Óscar Molina
When you visit La Gaia, in the heart of the iconic Ibiza Gran Hotel, you aren’t just entering a restaurant. You are joining a universe where every detail, from the atmosphere to how dishes are presented, has been carefully designed to take your senses and emotions on a journey that explores the island’s endless contrasts. La Gaia is a place where art meets food, and the experience goes far beyond the dishes: it is a glorious celebration of Ibiza, its culture, and its local products, all expressed through the honest and creative cooking of chef Óscar Molina.
Now gleaming with two Repsol suns and a Michelin star, La Gaia is world-famous for both its excellent food and its innovative and sustainable approach. Molina, a celebrated figure on the Spanish food scene, has captured the true essence of the island in every dish, using the freshest and most sustainable ingredients, harvested from the same environment that inspires and nourishes his cooking.
La Gaia, the flagship restaurant at Ibiza Gran Hotel, which stands on the “golden mile” in Ibiza Town, is the first hotel restaurant on the island to have been awarded a Michelin star. It invites local residents and visitors to the island to rediscover Ibiza through the flavours, textures, and aromas it creates in its kitchen, where each dish tells a story and every mouthful reminds you of the island’s rich biodiversity and culinary heritage.
Commitment to sustainability and local produce
At La Gaia, sustainability is more than just a trendy catchphrase, it is fully integrated into every aspect of the restaurants daily work. Last year, the restaurant was awarded the “Plastic Free” certificate, demonstrating its firm commitment to reducing plastic waste. What’s more, La Gaia has had a “zero mile” approach from the very beginning and has always used local, seasonal produce, making it an outstanding example of ecological practices. These initiatives help to protect Ibiza’s beautiful natural environment and also guarantee that every dish clearly expresses the local “terroir”.
Honest, signature dishes
La Gaia has a clearly defined culinary philosophy: honesty, and total respect for the ingredient. Molina and his team spend the winter months researching and developing new dishes, ensuring that each menu reveals their creativity and faithfully represents the island and its native flavours. This honesty leads to mouthwatering dishes that tell stories, describing Ibiza through every mouthful.
Year after year, La Gaia challenges culinary conventions to offer new experiences to its diners. It has two exclusive tasting menus that change with the seasons, guaranteeing a continuous gourmet adventure that adapts to nature’s rhythms and the sources of inspiration behind Molina’s creativity. The “Tanit” and “Posidonia” menus are examples of how carefully selected, simple ingredients can be transformed into exciting, complex dishes, exploring the full possibilities of flavour, texture, and presentation.
Molina has been at the head of this culinary temple since 2008 and has been instrumental in defining and raising the restaurant’s profile, alongside that of the hotel. His talent and hard work have not gone unnoticed on the world food scene. In addition to keeping the Michelin star and two Repsol suns, Molina was awarded the “Best Signature Cuisine” prize by Condé Nast, Hotel & Mantel, consolidating his reputation as one of the most innovative and respected chefs in Spain.
A space of art and design
La Gaia is more than just a restaurant, it is an all-encompassing experience where every detail, from the decoration to the way dishes are set out, has been designed to complement and elevate the dining experience as far as possible. Its design combines natural elements with modern art, creating an atmosphere that is both relaxing and stimulating, where diners are completely immersed in an incomparable culinary experience. But that’s not all: La Gaia has become a wonderful example of how food can be a positive force that helps to preserve tradition and the environment, embracing innovation and creativity with every bite.
Molina has created a food concept where haute cuisine is perfectly balanced with ecological awareness, offering visitors the chance to discover the history of Ibiza through its purest and most delectable flavours.
