, the better, with a carefully tended vegetable garden taking pride of place in the terrace area, with ingredients plucked just hours (if not minutes) before they make it to your plate. If it’s not grown directly onsite, it’s come through a carefully developed relationship with local farmers or producers in mainland Spain, all engaged in organic, ethical and responsible farming methods.

Once the ingredients hit the kitchen, the magic really starts to happen. “The best ingredients allow recipes to be simple and straightforward, bursting with nutrients and life,” says Rosa of their food philosophy. Seasonal dishes are carefully designed to be feelgood and healthy, unpretentious and pure. The Giri Café menu is a delight to the senses. “We want to eat good food with honest tastes that our great grandmothers would recognise,” says Rosa. In addition to the natural goodness packed onto each plate, every dish is a feast for the eyes in addition to the stomach. “We aim for a rustic yet polished presentation,” says Rosa, as colours collide and bright vegetables decorate beautiful plates. Forget nouveaux or molecular cuisine – here, the chef simply works with what he has on his doorstep in terms of decoration. No fancy gimmicks; just a sprinkling of edible flowers, fresh herb, truffles, roasted nuts and more.

Once the dish arrives to your table, this is where the true Giri dining experience comes into play. It’s all about biting into different textures, breathing in the delicious aromas, tasting the honest-to-goodness, great home made food. “Our food is about fragrance, crunchiness and letting natural flavours combine,” explains Rosa. “Different textures have to work together, either unifying or juxtaposing their differences, but always with an aim to bring pleasure to the palate.” Flavours are enhanced rather than masked, leaving each natural ingredient to shine in its crunchiness or its special flavour. Food from the heart – each new mouthful is truly a delight. The icing on the Giri cake is the exceptional standard of service. Each and every team member pours pure passion into whatever they do, from beautifully setting the tables in the mornings to the warm welcome each customer receives as they step over the threshold – The Giri team are definitely not restaurant robots on autopilot! “All staff members have their own personality, smile and sparkle,” Rosa says.

The Giri Café occupies an almost sacred space in San Juan – once a free-for-all hangout for the bohemians and hippies of the 60s and 70s – and it was important to the owners that its new incarnation to keep this warm and welcoming vibe. “We look at everyone who walks through our doors as either already a friend, or one soon to be,” says Rosa. “By embracing that idea, we know every guest will have exceptional service, outstanding food and hopefully will know that whenever they walk into our restaurant, that they are coming home.”

Visit the White Ibiza restaurants guide to read more about The Giri Cafe