Cantonet - Pollenca Old Town
For nearly two years now I’ve wanted to return to Cantonet in Pollenca Old Town to experience again the great meal we had back in October 2004. I’m sure my original post exists somewhere on here but we had a really lovely time, with wonderful food and wine, great service and a beautiful setting (inside, as the terrace was closed).
My husband agreed with me so I walked up one warm evening before a drink at the Café Espanyol with my daughter and booked a table. Now, I’m a firm believer in premonitions and when we walked into Cantonet the place looked a mess. The two tables by the door were covered with cigarette stubs and the staff were lolling about smoking. Fine, I thought, they’re having their meal and relaxing before the evening starts. No worries. We asked for a table on the terrace by the church and went back off happily anticipating a great evening…
And things started off well. Firstly the setting is hard to beat. The restaurant is next to another huge church in Pollensa and about 10-12 tables are set out on the beautiful terrace. We saw a couple being turned away who had asked about a table, so if you want to go in high season, it’s best to book. From our table, we had views over the rooftops of the town and the clock on the big church in the main square.
Our table, hmmm… well, it was very small for the four of us and was wobbly because of the stone. One family arrived and there were a few minutes of confusion over their booking. The staff thought they had booked for six when they were actually four so they were shown to a table the same size as ours, but they were having none of it and made for another, set by the wall of the terrace which was larger. This threw the waiters into confusion for a while… and set the tone for the evening.
The menu was good – the usual suspects of lamb, duck and fish dishes but with an added list of different ravioli, stuffed with various kinds of cheese and sauces. There is no children’s menu.
We made our choices and asked for spaghetti for my son who would eat it morning, noon and night. They could do Bolognese, they said, and my daughter chose lamb cutlets.
For starters, I went for a chicken liver salad while hubby opted for the Parma ham and melon. My salad was huge with about a ton of lettuce leaves but the livers were moist and tender. Hubby was pleased with his choice, but you can’t really go wrong with that...
So, on with the mains! I’d studied the ravioli list but decided to go with the duck breast in a raspberry sauce while hubby went for lamb. As a reminder of our previous meal, and because I’m a romantic (!) I chose a bottle of the Montecillo Gran Reserva 1995. Last time it had been decanted with much ceremony by the wine waiter and it made us feel very special.
But not so this time. My husband was shown the bottle, grrrrr… but he passed it to me for tasting and that was it. It was just plonked on the already overcrowded table and all through the meal I was convinced I was going to wear it.
Our main courses arrived and I had to admit I was disappointed. My duck was rare and bloody and tough. Now, I had duck breast at Cap de Canto and that was perfectly cooked with a delicious sauce. My sauce at Cantonet was tasteless and was as far from raspberry as you could get. Hubby’s lamb was also chewy and my daughter’s lamb cutlets, while meaty, were not falling off the bone as we expected. But my son ate his spaghetti with relish which was a very good thing…
The service was slow and whilst I realise that a restaurant in October is a different beast from one in August, I had expected more. I seem to remember from our 2004 visit, complimentary cava, a freebie starter and friendly service.
We ordered two helpings of tiramisu to share between the four of us and then asked for the bill…
When it eventually arrived I nearly had a heart attack – my son’s (adult) meal of spaghetti had been charged at 21 euros, more than mine or my husband’s meals. We were shocked and I’m still angry with myself as I write this, that I didn’t query the price. But it was now past 11pm, we were all tired and the waiters did not speak much English (which is fair enough). So we paid up and swallowed our annoyance but I have to say our tip was somewhat reduced.
So, that was Cantonet and it will take a lot to tempt me back… haven’t I said that before? They’re obviously doing something right as the place was packed, and maybe we just made the wrong choices. But I was disappointed. Surely a good restaurant is the same whatever the season – experience will dictate that more staff are needed in the summer!
The bill was a stomach-churning 146 euros – the most we ever paid as a family of four and I can still taste the bitterness in my mouth nearly a week later
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