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.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2007

El Molino, Pollenca - 23 August 2007

I’d read good reports of El Molino so one early evening, after parking the car on a patch of waste ground almost opposite, we booked a table and walked up to the square for a drink at Café Espanyol.

I love trying new places and when we arrived sometime later, we took our seats in the tiny courtyard in front of the restaurant. Space is rather tight here, but it makes for cosy dining and our original table was rejected because there simply wasn’t enough room for the fourth chair. So as you can imagine, we were rather fussy customers from the outset and then I made things worse by dropping most of my cutlery on the floor!

Anyway, with menus in hand, we studied the choices and were impressed with the different dishes on offer. The children opted for a beef curry while hubby decided on walnut and balsamic bread topped with Mallorquin cheese, ham and asparagus as a starter and fried goat’s cheese with strawberry coulis for me. For the main course, I was intrigued by the “jerk” pork served with bulgar wheat and hubby went for battered cod with chips and salad.

Decisions over, we sat back and enjoyed bread, olives and aioli and chose a Macia Batle Blanc de Blancs to go with our meal. El Molino is a very pretty restaurant with beautiful stonework and ornate gates leading into the tiny courtyard. There aren’t many tables outside so if you want to take advantage of fresh air it would be best to book. The staff were very friendly and our waitress made a great fuss of the children, particularly my son who had a little green gorilla with him which was much admired!

The children’s curry arrived with our starters and it was delicious. My son went for the full adult portion and did well, eating most of what was on his plate. I tried some and was impressed with the flavour. It wasn’t too hot, either. Our starters were fine – the strawberry coulis mixed in with my leafy salad was delicious.

The Blanc de Blancs was very good and was a deep golden colour. It made a perfect match with hubby’s cod, but my main course of jerk pork was quite overpowering, the sauce covering the meat highly spicy and hot. It was served not with the bulgar wheat as described, but with rice and chips. The waitress had let me know about the change, but I would have appreciated some salad or vegetables to soften the heat. Bizarrely, it gave me a sudden and painful headache and I didn’t finish it. Hubby’s cod was acceptable and he especially liked his handmade chips.

We shared two desserts of apple crumble. Again, they were fine but I suspect they were microwaved as the dishes they were served in were extremely hot.

To sum up, we enjoyed our evening at El Molino but next time I would choose a different main course! The service was brilliant and the waitress who looked after us was superb – efficient, friendly and professional.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2007

Ca,n Costa, Pollenca - August 21, 2007

I always feel special when I eat at Ca’n Costa and our first meal there just reinforced that wonderful feeling. We hadn’t booked a table and when we arrived there was only one other couple eating in the restaurant. Sinking onto the comfortable sofas we had a drink while looking at the menu and nibbled on some juicy black olives. The atmosphere was informal and relaxed.

After choosing our meals we were shown to our table and given little freebie starters of goat's cheese on toasted bread. More different breads arrived with two dips - calvados and apple and olive oil.

We’d both chosen the leek and potato soup to start and then hubby had his favourite dish for the main course, the baked cod, while I went for the special of pork fillet. The children enjoyed their spaghetti which they said was the best they’d ever tasted.

The soup was delicious and creamy while the main courses were both deliciously cooked. My pork fillet was tender and just melted in my mouth. How did the chef manage that? Pork can be notoriously tough and chewy but I can honestly say this was the best I had ever eaten. It was accompanied by diced vegetables and sautéed potatoes.

Hubby was more than satisfied with his cod - he really loves this dish and it was served with vegetables and a little tower of french fries.

Our wine was the locally produced wine – the Ca’n Vidalet Blanc de Blancs which went well with our choices.

Having just a little room for dessert, we couldn’t resist three portions of chocolate fondant and the lemon tart, all of which were delicious.

By the time we left, the restaurant had filled up completely which was great to see. The service throughout the meal was friendly, discreet and efficient, but I have to admit to missing Alex who we later discovered is working at Ca N'Olesa.

Bill came to 132 euros.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2007

Bar Nou, Pollenca - August 19, 2007 

I’d always wanted to try this little restaurant, tucked away down a side street in Pollensa's old town, so leaving hubby and son at the Café Espanyol, I walked the short distance to Bar Nou with my daughter to book a table.

The restaurant only has outside tables and we looked at the sky anxiously as storm clouds gathered overhead and a distant rumble of thunder could be heard. Luckily the restaurant had large umbrellas over the tables, as minutes after sitting down, drops of rain fell from the dark and stormy sky.

We ordered a choice of dishes from our friendly waitress – garlic bread for the children, chicken wings for hubby, and a mixed salad for me, followed by grilled breast of chicken, rabbit and spaghetti.

The garlic bread was plentiful and my mixed salad contained everything you could wish for including olives, boiled egg and asparagus. The main courses were beautifully cooked and although simple, were very tasty. I had the chicken along with my daughter and it was succulent and moist. It was served with boiled potatoes and grilled asparagus and was delicious. Hubby’s rabbit was huge and he gamely attacked it with his knife and fork before succumbing and picking it up to eat.

The position of Bar Nou is lovely, although my view was slightly spoiled by the neon lights of the bank opposite. However, if I craned my neck to the right, I could see the lovely old walls of the church and the constant procession of people passing by made for an interesting night.

Having no room for pud, we staggered off into the night… thankfully it had now stopped raining!

Bill came to 77 euros including drinks.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2007

L'Aup, first night - August 18, 2007

It was our first night in Mallorca and the unanimous decision was to go to L’Aup for dinner after a relaxing drink at the Café Espanyol in Pollensa square. As it was literally minutes from our villa it seemed the right thing to do even though we hadn’t booked.

However, on driving into the restaurant we were dismayed to find the car park full, but luckily we were shown to a table and settled down to study the menu which hadn’t changed since last year. The children went off to play while hubby and I decided what to eat, which wasn’t difficult. Choosing to plunge straight into the main course, we munched on bread and pate whilst waiting for our suckling pig and lamb stuffed with dates.

The restaurant was busy with several tables of large groups and the singer, who resembled Kenny Rogers, was busy crooning some classic Spanish numbers. Overhead the stars twinkled and tiny kittens crept in and out of the shadows at our feet. It felt good to sit back, relax and treasure our first night under a Mallorcan sky.

The children ate their spaghetti and chicken and then disappeared back off to play, leaving us to eat our main courses in peace! My lamb was very good – tender meat stuffed with sticky dates in a delicious sauce. It came accompanied by Lorraine potatoes (layered spuds with cheese and cream) and vegetables. Hubby was slightly disappointed with his suckling pig, saying the skin was dry and chewy but the meat itself was cooked well.

We finished the evening with an ice-cream dessert smothered in fruit and black and white chocolate mousse.

The service was quick and efficient but rather impersonal (our favourite waiter was busy with another section of the restaurant) and the bill for four with drinks came to 87