Mallorcan Diary - 18th August - 1st September 2007

Saturday, August 18^th

After a very easy check-in and passage through Security, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast in Wetherspoons, which is now becoming a tradition in our family before we fly.

The flight was unexceptional, but it just made me glad we’d booked with Air Berlin again – they really are a great airline to fly with and we arrived just before 2.30pm. The difference between Palma and Stansted was huge – grey overcast skies in the UK and hot sunny weather in Mallorca!

Although we expected it, the queue for the car hire passed quickly and by 4pm, we were negotiating the road out of Palma, the stunning view of the mountains to our left a welcome diversion from the road ahead.

Trouble finding the villa – very frustrating but when we did find it, absolutely brilliant and everything we could wish for. Narrow road and a very tight bend to get to it, though, which will test our driving skills over the next few weeks!

Before the meal – Café Espanyol – where else? Lovely atmosphere in the square, lots of old women gossiping. Michael made friends and Sophie took him to see some of the shops.

L’Aup was very busy (we hadn’t booked), Keith was not happy with his suckling pig, but I enjoyed my lamb stuffed with dates. Clientele mainly Brits and some big parties. “Kenny Rogers” singing. Desserts of black and white choc mousse and fruit/ice cream. No wine, just drinks. Children had chicken fillet and spaghetti Bolognese. Bread, butter and pate were enough to miss starters. Bill: 87 euros.

 Late night dip and then a good sleep in the air-conditioned rooms.

 

Sunday, August 19^th

An early wake-up and the kids in the pool first thing. Then a trip into PP to get diesel and breakfast at Restaurant Llenaire, which was lovely. Fantastic views over the bay in the sunshine.

An essential stop-off at the brand new SYP and then back to the villa for swimming and sunbathing. Ahhh!

After an afternoon of swimming and sunbathing (although the dark clouds prevented it slightly), we went off to Cala San Vicente to buy rubber rings and lilos. The kids trekked off to the shop while Keith and I sat in the Bar Mallorca relaxing. They came back with most of the contents of the shop and we then had to fit them into the car!

Back at the villa, the children had a brilliant time jumping in with their new toys while I photographed lots of beautiful plants in the garden, in particular gorgeous cacti and vines.

We met the owners of the villa – Pedro and his wife Maria – maybe I was wrong about those characters in the books!!! They were lovely and have a large area of land at the back of the villa where they grow vegetables and keep a pig and some hens. Whilst hanging some washing out I met some more neighbours – a herd of goats who are tethered (hobbled?) in the most barbaric way. One even had a wooden board fitted over his horns. The poor things gobbled up some biscuits and cake and I longed to rescue them.

The clouds were growing darker as we drove towards Pollensa in the evening and I wondered whether we would have a thunderstorm. In the square, locals dominated… lots of groups of old women sitting chattering. We found a table at the top of the square and admired the view while Michael went off to play with some friends he’d made the previous evening. Another English couple sat down next to us and we laughed over their little boy who kept running off. A lovely atmosphere as always. Keith found a new bar specialising in beers – he tried one of 11%!

Storm clouds gathered as we sat, and Sophie and I went to reserve a table at Bar Nou, somewhere I’ve always wanted to try. We booked a table for 8.30 in the narrow street running along the outside of the restaurant. It was busy with people eating under huge cream umbrellas.

Our meal was lovely – starters of mixed salad, chicken wings and garlic bread followed by chicken breast (succulent and moist) and a huge rabbit for Keith. Michael had spaghetti from the specials board.

Main meals were served with broccoli, boiled potatoes and delicious grilled asparagus. My chicken breast was simply grilled and tasted delicious. A nice glass of white wine.

Bill for food and drinks (no wine) came to 80 euros. Nice setting despite the neon lights of the bank opposite, but I had a view of the church walls. Friendly attentive service. Bread, pickles and olives as an appetiser.

Monday,  August 20^th

It was a  cloudy morning so Keith decided to teach me how to play pool. I have to confess, I wasn’t very good!

The cloudy weather continued for most of the day, with some heavy rain in the afternoon, but it was still warm enough for the children to enjoy the pool and we sat talking and watching them play during the morning. 

Lunch was a relaxed affair sitting under the vine terrace and then I had a brief chat with the goats afterwards. Their smell makes me yearn for warm goat's cheese on crusty bread with ripe tomatoes!

We drove into PP early for ice cream at café L’Algar and watched the square wake up. It seemed very quiet to me with only the odd holidaymaker arriving for an early drink. The waiter went out of his way to avoid us, but we eventually got what we wanted – large ice-creams for the kids and drinks for us

As it neared 7pm and our meeting with Tony and Margaret, the square became a lot busier with a lot of people heading for Dakota Tex Mex and Bony’s. I realised I don’t really like the square much at all and prefer Pollensa square – there are more locals and a lot fewer gimmicks.

We all arrived at the Bar Cultural together and sat and chatted for over an hour watching as a convoy of vans turned up to disgorge a load of tat for a sort of mini market which seems to take place every night now. Perhaps they’ve moved off the Pine Walk?

The unanimous decision was to eat at Maxim’s and Tony and I walked over to get a table. It was busy with people eating and drinking and we were lucky to get a large table. The meal was OK – I was only able to sample my main course of lamb shoulder as we didn’t have starters or dessert and I have to say I was still hungry when we left to go back to the villa. However, it was delicious and well cooked and the bread and olives went down very well. The meal was accompanied by a bottle of the house Rose, but it wasn’t the meal I had envisaged as Keith and I don’t tend to stint while we are on holiday. But eating with another couple is always tricky unless you know them really well. We had a good chat and watched everyone wander about in the square examining the various stalls of tat. Sophie went off and bought herself an ankle bracelet and a necklace while Michael spent the entire evening playing with some boys.

The evening ended with a very nice glass of Mont Ferrutx on the terrace!

 

Tuesday, August 21st

We awoke to a loud thunderstorm and torrential rain…we hoped it would clear the air so getting up we made a coffee and watched GMTV.

The thunder didn’t last long and by 8.30am the sky was clear and blue but still windy, so we drove into PP for breakfast at Mollie’s Café, calling into the British Food Shop on the way to pick up some British beer and baked beans.

Breakfast was plentiful and friendly and we staggered off to SYP in PP to stock up on the essentials before spending the afternoon back at the villa, sunbathing and enjoying the pool.

In the evening we decided to eat at Ca’n Costa but before our meal, we had a drink at the new bar in town – La Birreria which specialised in lots of different beers from Germany, Belgium and France. Keith ordered me an 11% beer which I sipped slowly!

 

Wednesday, August 22nd

Another loud thunderstorm woke me this morning, but this time the rain didn’t let up by breakfast and it was a steady downpour which showed no sign of stopping. We had breakfast and then decided to go out for a ride in the car along the coast in the hope of finding some sun.

By the time we’d reached Alcudia we could see the clouds lifting in the distance – they were still firmly over the mountain tops but there were a lot of blue skies. We drove back to the villa via PP and SYP and then had lunch on the terrace – pizza for the children and cheese and crusty bread for Keith and me.

The afternoon was sunny with an interesting sky and the BBQ went ahead as planned. We cooked chicken, burgers and sausages, but the BBQ wasn’t that hot so we finished the meat in the oven while I kept an eye on the potatoes.

After the meal, Keith and the kids settled down to watch the football (England v Germany) and I went to bed to read.

 

Thursday, August 23rd

A brilliantly sunny day so we spent most of it by and in the pool. It was especially nice to sit at one end and dangle our feet in the water while sipping a cold beer. The maid arrived mid-morning to change the beds and towels and give the villa a quick clean.

After she went we had lunch (pizza, chicken rolls) and then watched Neighbours! We can’t get enough of it and it’s become a daily ritual to sit down and have a break from the sun (if it’s out!).

It clouded over slightly in the afternoon but we still managed to get some swimming and sunbathing in before going into PP at 4.30pm. First stop was the British Food Store again, where Keith stocked up on beer and baked beans and then we went off to Café L’Algar for drinks and ice-creams. It was a warm late afternoon and we headed back to the villa to change and then go into Pollensa for a drink. I called into El Molino to book a table and we parked just over the road before meandering up to the square for a drink at the Café Espanyol.

The waiter’s mother made an appearance and she was a lively character! She took out her guitar and started an impromptu jamming session, much to the embarrassment of her son! It was another lovely evening and again the atmosphere was wonderful. I don’t know why we go anywhere else!

At 7.45 we walked down to El Molino for our table on the very small terrace…

 

Friday, August 24th

I awoke late to another grey and drizzly day, so after breakfast, we drove into PP to change some money before the weekend. It started raining and as we’d parked at the far end of the marina, we were caught out by a thunderstorm and had to run for cover outside Stay.

We were there for a good half hour before it relented, and then we wandered along the front looking for a watch strap for Sophie. The children were in need of ice cream so we stopped at Gran Café 1919 and treated ourselves to one, whilst watching the rain fall again. Everyone looked fed up with the rain and I felt sorry for families with young children. At least we have the villa and lots of entertainment to keep us amused.

Before returning to the car, we studied the menu at La Llonja and then drove into CSV to see if Trotters Bar was advertising the football on Sunday. It started raining heavily and we got caught behind a bus for ages.

Back at the villa, I got soaked running to open the gate and it thundered all around us… hmm!

We spent the afternoon holed up in the villa – thankfully we had more than enough to keep us busy and in the evening drove into PP for a drink at the Daina Hotel. It was very breezy as we sat on the promenade watching people walk past.

Dinner at O Lume.

 

Saturday, August 25th

It was another cloudy day so we decided to go into Pollensa and have a walk around the town. I particularly wanted to find the Roman Bridge that had eluded me for so long. We walked up the flight of Calvari steps, and it was hard work in the humidity. At the top was a small bar so we had a welcome beer and ice cream before walking down on the road.

Following the signs, we came at last to the ancient Roman bridge and the tangled mass of an olive tree next to it, which looked as old as time itself. By now we were all sweating profusely in the heat so we stopped off for a drink at the Café Espanyol and then went back to the villa, calling in at Ensenat for bread on the way.

We enjoyed a lazy afternoon with a delicious lunch of goat’s cheese and tomatoes followed by a couple of bottles of Cava and a snooze in the sun. The pool was very welcome in the heat. 

Dinner in the evening was at Eu Centro in Pollensa - see notes.

After the disappointing meal, we called in at the Bar Juma for ice cream and a drink to round off the evening.

 

Sunday, August 26th

Today was very hot, humid and oppressive, but we had to visit the Pollensa Market as always. We managed to park on the outskirts of the town and walked in via the second market square which was full of stalls selling clothes and fabrics.

Keith and Michael went off to buy knights, while Soph and I meandered around the stalls looking at jewellery and crafts. We met up at the bottom of the steps and had a quick beer before deciding to have brunch at La Font del Gall.

Excerpt from PP forum review:

I'd normally make do with a pastry and a cup of coffee at the Cafe Espanyol on market day in Pollensa, but this year we decided to have a treat and eat brunch at La Font del Gall.

We'd missed breakfast completely, so after wandering around the stalls of the market on a very hot Sunday morning, it was a lovely relief to sink into one of the chairs at La Font del Gall and let them make us brunch.

We had a lovely meal - hubby and I went for the full works which included haggis, egg, potato scone, toast, bacon, tomato and Scottish sausage. The children had sausage and bacon baguettes. The food was beautifully cooked and served by a friendly waiter and it was a real delight to sit and watch people wandering by enjoying the market day in the old town.

I have a feeling we'll be doing it again next year!

It was very pleasant sitting in the street watching people go by, and Sophie bought a beautiful Indian cotton skirt.

After a quick dip in the pool at the villa, we drove into PP so Keith could watch the football at Mulligan’s Bar. I took the children to Café Caramba where we logged onto the internet and checked emails. I posted a message about the sign in Pollensa square.

After making sure I had no important emails (!) we went to Café L’Algar for ice cream and then wandered along the promenade in the heat. We managed to watch the last 20 minutes of the match amongst the shouting crowd in Mulligans. Not a place I’d like to return to!

It was with heartfelt relief that we got back to the villa and plunged into the pool! How wonderful it felt to be cool!

In the evening we decided to go to Stay so after parking the car we booked a table and then made our way to Bony’s for a drink. It was busy as usual and I looked around for Bonyslad but there was no sign. It would have been nice to swap eating stories.

 

Monday, August 27th

We were at SYP early this morning to stock up on essentials and then we stayed at the villa all day, swimming and sunbathing. It was very, very hot so we decided to BBQ in the evening and not move from the villa at all.

The evening was very pleasant – watching the sun sink behind the mountains was beautiful and Keith and I sat on the terrace with a bottle of wine in the cool of the evening. Perfect!

 

Tuesday, August 28th

Another lazy day spent around the pool – it was really too hot to do anything else, and the experience of baking on the sunbed and then getting cool in the pool is hard to beat.

In the evening we tried to book a table at Siller but every time we went past it was closed. We had a quick drink at Suttons and Sophie bought a new watch strap. It was fearsomely hot – 31 degrees at 6pm.

Dinner tonight was at Tiberi.

 

Wednesday, August 29th

Yet another scorcher and we spent the morning by the pool, but at lunchtime decided to drive off to La Victoria, a restaurant situated on the headland overlooking the bay. The road leading to the restaurant was very winding and had few barriers! My heart was in my mouth as I was driving!

We had a lovely lunch and the children enjoyed playing with the various cats that wandered around. It was very quiet… almost as if everyone was subdued by the amazing view.

The drive back down wasn’t as bad as I feared despite meeting a couple of cars. Back at the villa we spent the rest of the afternoon swimming and sunbathing.

Dinner in the evening at L’Aup

 

Thursday,  August 30th

Today we took the boat over to Formentor. It was quite overcast, but still warm and we had a lovely ride over to the other side of the bay with great views of the coastline.

We spent an hour at Formentor in the café, watching people arrive for a day at the beach and just enjoying the views.

Back at PP, we drove to Cala San Vicente and had lunch at Trotters. Not my ideal choice but the food was good and the staff friendly. We got back just in time to see Neighbours and then relaxed all afternoon.

Dinner in the evening at Ca’l Lloro – an overcast evening with a few drops of rain.

 

Friday,  August 31st

Ventured into PP for shopping (Keith bought me a beautiful Lladro piece) and picked up some pizza slices and cakes at a bakery.

Back to the villa for our last day of sunbathing and relaxing. It was a beautiful warm sunny day.

Dinner in the evening at Ca’n Costa and our last night in the square. I bought some wine at Ensenat.

Saturday, September 1st 

Breakfast at Mollie’s:

Excerpt from PP review:

It's become a tradition for us to have breakfast out on our last day and for the second year running we went to Mollie's Bar.

They do a fabulous cooked breakfast of sausage, bacon, fried bread, egg, tomatoes and beans, accompanied by toast and fruit juice.

The staff are always friendly and the place is usually busy with tables set out on the street so you can watch the world go by.

We went twice during the holiday for a treat and it was well worth it.

They also have an extensive menu of British favourites for the time you want a taste of home!

After breakfast, we took a slow drive to Porto Petro via the Costa de Los Pinos. A couple of drinks at a café after blundering around a hotel grounds!

Lunch at Porto Petro and then the drive to the airport.

A lovely holiday, full of fun, laughter, good food and drinks!

 

 

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2007

Ca'n Costa - August 31, 2007

It was our last night…we wanted it to be special and where else could we go than Ca’n Costa? We’d booked a table the previous evening and upon arrival sat and relaxed on the comfortable sofas. I felt that little tingle of anticipation as I sipped my drink and hoped that the evening would live up to our expectations!

As it was our last evening on holiday, we pushed the boat out a little in terms of food. I chose the salt and pepper tiger prawns to start and hubby went for the smoked venison. The children, having learnt that tomato soup was on the menu, immediately chose that for their starter followed by the popular spaghetti Bolognese.

For our main courses, hubby went back to his ultimate favourite – the baked cod while I chose the duck breast with potato rosti and green beans. We decided to forgo a bottle of wine and have a glass with our main course instead. As we sat on the sofa I looked around and tried to capture the images in my head… the lovely relaxing sofas, the old camera equipment, the paintings on the wall and tried to imagine how it used to look as a cinema. Already I was feeling nostalgic and as I write this I can see the beautiful décor and wish I was back there now.

My meal was, in the words of Mr Michael Winner, “historic”. The tiger prawns were succulent and delicious, arranged on creamy risotto. Hubby’s smoked venison was great, he said, but I think I had picked the best choice. My main course of duck breast was tender and the sauce sublime. I wanted to lick the plate, it tasted so good! The potato rosti was crisp and matched the duck beautifully.

As always, the children enjoyed their spaghetti and when I read the comments book near the loo, I think other children would agree with them! Their soup had been thick and tasty and I have to admit to having a couple of spoonfuls!

While I was oohing and ahhing about my duck, I asked hubby about his cod and he said it was ever so slightly over-cooked. Not by much, he stressed, but that wonderful moistness was absent and as a connoisseur of the dish, I knew he would be able to tell. It didn’t stop him from enjoying his meal though and he did tell the waiter how he felt when he came to collect the (very) empty plates.

Amazingly, we found room for pudding and my son told the waiter what he wanted before he even saw the menu – the chocolate fondant. My daughter and husband shared a lemon and plum tart while I chose the interesting “green peppercorn and chocolate tart” with a champagne granita. Mmmmm…!

My dessert was delicious – the green peppercorns added a hint of spicy heat to the warmth of the chocolate and the champagne granita (a kind of alcoholic Slush Puppy) soothed my taste buds!

Our evening was wonderful and I have very happy memories of relaxing and enjoying the meal there before our journey home the next day. The restaurant was busy but not full and I would book in future to be sure of getting a table!

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2007

Ca'l Lloro, Pollenca - 30 August 2007

Ca’l Lloro is a new hotel and restaurant that has opened in Pollensa square, just to the left of the steps if you are facing the church. Last year I remember seeing all the scaffolding and wondered what it would turn out to be. The old building has been beautifully restored and has a large outside eating area; an old fountain stands amidst the tables and is a popular feature with young children.

We booked a table before going for a drink at the Café Espanyol, and as we went into the bar, drops of rain were falling from a cloudy, stormy sky. One of the staff told us that if it continued to rain we would be eating in the restaurant upstairs, within the hotel itself.

For an hour we eyed the unsettled sky and watched as the old ladies in the square huddled under the umbrellas with their cups of coffee, But thankfully, by the time we walked the short distance to Ca’l Lloro the rain had stopped.

There are four very good restaurants in this small area including Il Giardino and La Posada d’Ariant and this makes for a great atmosphere. As we approached the restaurant, Alex came running out of Ca N’Olesa and kissed me. It was great to see him and if I’d known he was working at one of our favourites, we’d have eaten there! He was a brilliant waiter at Ca’n Costa and we missed his expert service and friendly smile.

We took our seats right next to the fountain and had a great view of all the comings and goings. My son chose his meal and then rushed off to resume his football game in the square while the rest of us nibbled on bread and studied the menu. We both ordered salads to start – hubby chose the walnut, grape and cheese while I went for a plain mixed salad. These were followed by grilled hake for hubby and entrecote steak and pepper sauce for me. The children chose from their own menu and decided on chicken in batter.

The staff were efficient and friendly, and we congratulated ourselves on booking as the place was almost full with reserved signs on the empty tables.

The food was very good and beautifully prepared. Our salads were delicious and were just the right size for a starter. The children ate their main course while we enjoyed our first, and they said the chicken was delicious.

We chose a local wine, the red Mortitx to go with our main course and it was very enjoyable, a really fruity easy-drinking wine that even went well with hubby’s hake. My entrecote was tender and the sauce a nice accompaniment. The grilled vegetables and sautéed potatoes were delicious. Hubby enjoyed his hake immensely and after the meal we sat back, replete and satisfied while we did a spot of people watching!

Seeing the dessert menu, we couldn’t resist a pud so I opted for the mascarpone cup and the children went for the chocolate mousse. All three desserts were sublime!

All in all, we will definitely return to Ca’l Lloro. It is very similar to Ca N’Olesa and La Posada d’Ariant in terms of menu choice and the setting is fabulous.


Bill was 105 euros including wine.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2007

L'Aup again - 29 August 2007

I think my husband was niggled by the chewy skin of his suckling pig the first time we visited L’Aup so he suggested we go back and have another try. I was in total agreement. I love going to L’Aup and sitting under the stars while the children go off happily to play and make friends.

Again, we didn’t book a table and the car park was full. This time I really thought we would have trouble getting a table, but we were met by the Head Waiter (our favourite) who shook our hands and seemed genuinely pleased to see us back. We took the same table and I immediately relaxed in the lovely surroundings.

As creatures of habit, we munched on the excellent bread, toast and pate while we studied the menu and my daughter ordered a helping of aioli as she’s become addicted to the stuff!

I was extremely pleased I hadn’t ordered a starter when my shoulder of lamb arrived. It must have been a huge lamb! However, it was delicious with tender meat that just fell off the bone. In the end, I tried to give some of it away as I couldn’t have finished it. My daughter and husband gladly accepted some but I still left a fair amount. I don’t think I could have got away with offering some to the other diners! Hubby went for the suckling pig again, and this time was much happier as the skin was exactly right – crisp and tasty. The children gobbled down their meals of escalope and pizza and rushed off to play again.

I chose a lovely Rosé to go with our meal – the Torres de Casta, which was delicious, light and fruity.

For pud, the children went for the chocolate mousse again and I wanted to try the “Glace biscuit of the house” but it was off, so I chose the fruit and ice cream while hubby indulged in a slice of whisky cake. It’s basically a portion of gooey cake and the waiter pours a liberal amount of whisky all over it. Not a malt, I hope!

By now the restaurant had emptied out and we sat and relaxed while a group of locals enjoyed their meal at the next table. They were in full flow and enjoying themselves immensely and I know how they felt. This restaurant has an instant relaxing effect on me. The waiter who looked after us was very friendly and made little jokes and the atmosphere is wonderful.

I know it will be our first stop when we visit next August!

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2007

Hair-raising lunch at La Victoria - August 29, 2007

With my clammy hands gripping the steering wheel and my heart pounding, it suddenly dawned on me that the spectacular view from La Victoria restaurant had to involve a climb somehow... and I'm terrified of driving in the mountains...

I'm not sure whether this would count as a mountain, though, and the hairpin bends only lasted a kilometre or so, but I was hugely relieved to reach the car park at the summit of the road and climb the steps to La Victoria restaurant.

I'd hauled my poor family out of the swimming pool as I'd always wanted to eat here and only had a vague sense of where it was. Happily, La Victoria is signposted from Alcudia old town so it was easy to find.

Another misconception of mine was to think the restaurant was simply a snack bar serving pizza and baguettes, but as we walked in we were greeted by the full works - beautifully set tables with tablecloths and an array of cutlery and glasses...plus a spectacular view across the bay to Puerto Pollensa.

We took a table on the second row from the balcony and my husband shot me a filthy look...I shrugged my shoulders and explained to the children that their lunchtime pizza might be off today.

Happily, La Victoria does a fantastic Menu del dia for 13 euros so with my husband mollified we ordered soup, chicken and escalope followed by ice cream and washed down with chilled bottles of water (the prospect of driving back down again had me quivering with nerves).

The food was delicious and the tomato soup went down well with all of us. The chicken was moist and served with a garlicky sauce accompanied by chips and vegetables. The menu is pretty extensive and if you're in the mood for a long leisurely lunch, I can't think of many places that would top this restaurant on a clear day.

There was a sort of hushed atmosphere as if everyone was just content to gaze at the wonderful view (or perhaps, like me, they were contemplating the drive back down the "mountain")!

All in all, a lovely experience and we will definitely do it again. The service was efficient and friendly and there was a small play area for children.

The bill for lunch for the four of us with drinks came to about 65 euros.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2007

Tiberi, Puerto Pollensa - August 28th 2007

Unfortunately, the most memorable thing about this great, informal and friendly restaurant for me was the heat the night we ate there! It was seriously hot and humid and the fans at Bony’s were working overtime as we sat and had a drink, so when we left to walk to Tiberi just around the corner, the heat settled on us all like a heavy blanket.

Tiberi was lively and busy when we visited. We hadn’t booked a table but it was quite early and we were shown to our seats straight away. The menu is like a little book and has plenty of choices. We chose from the varied Tapas menu for our starters with hubby deciding on the onion rings and the rest of us going for the nachos covered in cheese. In hindsight, I wish we’d chosen just two starters as the portions were huge and all my son did was pick off the cheese and eat that! Hubby was overjoyed to find onion rings on the menu as they’re his favourite and he said they were delicious.

For our main courses, we chose chicken wings, hamburgers and a pork steak in sauce. Again, the portion sizes were large but the food was very good. Each meal was accompanied by chips and my only complaint was that they were a little greasy. I was unable to finish my meal because it was so large and I must have drunk about a gallon of water in an attempt to cool down.

The staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was great with lots of people eating and a constant procession walking past.

I’ll look forward to going back and being able to do justice to my main course next time!

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2007

Stay, Puerto Pollensa - August 26 2007

After our meal at Eu Centro I suggested to hubby that we have a bit of a treat the next night, so off to Stay we went. We’d only ever eaten there at lunchtime before and I was keen to sit and watch the view of Puerto Pollensa by night.

We made sure we booked a table and arrived promptly at 8.30pm before being seated at a table just outside the main entrance. It was very busy. I’d forgotten how large the restaurant is and I looked forward to seeing how the place could maintain the standards we’d come to expect on such a frenetic evening.

I have to say the view was stunning. We weren’t on the front line, that is to say, right by the water’s edge, but we had a good view of the twinkling lights of the town and the sun sinking behind the beautifully crinkly mountains that form the wonderful backdrop to PP.

Our food order was taken quickly and efficiently and the Maitre’ D recommended a wine to go with our meal. Hubby chose the tomato salad with marinated mackerel to start followed by duck breast and my choices were the partridge ravioli in a mushroom sauce and then the pork loin in an apple and calvados sauce.

As we sat and admired the view little freebie starters of pea puree balanced on spoons arrived, accompanied by bread rolls and French toast. My son looked at his spoon in amusement and nothing I did could induce him to try it!

Our starters were fine but I have to admit to opening a little ravioli parcel and peering inside to find just a smidgen of partridge. The sauce was deliciously creamy and the portion generous. Hubby’s mackerel and tomato salad was described as superb.

While we ate our starters, the children’s main courses arrived and my daughter gamely worked her way through an adult portion of chicken. It was a dish I had ordered last year and was very good. Succulent chunks of chicken in a creamy sauce accompanied by a little pastry hat. My son had his favourite meal of spaghetti which disappeared rapidly.

There was no sign of the wine, however and when our main courses were delivered to the table, I asked a passing waiter what had happened to it. Within seconds, an ice bucket and a bottle of Ca’n Vidalet white arrived, but we’d ordered a red. This was the second time this particular wine had failed to find a home as the couple sitting at the next table were offered it too…

Another waiter rushed up and asked us what we’d ordered. “We’ve no idea,” we replied. “The Maitre D’ recommended it.” He rushed off again and at this point, I realised that the staff had lost it.

Eventually, our wine arrived halfway through our main course and turned out to be a very good Rioja Reserva which tasted like a rich sherry. However, our main courses were not up to the standards I’d expected from Stay. Hubby and I were given each other’s meals and at first, we almost didn’t notice. My pork was tasteless and I couldn’t detect any Calvados in the sauce at all. Hubby’s duck could have been swapped for my pork and we’d have been none the wiser despite it being covered in a green pepper sauce.

The constant coming and goings around us reminded me, sadly, of a works canteen and with every passing footstep, I seemed to bounce up and down in my seat! The staff were rushing around madly and I heard at least two angry remarks directed at the waiters and waitresses from the harassed Maitre D’.

The children decided to have dessert and ordered the three chocolate mousse and the crème Bruleé which were delicious. A nice touch at the end of the evening was a free liqueur for us adults and gorgeous chilled chocolates.

I’m not sure whether I would venture into Stay again at night, but maybe we caught it at the wrong time seeing as it was high season. It’s a very popular restaurant and the setting is exceptional but I’m not sure about the wooden decking…!

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2007

Eu Centro, Pollenca - 25 August 2007

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve walked by Eu Centro, always on the way to somewhere else, but one night, at the suggestion of my husband, we decided to eat there.

I walked up early with my daughter and we booked an outside table for later in the evening. Eu Centro is behind the huge church in Pollensa Old Town on a narrow street just before the Cockerel fountain.

I hadn’t read any reports about this restaurant on the forum so I was eager to see what the evening would bring…

The first problem was that we were seated inside so I put this down to a lack of communication and blamed myself for not knowing any Spanish. The outside tables were all occupied and inside was pretty busy as well, so I had high hopes and wondered why I hadn’t heard any reports.

Our waitress for the evening was very friendly and took our order in halting English, even repeating it back to us after we’d chosen. Hubby chose fried vegetables to start followed by suckling pig, but we were told this was not available. To our horror, he then chose roasted kid…

Trying to ignore the images of our little herd of goats at the villa being cooked, I opted for a French omelette to start followed by pork loin. The children picked beefburgers from the children’s menu and my daughter also chose croquettes as a starter. A bottle of Macia Batle Crianza was chosen to go with our meals and we settled back to wait for our food.

Hubby and daughter’s starters arrived and I waited… and waited. Looking around I could see the waiter and waitress clearing a table and wondered what they had done with my omelette…

“You’re not getting a starter,” my husband laughed and offered me some of his vegetables which he said were delicious. Ignoring him, I took a croquette that my daughter held out and found it reasonably tasty. When she screamed out at biting into a livid green one (spinach?) I ate that, too!

My starter never arrived and I should have said something, but my appetite was blunted slightly by the two croquettes so I looked forward to enjoying my pork loin.

However… when the main courses arrived, I ended up with… the omelette! To say I was mad is an understatement as the omelette was tiny and accompanied by some thin chips and a salad garnish that was well past its sell-by date! Of course, smug hubby tucked into his baby goat and pronounced it gorgeous. Again, I should have said something to one of the staff, but they were both so busy and harassed (they’d tried to give us the wrong food at one point before our mains arrived) that it would have involved another long wait for the food.

The beefburgers were not the best the children had ever eaten and the evening rapidly descended into disaster. Opposite our table were two very elegant women and I watched as they asked the waiter just what had happened to their meal. To mollify them, they were given a basket of bread and olives, something we never received.

So… one member of our party was perfectly happy with his meal, while the other three wished they had eaten somewhere else!

The wine was good though!

Bill came to 57 euros (probably because my “main course” omelette was only 6 euros!)

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2007

O Lume, Puerto Pollensa 24 August 2007

O Lume has an understandably fantastic reputation on this forum with many fans who’ve eaten there and enjoyed their meals. This was our second visit, and when we arrived there was only one other table occupied. Jaime recognised me from last year (and the forum!) and we took a table near the entrance.

Jaime is a great host and his restaurant deserves to do well because of the level of service he offers to those who dine there. But one thing struck me over the evening, and that is the lack of atmosphere, which is a difficult problem to resolve with O Lume’s location. Empty restaurants make me nervous and I feel that every move I make is being watched. Up to a point Ca’n Costa suffered from this as well but this holiday we noticed it was busier than last year. O Lume is tucked away down a side street, well away from the hustle and bustle of Puerto Pollensa and despite fans going out of their way to find it, the night we visited it was very quiet.

It didn’t help much that my daughter was suffering from a painful ear and wasn’t really in the mood to be anywhere but tucked up in bed, so apologies to Jaime for leaving so hastily at the end of the evening! Anyway, our meal started off with little appetisers of fishy croquettes which the children subsequently ordered as a starter. Hubby went for the Serrano ham while I chose the dish I had last year – the grilled vegetables, which were delicious.

For our main courses, the children wanted the whole baby chicken each, and looking back, I think they would have done the meal justice, but Jaime suggested they have a half portion. Hubby chose lamb chops while I went for the veal steak in a mushroom sauce. Our choice of wine was the beautiful Son Bordils Syrah which is one of my favourites.

My veal steak was huge and had more blood than I would have preferred, but the mushroom sauce was delicious and my daughter enjoyed the small piece I offered to her. Hubby’s chops were equally delicious but being a real carnivore he would have liked them to have been a little bigger and meatier! The meals were accompanied by homemade chips and grilled vegetables.

I was unable to finish my main course because of the size but luckily hubby found room for some as I hate leaving good food. By now, my daughter was in a lot of pain with her ear so we called for the bill, and we were given a lovely liqueur and gorgeous chocolates to round off our meal.

If Jaime could somehow miraculously move his restaurant to the square in old Pollensa with outside tables to catch the cooling night breeze, he would be a millionaire in no time. It’s such a shame to see mediocre restaurants attracting huge numbers when Jaime has everything you need for a fantastic meal except that elusive prime location.

The bill came to 92 euros including wine and soft drinks.