Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2006

Lunch at Stay, Puerto Pollensa

I was really pleased when my mum mentioned that she'd read about Stay in a magazine and wanted to go. Apparently, the magazine said it was a "must do" restaurant, so we decided to pay a visit on my parents' last day as they were flying back home in the evening.

It was a warm day and we had a drink at the Miramar Hotel before walking up to the marina. I'm sure everyone knows that Stay has just been rebuilt and is quite a lot different from how it used to be.

It was very quiet when we went. Just a couple of tables were occupied and we took a seat on the decking overlooking the sea. But it was very hot and I took a seat in the full sun, knowing that as the meal went on, I'd probably melt into a puddle, so after braving it for about 15 minutes we reluctantly moved inside which was air-conditioned and much more comfortable.

The restaurant is very elegant - lots of steel and wood and it doesn't seem the sort of place to go for an intimate dinner. But the views are lovely and the staff were very helpful, attentive and discreet.

The menu was extensive - page after page of dishes each with its own little photo. Our starters included fried vegetables in a light batter, fish soup and parma ham and melon. I had the fried vegetables and they were delicious - the batter really was light and they were served with a lovely sauce. My dad's fish soup was "fantastic".

For mains, we chose Hake, chicken breast in a sauce with a little puff pastry hat, and veal kidneys. Again, everything was cooked beautifully and the meal was delicious.

Our wine of the day was the Miguel Oliver Muscat which was off-dry, refreshing and very fruity. The children were given grilled chicken which they enjoyed and it was good for them to be able to explore the decking outside and go and have a look at the boats. Being a little older (6 and 10) they were able to go off pretty safely, but if I'd had toddlers with me, I would have been wary about the water being so near.

Some of us ordered desserts which were beautifully presented and included pears in puff pastry, a raspberry mascarpone sweet and chocolate mousse.

We had a lovely, very relaxed time and the Maitre D' was efficient and very polite. Maybe next time we'll have to try this restaurant at night as I'm sure it gets even better with the setting sun and all the lights of PP.

For the six of us, the bill came to 185 euros which included water and soft drinks.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2006

Trencadora, Pollenca Old Town 

This restaurant seems to have had its ups and downs just recently, but we were keen to go back and have another meal and this time we took my parents with us on their first night in Mallorca.

This is really hidden away down a side street, a short walk from the square in Pollensa. Just turn right at the Cafe Espanyol, cross over one street and carry on walking. You'll hear the sound of the water first before you see the entrance.

This is another beautiful, beautiful setting and my parents were impressed. We'd booked a table and we were seated outside right by the entrance.

The staff were very friendly - the young male waiter made a great fuss of my son who loved the attention and there were quite a few other children eating there as well. They have a special children's menu.

The atmosphere was very relaxed and friendly yet elegant at the same time. It really is a beautiful restaurant and the tables for two on the far wall were wonderfully intimate and romantic.

We enjoyed the food and among our starters were vegetable bruschetta, Roquefort, grape and walnut salad and salmon and crab mousse which my mum enjoyed very much. My dad's bruschetta was delicious, he said, but just slightly hard to eat. Bless him, he still has most of his teeth.

As for mains, we chose the rack of lamb, duck breast in a honey and soy sauce and pork tenderloin with tagliatelle. Dad and I had the duck and thought it superb. Hubby was slightly disappointed with his lamb - his words were "overcooked on the outside but undercooked on the inside" but that was his only criticism. The meals were served with little filo baskets of mixed vegetables and the only real niggle was the charge of 2,50 euros for a plate of chips (classed as extra vegetables on the menu).

The desserts were delicious - I just had to have the chocolate fondant again with pistachio ice cream and the thick chocolate sauce just oozed out as I cut into the sponge.

I chose a bottle of the Jaume de Puntiro Carmesi red and the bill, with children's meals, pre-dinner drinks and water came to 175 euros for the 6 of us.

This is a must for a special night out and my parents were impressed with our choice for their first night!

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2006

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

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2006

Maxim's again...

Last year I posted that the food was good at Maxim's but the staff were a little fraught and dare I say it, abrupt...

However... this year we ate at Maxim's and the staff were great. They even asked if we wanted bread and olives!

We had a delicious meal - my starter of tiger prawns in crispy batter with a chilli dip was delicious and my main course of stuffed chicken was well-cooked and moist. Hubby chose the soup and then the shoulder of lamb and was pleased with both.

A word of warning - this is a very busy and popular restaurant so if you want a table, be sure to get there before about 8pm or book. The service was noticeably friendlier (and we had several waiters serve us) but still frenetic. That didn't detract from the meal though at all and it was great to see the square so bustling and busy.

Bill was about 75 euros for the four of us, but no dessert or wine, just a couple of beers, soft drinks and water.

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.