My party life has three forms.
- Go out anywhere and hope for the best (often painfully hit and miss)
- Go out because it's a name and should be good (also often painfully hit and miss)
- Go out because you know it's going to be a good night (unsurprisingly my favourite, if rarer nights).
In keeping with this I was looking forward to going to Bambuddha Grove for the 2012 Opening, considered by many the Opening that unofficially marks the start of the new season. Bambuddha Grove has long been a favourite.
It can be shock for those that visit the island to realise there's more than Ibiza Town and San An. If that realisation strikes you because you've stumbled upon Bambuddha Grove, you're off to a great start!
By island standards it's out in the sticks but there's certainly nothing backward about the place.
It is a provocative, edgy and strangely alluring venue, with endless Buddhist and Hindu statues and artistically graphic images celebrating sex and spirituality adorning walls and ceilings (guaranteed to provoke comment from first time visitors).
Anywhere else in the world Bambuddha Grove would probably be considered crass but somehow, under the ever watchful eye of John Moon it works, effortlessly.
Visual wow factor of the venue aside, the food is exemplary, a true gastronomical delight, with the emphasis on MediterrAsian Fusion.
Eating at Bambuddha is a game for me now. A new dish each visit, for surely I can't like them all? Bambuddha Grove has effortlessly won the match so far. (Oh dear, I'll have to go again. Tut.)
From Ostrich to Sushi there is a dish to tease even the most lethargic of palates. The service is mentioned only for me to compliment it, everyone from Pancho the Bar Supervisor to John Moon himself was keen to ensure excellence was delivered. Entering the fully reserved restaurant with some trepidation, expecting it to feel crowded, claustrophobic (the rich and famous don't necessarily have good manners – personal peeve – and watching someone noisily chew the cud isn't my ideal), there was a distinct atmosphere of anticipation but also one of space.
At eleven in the evening with now an almost tangible buzz of excitement, the Sian Bar started to fill and the music suddenly jumped up a notch in tempo and volume. It was time for the real party to start. The crowd was eclectic, multinational and ready. These were people who knew how to party and party well. Egos have no place at Bambuddha Grove, although a few forget to park it at the door to start with, but they soon get the idea. If you're at Bambuddha Grove, you're in the know or just plain lucky. It's as simple as that.
Of course the one person who is entitled to some preening is John Moon but he was feeling affable, understated. I took the opportunity to ask him a question that had been on my mind for years. Just one thing I really, really wanted to know because for all my travels, I'd never encountered it before…
Why two urinals in one cubical in the ladies toilet?
I expected a story because John's life is a book unto itself. He smiled and told me and now I know…
My hopes of the night were well placed. Bambuddha Grove's events remain unfailing a ‘not-to-miss' for those in the know and Opening Night 2012 was no exception.
