✅ Daica. We know them as “DaiCa”, but their protagonists are called David Ribas and Caterina Pieras, a perfect professional tandem who have turned their dream and project into something more than a restaurant. Daica is a true hidden experience.
▷ In a Snapshot
Caterina Pieras, the restaurant’s chef, together with David Ribas, head of the restaurant, have opted for the best of the fusion of traditional Mallorcan and Catalan cuisine, using real quality local produce together with modern preparation.
Its location, is an oasis of peace, a “real Mallorcan house” located in Llubí, a village where the authenticity and tradition of Mallorca still prevails. Walking through its streets, or in its main square of the village, you might think sometimes that time has stopped.
In Daica, as in the Mallorcan houses, you can enjoy its kitchen in its interior room or in its wonderful exterior patio.
Its added value is that you can enjoy the experience at its fullest: staying in its small “indoor hotel”, formed on the upper floor of the restaurant where they have a small number of rooms to enjoy a weekend getaway or for those “bon vivants” who, after enjoying Caterina’s cuisine, prefer to rest without the headache of taking the car. A place that is a real hidden luxury far from the bustle of the city and the speed of time.
▷Why Hidden Icon?
Daica is Hidden Icon “par excellence”. We fell in love the first time, a few years ago, and with time, like good wine, they just get better. They understand luxury as we do: they enjoy details, they make their dishes enjoyable, becoming a sensory experience.
They bet on their great project, after having trained with the best and learned from different people, until they had their own stamp and signature that made them different from the rest. Daica in Llubí.
#Talking
David, in the middle of reopening his restaurant, has reserved a few minutes to tell us about Daica, how they have lived their confinement and their recommendations of their hidden places and hidden gems of the beautiful island.
1- DAICA. How it has been the confinement?
It wasn’t easy, to close the business without knowing what would happen… to live with the great uncertainty that has prevailed.
But we are also conscious that it has been like a family vacation, which is difficult to repeat, full of emotions, sometimes awkward, but fantastic.
2- CREATIVITY. What have you done to keep it active? Have you come up with any new ideas or new dishes that we will soon see on your menu?
Creativity doesn’t sleep, you either have it or you don’t, some things have come up, but you have to see it live, the magicians don’t say their tricks.
3- PLAYLIST. Your favourite music, book that go with you…
Music accompanies us throughout the day, we are music lovers, above all, pop, pop-rock, rock and roll, blues rhythms.
4- EXPERIENCE. You offer your clients experiences with a real “hidden” spirit: High quality cuisine, being able to sleep in an oasis in Llubí without having to take the car after eating…
We believe that in order to enjoy a meal in every way, it is best to feel relaxed, which is better if you don’t have to take the car afterward.
5- PARTNERS. Couple and partners, many would say that perhaps it is difficult… you’ve been together for several years, so how would you say the experience of sharing your professional and personal life is?
Well, there is nothing easy, but simply to be very close, the couple, in the end, it is like your best friend, then everything flows.
6- AUTENTICITY. Why did you choose Llubi for your project?
We were working in Palma, and at that time we realized what we didn’t want, and when you know what you don’t want, it’s easier to choose, we wanted something outside Palma and with character, and we found this place and gave it our touch.
7- LOCAL PRODUCT. You always choose local products of quality and season. Little by little it seems that people are becoming more aware of the importance of sustainability. Have you noticed that in recent times your customers have become more appreciative of sustainable products and cuisine?
Yes, for us it has always been very important, since we opened in 2012, to promote and encourage the product from here as much as possible, and if people value it more and more, and to the tourist, it also helps to transport them more in the culture of their trip.
8- COVID. What did you miss about your work during your confinement?
Everything, everything that is going to work, from the “mise en place” to make a good service, the contact with the customers, who in many cases are more than customers, the team and then when a service is finished sharing the opinion of the day, all the moments are important, is the same as in the music that every moment has its place.
9- 28/05. Your official post-Covid reopening What feedback are you getting from your clients, and what are you preparing to do to welcome back those clients?
On Thursday 28 May we opened, and we can not complain, to be honest. We had a very good reception, customers have responded super well with the new era post-COVID, and we as always, we try to give the best of our recipes.
10. DAICA’s TEAM. Many are the chefs who comment that, together with their team, they have exchanged recipes, improvements for the menu… What has Team Daica done in the distance during this confinement?
With our team, we have maintained the contact, via video calls by Whatsapp, at first, it was to keep informed of the situation we live, over time it became, in the interest of all, recipes, new ways of seeing things, new approaches to what could be later done, we have divided tasks to make it more enjoyable for everyone.
11. DAICA RECOMENDATIONS. We know that is difficult to choose, but What will be your recommendations from the menu?
Yes, it is difficult, but if it were me who came to eat here, what I would do would be to order the party menu and good wine.
HIDDEN RECOMMENDATIONS
Mallorca is full of special places, beyond Sa Foradada (which is a beautiful and a magical place), tell us where to go, what to do and what to see. Your recommendations to live an experience of authentic places and true Mallorcan tradition.
For us, without a doubt, one of the places that moves us the most is “Ses Fonts Ufanes”, although you’ve seen it before, it doesn’t lose its magic, from the moment you go in and only hearing the sound of the water, until you see it as a spring, we could stay for hours watching the water.
+ HIDDEN ICONS
