Elite Traveler Fall 2022

etr li at ve eler FALL 2022 69

Tucked away in the impossibly pretty Cala Jondal Bay on the south coast of the island, Casa Jondal keeps its focus on serving the freshest possible ingredients from the pristine nearby waters, prepared simply but delightfully. The menu is a clever mix of rustic delights and world-class delicacies; anchovies fried with lemon are followed by langoustine tartare with caviar, and pork ribs with grandmother’s marinade is served next to wa g yu rib-eye steak. “It's a beautiful place,” says Dacosta. “[The team] is astronomical. They pamper you — excellent food, excellent wine.” And what would Dacosta order to wash down his freshly caught grilled whole fi sh, you ask? “Champagne,” is the answer (Cala Jondal’s champagne menu is pretty impressive considering its laidback vibe; this restaurant clearly knows its clientele well). “If not champagne, some other kind of dry sparkling wine, made in the Champagne method,” he says. “It goes great with anything eaten in that context.” Next up on this culinary tour of the White Isle is Es Boldado, a rustic restaurant famed across Ibiza for its paella dishes. To be named as a favorite by Dacosta — who is widely known for elevating the traditional Spanish rice dish to unseen fi ne dining in his several restaurants — is a pretty impressive accolade. For Dacosta, however, a visit to Es Boldado means ordering bullit de peix , which translates directly to ‘boiled fi sh.’ Traditionally made using the catch of the day — usually a white fi sh, often John Dory or monk fi sh — with rice and potatoes, the bullit de peix was once considered a humble fi sherman’s dish, but has now evolved to become emblematic of Ibizan cuisine and a staple on the menus of its most

“When you go to a place, you need to learn from people. That’s the best way to travel.” away you can see a megayacht going around the Mediterranean,” says Dacosta. “This is the essence of what the island is. This is where I would send someone who has never been to Ibiza.” When it comes to accommodation, Dacosta’s tastes are equally laidback: “I try not to go to the same place twice, and I like to explore and fi nd those little o ff -the-grid corners. Last time we visited [Ibiza] we stayed in the northern tip of the island in a hippy-style place called Los Enamorados.” The boutique, adults-only hotel is exactly as Dacosta describes: hippy-chic, in a way that only Ibiza can pull o ff . Rooms are simple yet carefully out fi tted with natural textures, warming colors and billowing fabrics, while the outdoor bar and restaurant are awash with low-level communal seating, inviting guests to indulge in a lazy day of cocktail sipping and tapas nibbling. “[Los Enamorados] is a place full of stories. One of the reasons I try to go to di ff erent places and go o ff the grid is because you’re going to meet new people, so next time we’ll go somewhere else and meet someone new. When you go to a place, you need to learn from people. That’s the best way to travel.”

authentic restaurants. “The fi sh you are eating is actually what creates the broth that you cook the rice with, and it always has a little bit of aioli with sa ff ron, so it is just an explosion of fl avors,” Dacosta reminisces. Aside from the unrivaled food, a huge part of the joy of a meal at Es Boldado is the setting. Found on a quintessential rugged Ibizan rockface, the restaurant enjoys views across the mythical Es Vedrà rock from its open-fronted dining room. “Your feet are practically there touching the water, and you see some fi shermen boats, maybe a little bit further

“I don’t have a favorite travel destination, just like I don’t have a favorite wine or a favorite food.”

Clockwise from top Hippy-chic decor at Los Enamorados, a boutique hotel; Casa Jondal, one of Dacosta's favorite restaurants; local oysters served at Casa Jondal

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Photos Anton Rodriguez, Xavier Montero Llorens, Daniel Balda