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.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2005

Maxim's in the square - Puerto Pollensa

I had heard quite a bit about Maxim's in the square so we decided to eat there after our drink at the Forum Get-Together at Pascalino's.

To say it was busy is an understatement and anyone looking for a quiet romantic meal should look elsewhere!

We managed to get a table very close to the entrance and we were kept cool by the constant rushing of the waiters who all looked pretty hassled.

We made do with the bread and olives as a starter (more on this topic later - GOW might raise her head) and I chose the lamb stuffed with pate and prunes while hubby went for the shoulder of lamb.

The children chose from the kids' menu and we hardly saw them all night as they played with the others in the square.

My main course was surprisingly good and tasted delicious with really pronounced flavours. It arrived with sautéed potatoes and vegetables and hubby said his lamb was great but was slightly undercooked. He likes it to fall off the bone with tenderness but he enjoyed it nonetheless.

We skipped dessert and wine and the bill, when it finally arrived after three requests, came to 52 euros.

We went to Maxim's again during the following week after a very enjoyable drink with Debz and Chelseadons and their family. So enjoyable was the drink that we didn't leave Bony's until 10.45pm and quickly made our way to Maxim's again to be met with a very disgruntled waiter who was not pleased about the late hour.

We were made to choose very quickly (!) and this time I chose the chicken breast in a mushroom sauce while hubby went for duck. Both meals were very good and my chicken was very tender and moist.

I enjoyed the food at Maxim's but the waiters were not the friendliest I have ever met and looked hassled all the time. If you don't mind this then it is a great place to eat, especially with young children.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2005

L'Auborada - Pollensa

L'Auborada is in a great position at the top of the beautiful main square in Pollensa, right next to Café Espanyol.

Again, it is a restaurant we have often thought about trying so tonight was the night!

The children were too busy playing to take much notice of the menu but hubby and I sat and relaxed and chose mussels in a marinara sauce (me) and roasted vegetables and goat's cheese (hubby) for starters.

My mussels were delicious but hubby said his veg was a bit greasy.

Our main courses of chicken stuffed with blue cheese and aubergines (me) and suckling pig (hubby) were well-cooked and served with vegetables. I chose a Mallorcan red - Manto Negro 2003 - to go with the meal which was a bit tannic and tasted of cherries but went well with our choices.

The staff were slightly hit and miss, in a funny sort of way, almost like a comedy duo that never quite got their act together!

For such a great position in the square, the restaurant was pretty quiet whilst the others at the bottom of the square were very, very busy.

With the children, I indulged in a dessert of chocolate and nut gateau and the bill came to 67 euros.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2005

The Forum meal at Balaixa 

Penny White asked today how the meal went at Balaixa on the 27th of August and I was working my way around to it (despite the other forum members being present!) and was saving it until last as it was one of the best nights of my holiday.

It was a very sultry and stormy evening, and I did wonder whether my dream of sitting outside under the stars would come true or whether we would all be sheltering under a huge umbrella!

We arrived first and immediately my two children found the cats - the kittens presumably of the stars of my earlier post! However, this time they were exceptionally well-behaved (the cats I mean) and provided a very useful distraction!

Lilly, the Great Dane, also made an appearance and the whole atmosphere was very much like being welcomed into someone's lovely home for a personal dinner party.

Mallorcaboy and his charming wife arrived next and we ordered drinks and had a great chat whilst waiting for Roy and Katie and Pollensa and her family plus Pollensa Man. What a great crowd!

Very soon we were all gathered around a beautifully set table and reading the menu which I found hard to choose from as all the choices were delicious. I eventually settled for the tandoori chicken strips served with an onion bhajee followed by the calves liver which seemed to be a very popular choice amongst us.

Arnie sat with us and relaxed whilst taking our choices down and again the atmosphere was exceptionally friendly and informal.

The children had a great menu of their own which included a mild chicken curry and this dish was also available for adults only a bit hotter.

The wines I chose (with everyone's eyes on me!) were a very popular Marques de Caceres Rioja, an El Coto Rioja and the house white.

Desserts were few and far between as most people were too full but I know Mallorcaboy and I opted for cheese and biscuits, which were lovely.

We all had a great time and it was lovely to meet up with Roy and Katie who had flown over especially to come to the dinner. It was nice to finally see them after our long messages about New Zealand wine! Sadly there were no NZ wines on the list but I don't think that mattered!

Mandy came out to see us after the meal and told us she had been having problems with the equipment in the kitchen but such was their professionalism, we never noticed a thing.

We all had such a great time chatting and laughing that it was well past midnight before we all rolled home!

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2005

La Font del Gall

We left La Font del Gall for our last night after chickening out of taking the children to Ca'n Costa.

I went into the restaurant in the morning to book a table but they were unable to fit us in outside so it was only the second time in the whole two weeks we ate inside.

Le Font del Gall is Scottish-owned and the menu has some delicious Scottish dishes that sounded lovely.

We both chose haggis with neeps and tatties to start and hubby went for the fish of the day which was hake, only to be told it had changed to tuna. Not liking this he joined me by choosing the spiced shoulder of lamb with garlic crushed potatoes and red cabbage.

The children were well-catered for and although my son was a bit restless at being cooped up they both behaved really well and we had a great time chatting to them for a change!

We were given freebie starters of a delicious pate served on a tiny slice of toast plus the usual bread and butter.

I was looking forward to my haggis starter as I am a big fan but it was disappointing - just three tiny blobs of haggis, potatoes and neeps and that was it! Not much taste either and I know I can certainly do better at home!

Anyway! On to the main course and it arrived beautifully presented with what looked like a slice of cardboard balanced on top of the "lamb". (It tasted like cardboard too).

When we started eating hubby looked at me and we both said, "This isn't lamb! It's beef!"

But we didn't say anything!

Our wine was a star - a delicious Enate Cabernet Sauvignon from Somontano which went with the "lamb" perfectly.

No desserts for us but the kids tucked into ice cream and we were given a small measure of Brandy Alexander as we paid the bill which was 89 euros including drinks and water.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2005

Two restaurants for the price of one... Ca'n Cuarassa and L'Aup

Our meal at Ca'n Cuarassa was to be the highlight of our holiday as I had enjoyed the restaurant when we visited back in May.

We called by the day before to book an outside table knowing (via the forum) that they had a small play area for children.

When we arrived at 8.30 the place was quite busy with families eating and we took our seats and ordered some drinks.

I happened to look down at my arm and was horrified to see a huge mosquito settling down for a good bite! Brushing it away I looked over at my son who had another huge one on his forehead!

It was then that I noticed the other diners flapping away more mosquitoes and I began to panic as none of us were wearing insect repellent as we had not seen a single one up until now.

Hubby was also being bitten on his legs and I realised I had been bitten four times in as many minutes. One kind lady was passing around insect repellent for the children but the thought of sitting and relaxing and being bitten was impossible, so we sadly got up and left immediately.

No one questioned why we were leaving as hubby paid for our drinks and although I know mosquitoes are a hazard in the area, it might have been a good idea for the management to place citronella candles about to help alleviate the nuisance.

I was so upset about the whole experience and my arm the next day was like a balloon, painful and very swollen.

We managed to get a table at L'Aup again but the evening had been ruined. It was interesting to note that we never saw another mosquito again during our stay despite eating outside every night.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2005

Ca'n Olesa - Pollensa square

This was our third visit to this restaurant at the bottom of the steps (next to Il Giardino) and they offer Mallorcan specialities and stone-baked pizzas.

We booked a table before our drink at the Cafe Espanyol which was essential as they were very busy when we went back and we had to wait for our table to be cleared and re-set.

The menu was varied and I noticed Tumbet as a main course with pork, and a seafood Frito Mallorquin, plus fish dishes, a rack of lamb and one of my favourites, the fried green peppers.

The bread and olives made an appearance as we looked at the menu and I chose mussels in a tomato and onion sauce to start while hubby went for walnut, cheese and grape salad.

Our main courses of rabbit and onions and lamb in a rosemary sauce were slightly chewy but delicious as well.

The wine, an Atrium Merlot from Penedes, was very drinkable, soft and fruity and went well with our meat dishes.

The staff, though very busy, were friendly and our waitress looked a bit like Julia Roberts. Presumably, this was in answer to the Catherine Zeta-Jones look-alike next door at Il Giardino, and her appearance made hubby very happy!

I was fascinated by the posh Brit family at the next table who loudly announced they were from the Hotel Formentor and then proceeded to order a pizza each. Obviously staying there is more expensive than I thought!

The bill came to 89 euros.