Óscar Molina
There comes a turning point in every great chef’s career when technique takes a back seat and emotion takes centre stage. At La Gaia, that moment is now. Thanks to the new and refined version of their Horitzó tasting menu, the restaurant at the Ibiza Gran Hotel has taken a leap of faith to serve the island in its purest form. The goal? To make sure diners take home a piece of Ibiza’s heritage etched on their palates.
After more than a decade in the business, which began by exploring the bustling atmosphere of izakayas, Peruvian bars and the exotic world of Nikkei cuisine, La Gaia has come full circle to become at one with its surroundings. Its food is an intimate dialogue with the island. ‘Now, more than ever, we are talking about Ibiza, its culture, its origins and its traditions’, says the chef himself. This is not just an aesthetic change, but the consolidation of a narrative that draws proudly from the red earth and the sea surrounding the Ibiza Gran Hotel.
The most radical expression of this maturity is called Horitzó. Óscar Molina has taken the menu and stripped it down to the bone, transforming it into a dreamlike canvas through which the whole team’s creativity flows freely. Whilst the parallel Illa tasting menu serves as a reassuring anchor for those seeking the comfort and security of local tradition, Horitzó has been designed down to the smallest detail for diners yearning for radical experimentation.
Now, more than ever, we are talking about Ibiza, its culture, its origins and its traditions
This whole operation, however, doesn’t run on thin air. The chef openly eschews the ‘farm-to-table’ label because it feels like an act. ‘I don’t believe in that’, he insists, ‘I believe in the community, I believe in the circular economy, in actions that have real, albeit local, consequences’. At the heart of this work philosophy is La Gaia’s well established research and development department. There, working side by side with biologists, institutions and local producers, the team explores the island’s pantry to bring out its hidden value. The goal, in the words of Molina, is ‘to change the way we see Ibiza as solely a place of leisure and entertainment, and provide knowledge that goes far beyond that’.
All this creative boldness is underpinned by a team that is performing at its very best. Molina and his team have decided to push forward towards what the chef himself describes as ‘a year of many transformations, of rebirth’. This spirit of nonconformity has spread to every department at the Ibiza Gran Hotel, all of which are rallying around a shared philosophy of excellence. ‘What stands out to me is the team’s commitment’, admits Molina, clearly proud of his staff.
That human strength is what inspires La Gaia today. Because at the end of each service, the true measure of success is not determined by Michelin stars or Repsol suns but by local customers. Molina’s greatest triumph is getting locals to overcome their hesitation about stepping through the doors of a luxury hotel and, moreover, turning them into loyal repeat customers. ‘People are proud of what we’ve done at La Gaia; they feel represented’, the chef admits. When an Ibizan diner takes a seat and tastes the now-iconic tribute to Santa Inés (a dessert made solely from carob, almonds and mint), they experience an emotional jolt. Taste memories are triggered, and their response is unanimous: ‘This is my home’. And that’s what it’s all about: cooking that touches the soul.
