Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2005

Ca'n Costa - the sequel

I seem to remember writing not so long ago that "It would take a lot to tempt me back to Ca'n Costa". However, never say never and after Chelseadons recommendation I was lured back to Pollensa on our first evening.

We strolled up to the restaurant to book a table, but when we arrived after a drink in the square, it was very quiet, with just one other couple dining.

The restaurant has become even prettier than before - lots of candles everywhere (the foyer itself is beautiful and very atmospheric) and deep burgundy throws and cushions adorning the cream sofas where we studied the menu over a drink and nibbles.

The menu didn't seem to have changed much since we visited last October and I chose Pa Amb Oli with scrambled eggs and chorizo to start while hubby opted for chicken liver pate.

For mains, we chose oven-roasted pork fillet (me) and the rack of lamb for hubby. Other main courses included grilled beef or ostrich, tuna steak, calves liver and chicken breast.

We chose a Mallorcan wine, the Son Bordils Syrah, which the waiter, who looked a bit like a young John Travolta, decanted expertly using a wonderful contraption that "sprayed" the wine into the decanter giving it lots of air to breathe and release its lovely aromas.

We nibbled on a selection of homemade seeded breads with two dips, one of which contained balsamic vinegar and an appetiser of asparagus spears wrapped in salmon.

Our starters were delicious - my scrambled eggs were cooked to perfection and the chunks of chorizo sausage were lovely and spicy!

Our main courses were beautifully presented with a layered terrine of vegetables and tiny sauteed potatoes. The lamb was moist and tender and hubby definitely gave it the thumbs up!

The wine was delicious - smooth and velvety with a hint of spiciness.

For dessert hubby chose the cheese board, while I went for the chocolate fondant. The young waiter brought a trolley over to the table and explained to hubby where each cheese came from which was a nice touch. As for my chocolate fondant...well! It was Meg Ryan all over again, only more so!!

It was utterly gorgeous and definitely on a par with the dessert at Trencadora. Served with ice cream and a spun sugar decoration, I was in heaven!!

Over the course of the meal, we met one half of the new owners, Cynthia, who with her husband, re-opened the restaurant at Easter. They hail from Wetherby in North Yorkshire and their son William is the chef. They are lovely people and I sincerely hope they make a success of Ca'n Costa. I'm sure with the food and the friendly efficient service they will succeed and I can only hope that the standards we experienced will last over the busy summer months.

The bill came to 105 euros (not including tip) which included drinks and wine.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2005

Serenaded at La Fortalesa 

If it wasn't for the website and forum I would never have known about La Fortalesa! I didn't even know the square was there in PP until last October!

Anyway, we would have missed a treat! The restaurant was busy when we arrived after a drink at Bony's in the square and there were only three tables left.

Nibbling away at olives and bread while we studied the menu I decided to try the Frito Mallorquin while hubby opted for the prawns in a light batter. For mains, we chose rabbit and onions (hubby) and shoulder of lamb for me.

The staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was cosy and homely. Large windows look out onto the street where you can do lots of people watching.

Our starters were delicious - hubby was extremely impressed with his prawns and said the batter was very light, not heavy or fatty at all. My Frito Mallorquin was lovely and very filling with a hint of warmth thanks to the chillies.

The main course was equally impressive - hubby's rabbit was tender and served with a lovely sauce while my lamb fell off the bone and was crispy on the outside, yet moist. 

The wine we chose tonight was Miquel Oliver's Mont Ferrutx which we found smooth, rounded and fruity.

For dessert (surprised I had room) we chose the almond cake which we both found a bit dry - the only disappointment of the evening.

All in all, a lovely restaurant with great friendly service and to cap it all, two young lads came in and asked if they could play their violin and accordion, so we had entertainment as well! They were Russian students and they played very well, especially the music from their homeland. A great end to a lovely relaxed evening.

Bill was 66 euros (not including tip) for pre-dinner drinks, wine and water.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2005

Mixed Tapas and More, at El Posito - Puerto Pollensa

Tony (I am sure it was the famous Tony mentioned on these pages) is a brilliant salesman.

We had decided to go in for a light lunch of Tapas as our evening destination was A Punt.

As we walked in, Tony directed us to a table and told us the lamb was beautiful today. I rushed off to the loo (spotlessly clean, by the way) and when I got back I could see that hubby was hooked. Baa!!

I was still determined to experience tapas so we ended up with the mixed tapas as a starter (meatballs, cuttlefish, mushrooms in a sauce and potato salad) as well as a huge joint of lamb! Baa!

The food was delicious (as I was promised it would be) and what an atmosphere!! Very busy and buzzing with Spanish. Also a lot of workmen enjoying their Menu del Dia and Tony rushing around fulfilling everyone's needs.

Tucked away as it is down a side street I would NEVER have gone in, but was glad I did. Very friendly service and at the end of the meal we were offered a glass (or two!) of the "Herbes de Mallorca" which was a sweet aniseed drink and looked like olive oil. The bottle was left on the table and our glasses topped up by a young, very friendly waiter.

So, there's a reprieve for all you who recommended El Posito - no eating at Burger King!!

Right, just off now to trim my woolly coat!!

Bill was 35 euros, including drinks.

P.S. - Forgot to say that we never made it to A Punt - at 9pm we were still full and it would have been a shame to eat at A Punt and not really appreciate the food. One to try in August!

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2004

Balaixa - October 2004

What a reputation preceded this restaurant and what a loyal following it has on the forum. We couldn't wait to try it!

On arrival, we were offered either a poolside table or a table inside, but because, like a good white wine, we were well-chilled after a couple of hours sitting in the square in Pollensa, we chose to eat inside.

On reflection, this may have been a mistake on our part as we were seated in a small ante-room all by ourselves...

Described as an old Mallorcan farmhouse we were taken "aback" by the bright blue walls and the almost gothic predominance of dripping candles.

However, our food was delicious. I really pushed the boat out by ordering the foie gras starter, served on apple bread and accompanied by a glass of sweet Mallorcan wine. Hubby chose the cheese, pear and tomato salad which was huge.

For the main course, we both opted for the chicken wrapped in ham and pastry and stuffed with cheese. Hubby couldn't manage a dessert but true to my cause I manfully chose the chocolate souffle (sorry - not as good as Trencadora).

We sat in splendid isolation for the whole night except for three cats who seemed to rule the roost. And unfortunately, this is where Balaixa fell foul of us.

We have always accepted cats who roam around tables as a part of life if you eat outside (in Greece, for example) but here, in a well-run, professional establishment, we were shocked to see two cats, on two separate occasions, pick their way daintily across a table laid for four, dislodging cutlery as they went.

I am sorry but there is no excuse for this, and I am sure our Spanish waitress knew how shocked we were. Added to this was the huge dog who then appeared! We thought for one moment we were in some surreal dream.

Bill was 89 euros with drinks, wine (Rioja) and coffee.

Verdict: Undoubtedly a great setting, interesting decor and delicious food. Service was polite, friendly and efficient, but the owners, who were present, have to do something about the cats. I love them, but not when I'm eating!

Hunting for Father Christmas in Lapland

I had always glanced enviously at the adverts for trips to Lapland in the paper during the build-up to Christmas but they had always seemed far too expensive for what promised to be a long day of travelling. However, December 2003 was to be the month when we finally went in search of the real man himself! Suitably attired in thermal underwear, boots and a bag full of spare clothes we set off early from Luton airport with two sleepy but excited children.

We chose Canterbury Travel for our adventure and soon found that they were excellent when it came to the organisation and planning of a very special day. The check-in staff were friendly and sported reindeer antlers and it was novel not to have to check in large amounts of luggage. We soon found that our thermal underwear was too hot for a heated terminal building so one layer had to be removed in the Ladies' loos! After a short wait in the Departure Lounge, we boarded the plane with numerous other excited families all wearing the standard uniform of chunky boots and warm clothing.

We landed in Lapland just as the light was fading but we still had a clear view of the snowy landscape. Everyone immediately began to don even more warm clothing, which was a mistake as it was only a short walk to the tiny terminal building where we found ourselves kitted out in cosy all-in-one suits, boots, helmets and gloves. The temperature was about -22 degrees but inside it was toasty and we were soon sweating! Again, the organisation was superb with plenty of staff on hand to ensure we all had the right size and lots of benches and tables to lean against as we pulled on our brightly coloured thermal suits. All of our excess belongings were placed in huge bags, which were left in the building, and then we donned balaclavas and helmets for the Skidoo ride to Hetta.

I don't think I will ever forget the magical ride as we sat on sledges covered in reindeer fur. Pulling our visors down against the intense cold we looked out over snowy forests and ice-covered lakes with not a building or road to be seen. The children were well wrapped up and Michael even fell asleep, causing us to panic as we thought he had suffocated from all the scarves wrapped around him!

The last part of the journey was across a vast frozen lake on which Skidoos and even cars sped along. The hotel was certainly a welcoming sight in the gathering gloom and after climbing out of the warmth of the fur-covered sledges and up a hill we were met with steaming glasses of berry juice. Delicious!

We had about three hours to take part in all the activities on offer, with the hotel as a base whenever we wanted to return to the warmth of its log fire and buffet. It seemed very strange to be thinking of lunch when it was so dark!

The village of Hetta was very small with just one main street and a few houses dotted about amongst the fir trees. Everywhere we went were tiny pots with candles inside and every now and again a brazier full of burning logs. We didn't feel cold at all and the children had a whale of a time tobogganing down a steep slope and generally playing in the abundant snow.

Exploring further we found our way to the Ice Palace, a building made completely of ice, funnily enough! Inside was a small reception area where we sipped hot chocolate and ate delicious biscuits. Sitting at an ice table was a new experience and we were careful to place our hot drinks onto small wooden boards, which prevented the table from melting.

The Ice Palace had several rooms and a tiny ornate church with an altar made of ice. Even the bedrooms had beds made of ice and covered in reindeer skins. We lost Michael several times in the darkness and as all the children had the same snowsuits on, finding him again was very difficult!

After the Ice Palace, we tried kick-sledging which both children loved and then we walked over to the area where we hoped we would find Father Christmas. There was a large teepee with a burning brazier in front and several Skidoos waiting to take families to find the great man himself. We were told there was a short wait so we took a reindeer ride and then the children enjoyed themselves some more in the snow.

Before long the great moment had arrived, the climax to our journey! We took our seats in another Skidoo and were driven at speed out into the countryside amongst snowy forests. It was an exhilarating ride and after a few minutes, we came to a clearing in the trees. Another teepee awaited us with a welcoming fire beside it. The Skidoo disappeared and we were told to turn around and follow a path lined with red candles. At the end of the path was a beautiful log cabin and one of Santa's helpers stood waiting. As we went inside we saw Father Christmas surrounded by a pile of presents. Sophie and Mikey sat next to him while I took several photographs to prove we had found him! He chatted to the children about how they were enjoying Lapland and then we made our way outside again where Mikey thought it was great fun to knock the candles over!

 Back at the village, we headed to the hotel for lunch and it was great to get rid of our heavy snowsuits for a while and relax in the restaurant. The buffet was adequate, but not brilliant and we opted for bullet-hard jacket potatoes and vegetable fritters. All the soft drinks and coffee were free and up until now, we had not spent any money at all. The hotel reminded me of a gathering of a weird sect as everyone had the same outer clothes with the same names emblazoned on them! Our dessert made up for the poor main course and we tucked into pancakes with cream and jam.
 
After lunch, we sat by the fire for a while and I treated Michael to a miniature Skidoo. People were writing postcards and sending them, which I thought was a great idea. I was desperate to drive a Skidoo myself, so we walked down to the lake's edge and while the children had a go on the small Skidoos, I drove one right out onto the frozen lake. It was like riding a motorbike without wheels, and although I was bitterly cold I really enjoyed the experience!

The children had enjoyed their ride as well, but now we were all feeling the cold so we walked to the souvenir shop to see what they had on offer. Everyone seemed to have had the same idea and the little shop was crammed full of people in shiny red suits buying tacky reindeer and postcards and we soon realised that there was nothing authentic to buy.

Sadly, our time in Lapland was almost over and we made our way back to the hotel and the bus which would take us to the airport. It was a very short journey but we managed to catch a glimpse of Lapland life and it looked pretty desolate and lonely. Most of the houses had little pyramids of candles in the windows and a Skidoo parked outside, rather than a car!

Back at the airport we returned our snowsuits and retrieved our belongings from the storage area. The flight home was quite stressful as Michael was over-tired and threw several tantrums until he finally fell asleep, exhausted by all the excitement. We were the last to leave the train and I carried him off as he was still out for the count! It had been a long day, with a lot of travelling, but we'd had a fantastic time in a truly magical setting!

A Greek Odyssey 6-15 June 2002

Saturday 15 June

Keith and I were up early, packed and showered. I dressed Michael while he was still asleep, and then we went downstairs to meet Mum and Dad. There were a couple of lads in the next bedroom who had just returned from a night out and they had offered us ouzo. We politely declined!

Our taxi arrived on time, and we left first with Mum and Dad following in another. They had a wild ride to the airport as their taxi was late and the driver was determined to make up for it! We checked in easily and then had a quick cup of coffee and a croissant in the café in the departure lounge. We also treated ourselves to whisky in the Duty Free and I bought a present for Tom, whose party Sophie was going to later in the day.

Our flight was great - it was on time and Michael slept most of the way while I enjoyed a peaceful breakfast. We had wonderful views of the Alps, which we pointed out to Sophie who sat with Mum and Dad for the entire journey.

All too soon we were back at Heathrow and after an irritating time spent on the tarmac, we disembarked to collect our luggage and catch a coach to pick up our cars at Gatwick.

Despite the problems on the return journey, we all thoroughly enjoyed the holiday and Paros lived up to my expectations. We all hope to return and once again enjoy the island's hospitality!

A Greek Odyssey 6-15 June 2002

Friday 14 June 

This morning we were all awake early and packed ready to go. However, there was a problem - our ferry had been cancelled. Dad received a phone call at 7.30am to say that "our excursion" was not going, so what to do now?

The situation filled us with blind panic at first, as the Naxos Star was our only way off the island in time for our flight from Mykonos. As it was so early, we were unable to phone anyone, so we met up for a very poor breakfast on the terrace, where the staff had got themselves into a tizzy as well, forgetting the coffee cups and milk. The only options open to us were flying by helicopter to Mykonos or taking a ferry from Parikia to Mykonos. Once we finished breakfast (and our appetites had disappeared anyway) we started to call around for help. The receptionist checked the ferry schedules and discovered that the only one going to Mykonos left at 3pm, two hours after our flight was due to leave!

We then tried to arrange for a helicopter to take us and the receptionist came back with a price of £1400... probably the same as new flights and the ferry but the timings were all wrong. We wouldn't arrive in Mykonos until 12.15pm and our flight left at 12.50pm. We abandoned this idea. There wasn't enough leeway should anything go wrong, and we would have parted with £1400 for nothing and be in exactly the same position.

After a lot of thought we decided to take a larger ferry to Piraeus and then try and get new flights to London from Athens. We took the minibus to Parikia with heavy hearts. The holiday wasn't meant to end like this. I just worried about the children, as we didn't know how long it was going to take us to get home.

Once in the busy town of Parikia we bought tickets for the 12pm ferry to Athens. We had a drink in the bar overlooking the port and stowed our luggage by the entrance to the ferry terminal. It was very noisy and hot, and there were loads of people milling about waiting for ferries to take them to different islands.

At 11.30am we lined up and to our surprise met the American couple who were also going to Athens. It was lovely to see friendly faces and we chatted about what had happened. They were staying overnight in Athens and then flying to Thessaloniki the next day to finish their honeymoon.

We waited for ages to board the ferry with the local Greek women trying to get in front of us the whole time. When they opened the gates to let us on, we all surged forward to embark, pulling our luggage behind us, with me pushing Michael in his pushchair as well. I got the wheels stuck in deep grooves on the portside, and just as we made it to the ferry a gust of wind blew a cloud of dust in our faces. Everyone cried out and Michael screamed as the dust went into his eyes. It was horrible!

We left our luggage in the hold and scrambled up the stairs to the lounge. The ferry was very similar to the cross-Channel ferries, and we found seats quickly in a lounge at the top of the stairs. Later, we found a better place to sit which was very quiet, except for the sound of the World Cup being played in the background! After a quick lunch of baguettes, we settled down for the crossing, which was very boring. We would be on the ferry for five hours, and luckily both children went to sleep. Michel stretched out on the floor while Sophie curled up on a seat with a jacket over her head. By now, the sea had become rough, and I began to feel queasy! I tried to explore with Keith but that made me feel even worse, so I just sat quietly and closed my eyes, managing to nod off at one point.

Fortunately, after about an hour the sea became calmer, and we all woke up feeling refreshed. Mum and I went off in search of cakes and bought some biscuits instead. The children were still sleeping, so we had a drink and something to eat and then the American couple joined us until we reached Athens. They planned to visit the UK next year as they loved all things British, including digestive biscuits! I gave them my email address and our normal address, and then we said goodbye.

Getting off the ferry was a lot easier than getting on, and once we had retrieved our bags, we waited by the taxi terminal while Keith and Dad went off to one of the many ticket offices to see if we could buy tickets to London (or anywhere in the UK). The port was busy with lots of taxis picking up customers from the ferries and a constant stream of traffic flowing past. We could see large buildings and blocks of flats in the distance but none of the sights of Athens. It was hot and Mum and I stood with the children by a wall covered in red ants, which fascinated Sophie.

After a long while Dad came back with the news that they'd bought tickets from Athens to Heathrow the next day leaving at 8am. The cost was just over £1000. We moved the entire luggage to the bus stop from where we could get a shuttle to the airport and a hotel overnight. After another agonising wait in the heat, we boarded the bus and waited for the bus driver to extinguish his cigarette and stop chatting to his mates! We also played musical chairs with Michael who kept changing seats.

The journey to the airport took just over an hour and we saw lots of cars, buses, trucks and some very ugly buildings, but no ruins or famous sights. Parts of the journey passed along the coast and this area was very pretty - we later come to know it was Glyfada where a lot of hotels are situated. Athens is a manic city, and the traffic was appalling. However, it was nice to experience a new city and one that I would have otherwise not visited.

The new airport is situated outside Athens and has been built for the forthcoming Olympics in 2004. It's brand new and very smart and we were glad to see a Sofitel right next to it. We wearily took all our luggage off the bus and hired two trolleys for two euros. We made our way to the hotel reception where soft music played in the background and each table had a beautifully artistic display of flowers. They were just at the right height for little hands to touch!

Keith wandered off to find out the cost of the rooms and we had another shock - a normal double cost around £300 a night! Keith and I would have to have a family room or two doubles, so we estimated it would cost us about £700 just for one night, or ten hours! On top of this would be dinner and drinks and the cost was already approaching £1000! We turned around and Dad went back to the airport to see if they had an information desk. A kind man gave him a list of hotels and we went to queue at the taxi rank. We chose the Hotel Glyfada as it was a C Class and therefore shouldn't be too expensive. We knew that getting to the hotel in two different taxis would be tricky so when we got into our car, I told the driver to take us to The Glyfada. He asked if we had a reservation and we said we hadn't. At this, he immediately began to dial a number on his mobile and obviously booked us into another hotel for the night! While he was doing this, he was veering all over the road and I thought we were going to crash!

Further down the road, Mum and Dad's taxi flashed us to pull over as our door was open (Michael again!) and I hoped that our taxi driver had told Mum and Dad's driver where we were headed. Just after this, we lost them in traffic, and I kept peering over my shoulder to see if they caught us up, but they never did. The journey was interminable, and we passed the same scenery we'd seen earlier. The traffic was terrible as most of Athens seemed to be out and trying to get to where the nightlife was.

After a while I became very worried, especially as it was now past 9pm and the children hadn't been fed or bathed. I was on the point of sending the driver back to the Sofitel when we eventually pulled up at a hotel right on a busy three-lane motorway. There was no sign of my parents, so I did the girly thing and burst into tears, which set Sophie off as well. We took our luggage out of the car and Keith went to check in. It wasn't the best place in the world, but it looked clean, and we were so tired that we couldn't face going anywhere else.

We hauled the cases into the tiny lift and found our room which resembled a cell. There was a louvred door to get in and our room was visible from the corridor. It was also hot, stuffy and noisy with a small balcony overlooking the side of the hotel. We dumped our things on the bed, and I changed Michael's nappy. Just as we were doing this the phone rang and it was my Dad calling from reception. They'd found us!

Apparently, our driver had been going past The Glyfada when he had seen them and had taken them to The Mirada. They weren't very happy as The Glyfada looked beautiful. We asked at reception for the nearest restaurant, which was about half a kilometre away via a narrow path alongside the main road, along which thundered masses of mad Greek traffic. It was a hair-raising experience, and I was convinced a speeding car would kill us all.

We emerged from the wasteland of the main road into a small parade of shops and restaurants. Keith took out some money from a cashpoint and we went off in search of dinner. Everywhere was full and bustling with people and cars out in search of a good time. We eventually found a steak restaurant on a side street that was packed. We drank ice-cold beers and shared a large Greek salad before tucking into steak and chips. The children were tired, and I dreaded the walk back along the crazy road.

The night wasn't a comfortable one, but at least we had a couple of hours' sleep and a shower. Roll on tomorrow!