Mauro Colagreco
Mediterranean ingredients, barbecued meat and fish, and a hidden Ibizan paradise at picturesque Cala Molí. That’s what you’ll find at El Silencio Ibiza, the smart beach club by Argentinian chef Mauro Colagreco. With three Michelin stars and the former title of “Best Restaurant in the World” (Mirazur, France, 2019), Colagreco is introducing a new menu that is designed for sharing and for revelling in the joy of life in true Ibizan style. Because he believes sharing means having fun – and isn’t that exactly why people come to Ibiza?
What’s Mauro Colagreco like inside and outside the kitchen?
Inside the kitchen I’m extremely demanding, strict with both myself and my teams. I went through a really tough training in France, in the old style. So, I like order, I like things to do be done well and I don’t like wasting time. But I’m also very human. The fact that I moved so far away from my own country to a place where cooking is really challenging, like France, gave me a more human perspective. It’s meant I understand what’s going through the heads of kids who are starting out in this world, full of hope, when sometimes it’s hard for them. I think I’ve found a balance between both: the demands of running a top gourmet restaurant and that more human approach. Outside the kitchen, I’d say I like to enjoy life. I’m lucky to be able to travel, surround myself with people from around the world, discover unique places... I've been really lucky in life and have made the most of it. Ibiza is part of that luck. For me, Ibiza means making the most of life and saying, why not cook in a beautiful spot like this one? Perhaps it’d be easier to stay in my comfort zone, keep things simple. But I think life is for the taking and for enjoying to the full.
I’ve been really lucky in life and have made the most of it
What will we find this year at El Silencio?
This season, we’ll have more barbecuing than last year. We’ve also got the clay oven, which is used in traditional Argentinian slow cooking. What’s great about the oven is how it can be used in different ways, from slow cooking to smoking. We’ve also got lots of raw dishes and more sharing options. Because, after last year, we realised that Ibiza means sharing. It’s somewhere to come with family, friends... Our customers are usually big tables with everyone sharing everything. Sharing means enjoying.
Ceviche
What’s the food like at El Silencio?
This year we’ve adapted the food to this sharing concept but it’s always Mediterranean food, which is my thing. Because even though we’re a bit further south (than in France) it’s still the same sea, so that’s why I can still cook with the same products. My cooking has that holiday, summer vibe, of food cooked over a wood fire, sharing with friends, Argentinian barbecues...
How would you define yourself in one word?
Passionate. I think what characterises me personally and professionally is that I always do things with great passion. Sometimes passion burns, but it also lets you overcome all kinds of fears and barriers.
What characterises me is that I always do things with lots of passion
In 2019, you were awarded your third Michelin star and the title of Best Restaurant in the World (The World’s 50 Best Restaurants). Did it change your life?
It changed my life for a short period of time. There was a spell of about a year, or just over, when my life changed several times. I got the third star, the Best Restaurant in the World title, and also covid arrived... It was a rollercoaster of emotions, feelings, fears, worries... And it made me look back at what we’ve all been through in the past few years. It was a time of questioning ourselves, wondering about thousands of things. From being on top of the world to not knowing if we’ll still be alive tomorrow or not. Those kinds of fears...
Ribs
How many restaurants do you manage at the moment?
We’ve got six meat restaurants in Argentina. We’ve got Mirazur, and then Mitron Bakery, a bakery where we buy wheat and grind our own flour in the traditional way, with no modifications. That’s a wonderful project. We’ve got two boutiques, a grill-house that we opened in October 2020 – we had to close it for eight months that very same month because of the pandemic – but, fortunately, it’s going really well now... We collaborate on different things around the world and will be working on a project in London in the near future.
Where is your career headed after everything you’ve experienced in the past few years?
A chef’s style is reflected in their life. I’m at a mature age, having flown as high as you can hope to fly in this world. In the end, it’s all about finding a balance. During all those years that I lived with so much passion, I was also trying to find a balance between family, business and myself. Now, for example, I schedule lots of my business trips during my children’s holidays and I think that’s what it’s all about: finding that balance that makes you feel good. Covid taught us that you’re here today and gone tomorrow. And there’s no point running around in circles like a hamster on a wheel.
