Only a fraction of last year's reported 3.4 million visitors to Ibiza will have heard of San Carlos, far less knowing where to find it on a map. Given the cultural significance of the village and the role it played in Ibiza's modern history, that is a surprise.
Many moons before mass tourism booted off - and long before the phrase "super-club" was first uttered, this unsuspecting village in the north became the confluence point for US draft dodgers, jet-setting travel writers, Beatnik rebels and down-on-their-luck artists.
All the pieces were in place for San Carlos to become home to the island's original hippy commune.
Pivotal to the village's global pull was the entertainment hub of Las Dalias.
Originally opening its doors in 1954, it holds the distinction of being Ibiza's first music venue. For that reason alone, you can see how much of an important role both Las Dalias and San Carlos played in Ibiza's modern history.
It wasn't only a place to hear live music, but socialise within the community, exchange ideas, buy and sell goods at the market... and eat.
Those activities aren't confined to a forgotten past. In the present, Las Dalias still offers all of the above. Central to the feeding part of that equation is Las Dalias Café.
Las Dalias Café: Humble cooking, delivered to a high standard and priced reasonably
When we arrive, Ibiza is sweltering in the July height of day. Fortunately, Las Dalias Café offers ample shade and canopy cover on its terrace. The setting is cool and rustic, with dry stone walls, sturdy wooden tables and walls covered in creeper vines typical of the island.
Las Dalias is an Ibizan institution with a difference. There is nothing extravagant about the setting, the menu, nor the prices.
As the profile of the island rose, the average median income of its visitors did too. Many of Las Dalias' competitors with similar lofty profiles chose the late-stage capitalist model of ever-spiralling prices. If somebody somewhere is willing to pay for it...
Refreshingly, Las Dalias Café and, indeed, the complex as a whole, has refused to be cowed by the eternally convenient justification of "market forces". At its parties, you can get a beer for €6 and a generously measured local tipple Hierbas con hielo for €10.
Food at the café is just as reasonable.
The crispy Karaage Chicken sings with notes of citrus and the Orient
While all dishes are created with fresh, local and seasonal ingredients, there are several international cameos. Unsurprisingly, these infiltrations come from other stops on the hippy trail. Asian flavours and Mexican nuances are translated by way of traditional Spanish cooking.
One of these is the Karaage Chicken.
Imagine a crispy chicken dish from a high-end Chinese restaurant cram-packed with all the flavours of the Orient. This comes with a ponzu dipping sauce - a slightly acidic variation of soy sauce with citrus notes, although, equally, it's the zest of orange which makes the dish sing.
Humble, traditional cooking, delivered to a high standard and gimmick-free
There are indigenous dishes as well. The prawn croquettes have the qualities of both a crunchy outer coating and a gooey centre.
Harbouring the subtle taste of shellfish, these round balls can be enhanced with a brush of bravas sauce (or entirely masked by more liberal application, should that be your want). They're ideal for sharing around the table or, conceivably, filling one hungry person to satisfactory levels.
Another Mediterranean favourite is the baked octopus - a succulent tentacle with splodges of tangy green mojo dressing, sat on a bed of salted cubed potatoes.
If seafood isn't your thing, then the beef Milanese might appeal? Again, the cooking's simplicity is its biggest strength. No gimmick needed.
The burrata salad was the unanimous highlight of our dining group
Perhaps the biggest triumph of all is the burrata salad: stacked slices of beef tomato complemented by soft cheese, topped with fresh basil, parmesan shavings and accompanied by salty black olives and pine nuts - an unequivocal joy.
We could eat this every day and doubt we'd get bored.
Is there room for dessert? We'd be kidding ourselves if we thought we couldn't be tempted... by their description alone, each of the chocolate cake, the red berry cheesecake and the creme brûlée quickly allay any suggestion we were already uncomfortably full.
Of the three, it's the take on the creme brûlée which surprises the most. Deeper-panned, softer and fluffier than its reference dish, it comes with a shallow well of passionfruit compote, which adds just enough zing.
Las Dalias Café is totally Ibizan in execution.
But with menu items such as the Thai green curry and our Karaage Chicken, you can see that - much like San Carlos itself - it has pulled influences from all over the world. And what could be more Ibiza than that? A true melting pot of nationalities and cultures.
Since the 1950s, Ibiza has undeniably changed. Then again, point us somewhere in the world that hasn't?
Should you care to find somewhere a little less impacted by the ravishes of modernity, you could do far worse than paying a visit to San Carlos. It might not be the sleepy village it once was, and yet it still manages to preserve some rural charm and continue its historic lineage.
Dine & Dance
From 20 July, you can get free admission to Akasha on Monday nights when dining at Las Dalias Café, if you book below or via our party calendar. Get your full €60 credit available to spend at the restaurant on food and drink, plus inclusive admission to Peace N' Music afterwards.
That means you can make a full night of it, essentially making admission the, that word again, humble €7.20 booking fee.
With veteran DJs Pippi and Willie Graff playing each week, you are guaranteed an authentic dancefloor experience parallel to that of the dining.
Tickets are on sale now and available to buy below.
