Dani García is an expert in making history when it comes to Michelin stars. In 2018 the restaurant that carried his name won a third star, but months later he closed it: this concept wasn’t for him. I decided what I wanted to do was «turn the pyramid upside down», and reach more people. I started to create more gastronomic concepts that still had their roots in high-end cuisine but were more accessible to a wider audience. A decision that not everyone understood, but that made him discover a freedom he craved. This year, Dani García has stolen the show again. The Michelin Guide inspectors have awarded his work once more and granted two stars to the Smoked Room, a restaurant that has only been open for six months. «I wasn’t searching for it», the Malaga-born chef declares, explaining that the accolade has arrived in a very different context. In one of the many trips he makes throughout the year, Dani García personally launched the BiBo Ibiza season in June in a whirlwind trip. How are you facing this second season of BiBo in Ibiza? Well, we’ve been evolving the brand generally, and we’ve done the same here. The BiBo brand is nine years old now: it was born one way but over time we’ve started to see the world differently, so it has changed with the times. Now we do all this first part, which is the spirit of BiBo, with brioches, yellow ceviche, our classic fried sea bass… A section of the menu where you can have more fun. And the second part is focussed purely on the local products surrounding us. The lobster is from here, for example, with garnishes and lots more protein, showcasing the product itself. What was BiBo like when it started? Previously, BiBo was much sweeter in this sense, with more sauces… a heavier concept in terms of taste too. And we have been refining it little by little, which is what we do here at BiBo Ibiza. He turned away from the world of haute cuisine after receiving three Michelin stars, but does something of this type of cooking remain, even if you are now seeking a more informal concept? It’s always there. Now you can find an Ibizan red prawn tartare with a hint of curry and caviar, which presented on a different type of plate and in a different ambience could fit perfectly in a Michelin-starred restaurant. After all, we came from this point of the pyramid and there are certain things, that special way of cooking, the conceptual form of creating and using the product, which stem from there. With fine dining you are accustomed to using the best of the best with the best techniques. Here too we put this into reality.
i design the menu, the dishes. i sit down with the team and we create it, but i don’t cook
BiBo is located in many different locations: Ibiza, Madrid, Marbella, Tarifa, Doha and London. How do you manage to mould this concept to the different cultures? It adapts. There is a unifying thread through all of them, but clearly you can’t create exactly the same BiBo in Qatar as you can on the beach at Tarifa, in Marbella, Madrid, Ibiza or London. Even in London it wouldn’t be the same in another district other than Shoreditch, which is where we are located. So, even in the same city, BiBo has different connotations. There are always 10 or 15 dishes that are the soul of BiBo, and others that are adapted according to the place we are in: whether it’s the city, a hotel, which is the case here, and also what you are surrounded by. 
ibiza for us is much closer, because apart from the proximity, I’ve been coming here for years.
Which side of Ibiza do you like the best? I like the chilled side, the coves, the Caribbean-like sea, and eating with my feet in the sand in fascinating places Very like your concept at BiBo. Yes, very in line with our concept. It’s not in tune with the more hedonistic, partying vibe. Although the food here is a party in itself. We opened the first BiBo here nine years ago, but the years have passed and what we did then -guacamole, ceviches or the tartare- everyone is doing now. So we keep evolving and offering new things. This evolution is happening in BiBo Ibiza as well? Yes, I was just talking to my partner about how well the menu has been received here. Soon we will be opening BiBo in another location in Marbella and I told him we could practically replicate the menu from here. Therefore, Ibiza represents this first leap in Spain of this BiBo that has the same spirit but also thinks more about the product, along cleaner lines than before. Before, it was all about battered hake, with caramelised piquillo peppers, herb sauce… The cooking had this American influence that I loved. Nine years later it has grown, matured and you want to do something else. So it’s about keeping the heart of BiBo but with a second act showcasing the product more. You need to know where you are, what to do, what to offer and know what your customers want.
I learnt to cook lobster with fried egg and potatoes here, and I included it at Lobito
What is a BiBo Ibiza customer like? Here we have customers that travel the world and know exactly what they want. People pay a lot to be here. You must be fed up with people saying he ran away from three stars and now he’s suddenly earned two more for Smoked Room. Yes, that’s life. But it’s a completely different scenario. I wasn’t looking for it. I always said that if I came back, it would be in this setting where I find myself today. It’s not the same having three stars in a place that bears your name, where everyone expects to see you every night dressed like a chef, than at Smoked, where I have never cooked, nor do I intend to. If you see a photo of me at Smoked, you won’t see me dressed in chef’s whites. My team is there for that. You have to respect this fact. I design the menu, the dishes. I sit down with the team, and we create it. But my name isn’t on the door. Doesn’t it feel the same as having three stars? The person that doesn’t have to feel the same is the customer. Smoked has the same importance to me as BiBo Ibiza, despite Smoked having two stars. What does matter to me is how the customer perceives it, which means they will go there regardless of whether Dani García is there or not. This was fundamental to me. I’m not afraid, I’m not weighed down by the responsibility of it all. Firstly, because I have my team, and secondly because this restaurant is much better than our last one with three stars. I’m not worried. 
