Kike Radikal, owner of White Eivissa Beach Club in Playa d'en Bossa tells us about his restaurant, one of the residents' favorites
Fascinating, close and fun, Kike Radikal It is one of those characters that make this island a special place. With a career more than 30 years as Dj clicking on clubs like, Space Ibiza, Ku, Km5, Amnesia or The Beach Club of Ushuaïa Ibiza, this Madrid based in Ibiza is the owner of White Eivissa Beach Club in Playa d'en Bossa, one of the restaurants preferred by residents. The Welcometoibiza team took the opportunity to interview him after enjoying his excellent menu on the terrace.
After so many years of DJing, how did you embark on this restaurant project?
The restaurant is set in May of 2013, we carry 5 summers, 4 years. I was looking for a place on the beach and a friend wanted to sell his part of this business and I stayed with her.
And what idea did you have when setting up the restaurant?
Our philosophy from the beginning was caring for the people of the island, hence the menus, open all year... The idea was that the Resident people could enjoy a good meal on the beach in a heavenly place. And I think we have succeeded, that those who live on the island know us.
Are there many differences between winter and summer?
The summer public still does not know us so much, we do not have so much time and the tourists arrive with everything programmed, still They do not know that they can eat cheap on the beach. When you bring them here they cannot believe it, as we are a bit hidden we grow little by little.
Do you also offer menus in summer?
In summer we leave the menu to 20 euros (drink apart), and in winter we lower the price to take care of the residents. We always have a vegetarian option in all menus. From the 15 in June you can dine also in the evenings à la carte. We also have 3 special menus: one of Tapas, designed for foreigners, who love it, with 5 or 6 tapas (Russian salad, croquettes, ham, garlic prawns ... etc). Then there is a rice menu with lobster and another beef steak. Both can be ordered every day at noon and in the evening and cost 35 euros per person (minimum 2 people) with salad or a first to choose, the main and dessert.
Your kitchen is very varied, how would you define it?
We play all the sticks. The base is the Mediterranean, but we have a Galician cook, Celso, who has a very good hand, and we offer lots of variety of dishes in the menus. The chuletón and the rices are our star dishes, and the Desserts are handmade and we make them daily.
And do you also do events?
In winter we do something else. This summer we still do not know, because I do not want to mix the restaurant with the events, we have a consolidated clientele, and although I have a concert coffee license and I can open until 5 am if something interesting comes up or a private event, I don't want to mix restaurant and party. Anyway, the duo Afterlife They are friends of mine and they come here to eat a lot. Maybe we'll do something informal with them, but we still do not know.
Now you also have hammocks and Balinese beds on the beach ...
Yes, we have 11 beds and 22 hammocks, and until June 15 we have a very special offer. A Balinese bed during all day (or two hammocks and an umbrella) with a bottle of cava or a cava sangria only costs $60. They can be reserved by calling +34 (871)517 662 .
We know that many familiar faces pass through here ...
Many come. When the wedding of Fonsi Nieto, they all came to eat. Models like Arantxa de Benitosoccer players Karanka, all the DJs, Marta Sánchez, Jesús Cabanas, bloggers from Madrid ...
Kike, how did you come to Ibiza?
Ufff ...I arrived in Ibiza at 1984, when I started my DJ career. In the 85 was the Dj of Ku and I've been coming every year until I stayed to live in 1997.
And you still working with Ushuaia?
No, now not anymore, I was playing music until last year, It was him Dj residing at The Beach Club, but of course, combining it with the restaurant was very complicated.
But are you still clicking?
Noooo. I hung up my helmets last year. But hey, there is always a birthday or something that makes me prick ...
Were you a star as a DJ, do you miss him?
Not at all. Have been 30 very intense years clicking and that's it. Were many great moments, He was very recognized in Spain. When I came to Ibiza I came calmer, because for what they paid me ... I did it more for hobby, for having fun.
Did you think that one day you would end up taking a beach club in Ibiza?
Not at all. The opportunity simply arose, I saw it as a business with many possibilities, with a privileged location ... the truth is that I have taken it with great affection.
How do you combine it with family life, your children ...?
Very well, for the simple reason that at the 17h I'm leaving the restaurant. At 8 am I drop the children off at school, I go shopping, I come, I do business, I take care of the restaurant, I do a little public relations ... and then at 17 pm I go to pick up my children and I do not leave home anymore. Yes, you have to be surrounded by good people, but it is complicated. As my partner Alejandro, who with his professionalism has taken this forward and taught me everything I know about the hotel industry.
What essential plans would you recommend to someone who comes to Ibiza?
The first thing would lead to Formentera. If you come with family, I would bring them to White, because in summer the most famous beaches are overcrowded, but it may seem like a lie until mid August this piece of beach is super quiet, it seems almost private ... Like beaches, I would recommend It's Cavallet, Salinas, Cala Comte, Aguas Blancas… Although I like them much more in winter. I would also take him to see a sunset at Kumharas.
What if you had to recommend a restaurant that was not yours?
There are many that I like, right now there is a spectacular gastronomy in Ibiza, and a lot of variety. But for example, to eat, Es Torrent, La Escollera, Jockey Club or Ses Escoles. And for dinner Tatel, Montauk y O Galego. I also really liked the hotel Xereca in Puig d'en Vals, where Fonsi Nieto got married, a beautiful place. And don't stop trying the Formentera crayfish, the peasant soup and the rooster of San Pedro.
What if they want to go out at night?
If you want to live something spectacular, you have to go to Ushuaia. It's like going to a concert, a incredible production. If you want enjoy, hallucinate outdoors… You have to go. That magic of the iberic night You live in Ushuaïa every day when the sun goes down from 21 until midnight creates a really brute energyHim, listening to music under the stars. It is a place to be known. Too Destination. Then as there are so many musical aspects, there are parties for all tastes ...
Has having been in Ushuaïa as a DJ helped you?
The truth is, after being there 3 years They all know me and I feel very loved., well, well My wife Silvia works there. Next year I want to make a major reform of the premises, and as my wife tells me "The moment you change the soil inside I start to send you to the famous."
And despite the party image, how do you see Ibiza as a family?
It is a privilege to see a child grow on the beach. And the quality of life we have is not easily found in the cities. Here the children are happier, they have less evil. The Ibicenco is very noble and that is what this tranquility gives you here. For me it is a ideal place to have a child.
What would be the best time for you to come to know Ibiza?
May. Or September. Or from September to May. Ha ha ha… I love winter on the island.
And what do you think about the issue of the moment, the problem of housing in Ibiza?
It's a very serious problem, but I I do not think the culprits are the owners, it is normal that someone who has made an investment wants to make a profit, the problem is that they do not make official protection flats. Also, everything is put in the same bag: there are flats that are worth the money they ask for, they are new, they are luxury, and others that are shit and put at a luxury price for the demand that there is. And is that this is an island, you can not grow anymore.
