Óscar Molina
Some places aren’t built with bricks, but with time. With silent passion. With an idea that keeps resurfacing, that’s refined, that becomes a conviction. La Gaia, the gourmet restaurant at Ibiza Gran Hotel, is one of them. It wasn’t born in the spotlight of ambition. It was born in a lobby bar, in a quiet, almost discreet corner. But from day one, it had something that can’t be taught or imitated: soul. Today, with a Michelin star, two Repsol Suns and a renovation that redefines it inside and out, La Gaia is entering a new era. “It’s a dream come true,” says executive chef Óscar Molina Salazar, with the calm voice of someone who’s lived every step of the way.
The space’s new identity, designed by Sandra Tarruella’s interior design studio, lets go of ornamentation and embraces the essential. Whites, natural materials, arches, warm light. An atmosphere of Mediterranean serenity that lets the concept breathe without stealing the limelight. “The inspiration isn’t so much a farmhouse as the Mediterranean itself. We wanted calm, tranquillity, a space that would support the experience,” says Molina.
But it’s not just about aesthetics. The change is structural, technical, emotional. La Gaia now has a team of 24 people, led by Molina and his right-hand man, Jonathan Yelamos. An R&D department has been set up with the latest technology: distillers, freeze dryers, vortex mixers. “We used to see those machines at conferences. Now they are part of our everyday kitchen. That lets us explore paths we couldn’t reach before.”
Those new paths are reflected in a menu divided into two conceptual journeys: “Illa”, representing the grounded, the established, the island flavours that have shaped the restaurant’s identity; and “Horitzó”, meaning “horizon”, embodying a forward-looking approach, technical experimentation and boundless creativity. “Illa is what we are, what’s already part of La Gaia. Horitzó is what’s to come. And the two are inseparable. This season we’re championing three ideas: territory, community and history. We want the dishes to speak to that.”
This season we’re championing three ideas: territory, community and history
Alongside that duality comes an à la carte experience that offers more flexibility without losing depth. “We didn’t want guests to come in, order three dishes and leave without understanding what La Gaia is about. The menu is designed so that even when they choose freely, the experience still comes through.” This year at La Gaia, everything has been rethought: from brand identity to tableware design: from supplier selection to the rhythm of the dining room. Nothing is superfluous, everything serves a shared purpose: to stir emotion, without showing off. “We’ve never held anything back. If we didn’t do something better before, it’s because we couldn’t. Now, with the resources we have, we’re going to go much further,” says the chef. One of those resources is its spectacular wine cellar, with over 1,200 labels, now one of the most exciting in the Balearic Islands.
And if La Gaia represents the most refined soul of Ibiza Gran Hotel, this year it’s joined by the perfect counterpoint: Musa, a more relaxed, vibrant space that recaptures the spirit of the hotel’s original gastronomic project. “Musa is the cheeky side. Dishes to share, bold flavours, carefully crafted cocktails. It doesn’t follow the sushi aesthetic or try to mimic trends. It’s an offering that invites you to enjoy yourself freely.” Musa doesn’t compete, it complements. La Gaia doesn’t repeat itself, it evolves. Together, they are crafting a new gastronomic narrative on the island, cementing Ibiza Gran Hotel as a complete, mature culinary destination with a strong identity.
Ibiza Gran Hotel is therefore writing a new chapter where each concept has its place, its personality, its language. And La Gaia, with its new skin, its new voice, but the same heart, proves that projects with substance take time, but when they mature, they are unstoppable. Because some places make themselves, with time, with people, with conviction. And when they finally become what they always wanted to be, there’s no need to explain them. You just sit down at the table and let yourself be carried away.
