Joey Ghazal
A love letter to two decades spent in the restaurant industry. Named “Best Restauranteur of the Year” by Caterer Magazine in 2018, Joey Ghazal (15 September 1978) is a Canadian Lebanese entrepreneur who founded The MAINE in 2014 (which opened in 2023 on the Salinas de Ibiza Road.) Throughout his extensive career, Ghazal has owned and operated restaurants in Beirut, Dubai, London, and now Ibiza too.
He admits that he’s “always dreamed of living in Ibiza and opening a restaurant on the island”, and The MAINE sees this dream come true. Food is Ghazal’s language of love. He sees eating as the way to promote the spirit of the gathering. The team at The MAINE works with local farmers and fishermen to carefully select every ingredient that enters the kitchen: vegetables that flourish in Ibiza’s red earth, the freshest seafood, and first-class meat. Meanwhile, thoughtfully selected international wines and signature cocktails are served alongside their appetizing creations. In this interview, Joey Ghazal reveals the secrets behind his first restaurant on the White Isle.
Why Ibiza?
I’ve been coming to Ibiza since 1999 and have always dreamed of living and opening a restaurant here. There’s something about the island that makes people come back, and having a MAINE here closes the circle for me personally.
How would you describe food at THE MAINE?
The MAINE Ibiza serves classic island cooking and focuses on what really matters: good food made from the freshest, carefully obtained ingredients, food that is perfectly cooked, simply presented, and is ideal for sharing with friends in the moonlight.
How did The MAINE concept develop?
The MAINE was inspired by summers I spent as a child on the east coast of the United States, in big American diners and seafood restaurants along the coast. There are several versions of The MAINE, and our restaurants in London and Dubai are really different from one another. Sometimes I like to describe The MAINE as a “love letter” to the 20 years I’ve spent in the restaurant business.
The MAINE is based on a search for the finest ingredients that are simply prepared and beautifully presented
Which ingredients best define the food at The MAINE?
The MAINE is based on a search for the finest ingredients that are simply prepared and beautifully presented. We mainly focus on first-class fillets and chops, served with the best products we can find on the island. Our grilled artichokes, tomato carpaccio, and variety of fresh seafood dishes always make people come back.
What surprises customers the most the first time they visit The MAINE?
I’d say the natural beauty of the place and the restaurant’s candle-lit atmosphere always make a big impact. But it’s the food and service that make them come back.
Design is really important at The MAINE: what is the inspiration behind it?
The MAINE Ibiza is in a 18th century white-washed parish church, next to the little church of Sant Francesc de s’Estany. I wanted the restaurant to be as simple and authentic as possible, honouring the natural beauty and tranquillity of Las Salinas nature reserve. There are nods to monastic minimalism, giving a modern touch to an authentic Ibizan church.
The MAINE has one of the most spectacular natural settings in Ibiza: is there pressure to live up to it with the food?
It’s a truly magical place, especially at sunset when the flamingos take flight around the nearby salt mines. It’s not exactly pressure, but we do see it as making a promise to uphold the highest quality.
