The cosmopolitan jewel of Ibiza’s sunset strip, Café Mambo is set to celebrate it’s thirtieth year offering Balearic love in 2024.
The story behind this once idyllic finca transformed into a cultural hot spot for the island of Ibiza is lengthy, but a story well worth the read. The humble beginnings of Café Mambo start with Navarra-born Spaniard Javier Anadon. Originally landing on the the island of Ibiza from the mainland back in 1976, Javier worked the bars of the San Antonio West End particularly the stylised Tito’s which was heralded by both locals and early tourist alongside venues like Sgt Peppers, Capones, Krystal’s and Extasis to name but a few. Later Javier bought his first bar, round in the San Antonio bay, a venue named Bucaneros. Although now closed down, Bucaneros was a great venue, one we frequented whilst ove on the White Isle back in the late 90’s early 2000’s.
A once key holder for the back door of KU to take privileged guests (word is there was 200 keys given out to influential island figures such as Tony Pike who cited having a key in his book) Javier quickly became a highly though of businessman on the island. And eventually in 1994 alongside his Scottish wife who he met whilst in Benidorm, the realisation of his dream; Café Mambo was born.
Of all the places that plays credit to the realisation of Mambo is Sterling, Scotland. Javier’s wife Caroline comes from Stirling as does Javier’s friend Stuart ‘Scooby’ Cochrane who is credited for coming up with the now legendary name ‘Café Mambo’. With the help of Scooby who was an influential DJ/promoter on the island who had lots of contacts, Javier lent a hand out too Alan Warman and Tommy Mack who were running a party at local club Es Paradis and the birth of Mambo as a pre-party venue was born. Good food, good music and a cosmopolitan vibe with beautiful people, Javier had his jewel of the ‘Passeig de Ponent’.
1995 is cited as the year Mambo gained its commercial success. One of the first ‘big’ DJ’s to play at perfectly placed window DJ booth was Hacienda resident Graeme Park. Backed up by London-born resident Jason Bye who still is the Café’s resident, the venue became a hotbed of pre-party activity, with DJ’s the globe over wanting to play at the spot in the sun. Pete Tong, Roger Sanchez, Brandon Block, Sasha even Frankie Knuckles where all names that started appearing on the posters (often hand written by Bysie legend has it). We heard a story that the reason the DJ booth has a door and not the crawl under space once originally there was because of Frankie Knuckles’ love of playing at Mambo but would struggle and complain to Javier about having to drag himself and his records through the small space, so Javier during the summer downtime created a more accessible door which still is in the same spot all these years later.
As the 90’s began to play out Café Mambo had become a behemoth on the island, overtaking it’s once primed neighbour Café del Mar who had been the focal spot for many in the earlier years due to the resident José Padilla. Mambo had become the main pre party venue on the island. Following the footsteps of Café del Mar, Mambo’s started to release it’s own compilations as well as get the BBC onboard with the now famed Radio 1 in Ibiza weekends succeeding Kiss FM’s live radio broadcasts. Clockwork Orange, Cream, Ministry of Sound and later names like Defected, Pacha and more all were regularly holding pre parties at the Carrer Vara de Rey hotspot. Everyone who has touched down on the island will have more than likely spent some time at the café, Swedish House Mafia, Jamie Callum, Faithless, David Guetta, the list is massive, anyone who is anyone has played at Mambos over the years.
Javier’s vision for Mambo since the turn of the century continues on track, now bolstered by the vision and thinking of his two sons Christian and Alan, the Mambo brand is bigger than ever. Hotels in San An, their own brand of Heirbas, a concierge company, other successful businesses like neighbouring Savannahs, the Anadon family is thriving. In more recent times the simple rocks that were once adorned by hippies, free-loving radicals smoking a joint whilst sipping a coffee have been replaced by an international army of social media loving creators, and love it or hate it, Mambo has had to move with the times. €12 bottles of beer and €18 cocktails are washed down with award-winning food and celebrated chefs. Terrace tables are booked out months in advance at eye-watering prices as with the rest of Ibiza’s prominent venues, the times have certainly changed.
Our love for Mambos runs deep, do we still frequent it? Not as much, is the answer. The popularity of the venue means it has become a ‘rich’ tourist attraction and with that comes the loss of the magic of Mambos for us. The DJ lineups post sunset have become more commercial except for the likes of Glitterbox and Martinez Brothers, the crowd has become more stag and hen parties and the chance of getting a seat gets slimmer every year. Whilst we refuse to become a “Ibiza was better before” peddler, we appreciate it’s not just Mambo’s that has adapted and capitalised on the tourism boom Ibiza has enjoyed in recent years. There is no discussion against people who do flash the cash and go to the venue, they will love and enjoy it without question. Do you get the true spirited people of Ibiza, the lovers of the music, the sun-setting Balearic chasers at the venue still? some… but not as many as once did. You can always goto the shop buy some beers and go sit on the rocks in front of Mambos as thousands do every summer, as once we did, however as time becomes unkind to our aching bones this just isn’t a option no more.
So as 2024 breaks gently on to the shores of the San Antonio hotspot, Café Mambo lays dormant, secretly hatching its grand plans for its thirtieth season and it will be a massive success. We’ll be there to raise a toast to the Ibicenco hospitality Javier and the Anadon family forever chase to provide.
Reservations for Café Mambo’s 2024 season can be made via it’s website here.
