Ibiza is the summer’s hotspot for internationally renowned chefs like Paco Roncero and Dani García. Another top chef joining the island’s gastronomic elite this year is the Argentinian chef Mauro Colagreco, who is considered one of the best chefs in the world. He received this title in 2019 and he also holds three Michelin stars at his restaurant Mirazur on the Cote D’Azure. This summer he has designed the menu at the restaurant El Silencio, located in Cala Molí, together with Federico Desseno, master of open-fire cooking.
So what’s on the menu this first year at El Silencio in Ibiza?
The collaboration with El Silencio came about through a mutual passion for hospitality that I share with the owners. The menu has been created with the sole intention of making people happy.
What is so special about the menu at this restaurant?
The highlight at El Silencio is open-fire cooking, which is a very social concept and also provides an extraordinary flavour to recipes which can only be achieved with this type of technique.
How does the gastronomy of Argentina sit on the menu at El Silencio? What is its characteristic?
Cooking over flames is very common in Argentina. Roasting is a ritual at all family meals at the weekends and at every celebration. For this new experience in Ibiza I am delighted to be collaborating with my friend the chef Federico Desseno, who I have designed this menu with. We are both originally from South America and we share this passion for open-fire cooking. He is a genuine master of the flames.
What products stand out on the menu at El Silencio?
Basically fresh Mediterranean products.
What is the inspiration behind the El Silencio menu?
I have created it with Federico Desseno, a maestro of open fire cooking, and it has been designed around the theme of our shared passion for this style of cooking and our mutual love for gastronomic experiences as a social event. The restaurant offers a menu inspired by the Mediterranean lifestyle and the region’s hospitality culture.
«The island has a very rich history and plenty to offer from a gastronomic viewpoint»
Why have you decided to launch this project in Spain, in Ibiza specifically?
I have a special connection with Spain, it’s linked to my roots, my mother tongue… The truth is I love the Spanish culture and the way of life here. The ambience that people create with their generosity and affection is incredible. Especially the natural hospitality of Ibiza, which is very similar to the South American culture.
You manage Mirazur, which took the No. 1 spot at the World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards in 2019 and also boasts three Michelin stars. What does the menu at El Silencio have in common with Mirazur?
They both share the connection between people and nature. Even though it’s a completely different experience and proposal, we always put nature and people at the centre of the equation.
What is the connecting link between your restaurants?
They are all connected by the human–nature relationship.
What other projects do you have in mind?
We are preparing a new venture at the OWO Raffles Hotel in London this coming winter.
Where do you think the island stands gastronomically right now?
The level increases each season, not only because of the arrival of great international chefs on the island but also because of the local talent, who is working very well by showing customers local products and traditional recipes of Ibiza’s cuisine, an island with a very rich history that has plenty to offer from a gastronomic viewpoint.