Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2006

Singing The Praises of L'Aup 

L’Aup is a gem of a restaurant, that although on the road to Pollensa (on the turn to Cala San Vicente), is well worth the journey. We went twice during the holiday as the children love the play area there and it gives us adults a chance to enjoy the meal and talk.

The seating area is outside under lots of greenery and trees. Our first night was warm and the restaurant was pleasantly busy but I do know they also have a large inside eating area too, so the weather shouldn’t be a problem.

Our first meal was lovely. We skipped starters as the bread and pate the restaurant provides are delicious and chose suckling pig (hubby) and lamb stuffed with dates and ham as the main courses. The children chose spaghetti Bolognese and grilled chicken, meals which were well cooked, and were eaten with great relish before the kids disappeared off to the play area again.

However, they soon made a quick appearance when the desserts arrived – huge ice-creams decorated with fruit and chocolate mousse. With drinks, the bill came to about 88 euros.

The second time we visited, my parents were with us and my dad is still talking about his meal even now…

Like us, they’d always wanted to try the restaurant but never got around to going, so they were pleasantly surprised when we arrived and loved the pretty dining area. It was a beautiful night and it was quiet, but with enough people to make an atmosphere. Like the first time we visited, there was a live singer who was great. His performance was perfect as the background music and made for pleasant listening.

This time we ordered starters and my dad chose the prawns in garlic which he said were the best he’d ever tasted. Our other choices were the house salmon salad (huge), melon and ham and stuffed mussels (delicious!). Along with the pate and bread, we munched away happily!

Our main courses included suckling pig, meaty kebabs and rabbit which my dad ordered and immediately started raving about again. He loved the dish so much, that after the meal he went to find the chef who told him the rabbit had been marinated in cognac for 2-3 days, sprinkled with herbs (thyme and rosemary, I think) and then slowly cooked over charcoal. It was falling off the bone and delicious. The main meals were served with potatoes and vegetables.

With desserts, two bottles of wine (Marques de Riscal Rose and a Jose Ferrer Crianza) plus water, soft drinks and a couple of glasses of Hierbas, the bill came to 200 euros for the six of us.

The waiters were simply brilliant as well. They made jokes with us and were very friendly, so it was a lovely evening. Even though it’s a little way out of Puerto Pollensa, it’s well worth the journey and the play area is great if you have children. If you don’t, it’s far enough away to be hidden by the trees and we saw several couples having a peaceful, romantic meal.