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Serena Cook, the party island’s go-to event planner, reveals how things have changed – and the best places to visit now
For the rich and famous who want to unlock some high-end magic in Ibiza, there is only one number worth having on speed dial. Serena Cook is the original island fixer, having set up her concierge firm, Deliciously Sorted, on a whim more than 20 years ago while working as a chef for her friend Jade Jagger. It was chatting with the likes of the Rolling Stones and Primal Scream in the kitchen that inspired the former Clapham restaurant owner to take the leap – and she has never looked back, going on to launch the Fincadelica collection of luxury retreats.
“Everyone kept asking me for tips on my favourite restaurants, where to book a yacht and if I could help when they crashed their car, because I spoke Spanish,” she recalls. “It was way before anyone was talking about concierge services and I remember so clearly saying to Jade, ‘I’m going to try to set this thing up’. My business cards said ‘Deliciously Sorted – Fixing and Food’. I was young and just thought: why not?”
That was back in 2002. “Then Ibiza went like that,” she says, pointing towards the sky. “It was a classic case of being in the right place at the right time.”
These days, Cook and her team look after high-profile guests such as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and have been instrumental in throwing some of the most celebrated parties in Ibiza’s recent history. She sent Cara Delevingne down the rabbit hole at her Alice in Wonderland-themed 30th, organised the wedding of Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender, and juggled an Oscars-worthy guest list of Hollywood A-listers (including Kanye West, Jessica Chastain and Kim Kardashian) for Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci’s 40th birthday in 2014, a game-changer when it came to introducing US celebrities to the wild child of the Balearics.
“That was really significant for the Ibizan trajectory as well as the company; I’ve never seen such a concentration of big stars in one party, and it was a lot to handle. I remember Orlando Bloom wasn’t allowed in because he’d had a fight [with one of the guests] in Cipriani the night before. I made my poor events girl tell him because I didn’t want to,” she says.
Times have changed since 1997, when Cook first camped on Moon Beach in the rustic north of the island. “I do miss how raw Ibiza was,” she admits. “When I first came here, there were no direct winter flights and you felt a bit like a pioneer. It was very cheap and there were some out-there creatives. What happened after Covid was some people who came for a couple of weeks are coming for a few months and working over Zoom.”
There are still hidden gems in the north of the island, she insists, citing the walk-in restaurants at Benirras beach where the sun sets to the beat of a hippie’s drum.
“In 2001, when Jade [Jagger] invited me to come and work for her, I’d never been to Pacha before and I remember the glamour, the dancers and the fun; it was just amazing, and it still is,” she says. “You can still find the best parties you will ever go to in the whole wide world. It is magic, it’s just more expensive.”
Having lived through the different iterations of the island from the bohemian days, through its messy Ibiza Uncovered era (a television show that followed 18-30s reps and holidaymakers causing havoc in the island’s West End, San Antonio), to the present day, Cook is working on bringing back old-school glamour with her next project. She has teamed up with her business partner, Mati Rachminov, to launch the Fincadelica Collection, providing luxury and service for clients willing to spend £120,000 per week on a villa in high season.
Their latest property is Xarraca: a nine-bed coastal retreat with history attached (it was shot by high-society snapper Slim Aarons during a visit to see his friend Countess Jacqueline de Ribes). The international fashion icon and society darling – called “the last queen of Paris” by fashion designer Valentin – was renowned for entertaining royalty, world leaders and aristocrats, and created a scene on Ibiza’s northern shores after falling in love with the place in 1968.
The 100-year-old finca is tucked away on a quiet northern shoreline opposite the Six Senses resort and has undergone a louche, 1970s-style transformation overseen by Carmen Straatsma from Studio C Ibiza. She apparently drove builders crazy by insisting on smoothing out all the sharp corners to give it a chic, sandcastle-like aesthetic, before blowing the budget on sumptuous Loro Piana upholstery and mod cons.
“Privacy and exclusivity are what people will pay for,” says Cook. “With Xarraca and the sister property, Fincadelica San Lorenzo, we are creating ‘soulful luxury’. We wanted to create worlds within worlds and what we have found is people will cancel all their plans to stay and play in the villas. Since covid, there has been a shift towards slower tourism, spending precious time with your tribe of friends or family. That’s where I think luxury is going.”
“It is possible to have privacy in Ibiza,” says Cook. “We looked after Johnny Depp and put him up in David Guetta’s Titanium mansion when his divorce to Amber Heard got messy. The paps had been going crazy in LA, but in the 81 days he was on the island he wasn’t photographed once.”
To relax from the demands of her clients, Cook still dances at her favourite club, DC-10, on Monday nights. “It was the end of an era when Space closed,” she sighs. “I remember Carl Cox playing the last song at midday and I started crying. But for me it made me reflect on my time on the island for the past 20 years and all I had achieved since my first night sleeping in a tent on Moon Beach. I have created an amazing life – and one I never expected.”
Moon Beach has not changed in 27 years since I first camped there. There is not one more house that has been built there because it has been protected. It is hidden away down a dirt track so not a lot of people go there even in July and August. When you walk down to the rocks they look like the craters of the moon and you can sit in these pools.
Benirras is still so authentic. There is such a mix of people there, it’s a great sunset spot – plus the drummers just add to the atmosphere. It’s really special.
My favourite Italian restaurant in the entire world I feel is Macao cafe (0034 9711 97 835) in Santa Gertrudis. Juntos (0034 69972 89 72) is farm-to-table dining next to the church of Sant Mateu; it has great food and is a lovely place.
Sa Capella (0034 971 34 00 57) is a beautiful old church that has been taken over by the Mambo group. They do amazing meats and everything on the grill. I also love El Chiringuito on Es Cavallet, (0034 971395 355) for being the best Ibizian beach place to eat and drink rose in the daytime.
DC-10 (0034 971932013) is my favourite club of all time. It opens at 6pm so I know I can go early and I can leave before one. You don’t want to be there when it gets late and everyone is hot and sweaty inside. It’s my Monday therapy, I just dance. I also love Pacha (0034 971 31 36 00) for old-school glamour. It’s still amazing.
The Six Senses (0034 87100 88 75) has a world-class spa, but the gardens at the Atzaro Agroturismo (0034 971 3388 38) spa are really special to relax in. It was a historic farmhouse that has been transformed, and they serve food produced on the land.
The Standard (0034 871 02 79 06) is awesome. In Ibiza there is generally no bar culture aside from Cafe del Mar (0034 689 00 84 94) and Mambo (0034 971 34 66 38) where you can just go for cocktails. Then The Standard opened and they have a gorgeous rooftop bar and an amazing lock-in space downstairs that can fit 80 people which is a cool alternative to the Island’s huge clubs. Read our review of the hotel here.
When people like Kate and Lila Moss come to town they shop at Annie’s Ibiza or De La Vali for amazing party dresses. They grew up coming to Ibiza and got the vibe so right. I’m not really a floaty Ibiza girl but Vincente Ganesha (0034 660 30 15 49) does that Ibiza look perfectly.
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