As the season begins to stir here in Ibiza the daytime opening of Blue Marlin was an eagerly awaited event (especially only to enjoy their unbelievable prawn tempura once again!) But what is the BM all about? Why has it become such an iconic place in Ibiza? Well, add together a mixture of cocktails (the strawberry daiquiri is highly recommended), the fabulous Mediterranean cuisine (whether you chose to dine in the outdoor restaurant or prefer to have it brought to your sun bed!), live music from DJs and musicians, fashion shows, the beautiful backdrop of Cala Jondal, an inside area for those late night parties till 4am, and the opportunity to ogle over the incredibly expensive yachts that anchor just off shore, and you start to get the picture. With VIP areas sponsored by Belvedere and photographers lurking in search of the best dressed, most beautiful, and generally model-esque beach goers, Blue Marlin has become ´the place to be seen´.
So, with my designer sunglasses and handbag in tow, I felt utterly prepared for whatever the day could throw my way. Had I been warned, however, that due to the vast number of party-goers, we would be parking around the corner in a field maybe I would have worn flat shoes rather than 5 inch skyscrapers! Hobbling down the rocky cliff I was sure that everyone in Blue Marlin was watching me and my horribly ungraceful entrance. But thankfully, we were greeted by the clichéd sun-bed of gorgeous ladies (tiny dogs in tow) who were completely engrossed in conversation and oblivious of my awkward descent to the beach. With my pride restored it was time to face the ultimate battle, to the bar. Elbowing my way through the swarm of Carrera´s, it took 20 minutes but finally I had a Sol in hand and was able to relax and enjoy the sounds of Vidal Rodriguez and Valentin Huedo on the decks. Having sized up the crowd, you couldn´t help but feel a little sorry for the over enthusiastic tourists, with their sun-burned faces and nothing more than their bikini´s to wear; they had clearly not anticipated the drop in temperature as the sun began to fall. Overall the atmosphere was infectious with nothing but smiles and laughter all around; this was truly the day that marked the end of Ibiza´s winter slumber. Everywhere you looked people were greeting old friends from summers past, myself included, and it was impossible not to feel excited about the upcoming season!
So what can we look forward to from Blue Marlin in 2011? In terms of the place itself, all you regulars will be pleased to hear that the only real change was the launch of their new summer menu. How could they possibly add to their already amazing classics like the chicken caesar salad and the aforementioned prawn tempura? The answer – with the addition of rice rolls with crab and braised duck, both utterly delicious.
With the event line up for this summer yet to be confirmed I am sure we can expect it to be similar to 2010. It is worth taking a trip down on Sundays to experience the live music sessions from Paco Fernandez, who seems to have perfected the mix of classical Spanish guitar and dance music. Also watch out for the return of Jade Jagger´s Full Moon Parties sponsored by her fashion and music label ´Jezabel´ and with hopes that 2010 regulars like Louie Vega (Saturdays) and Goldfish (Thursdays) may return, there really is no end to the party!
