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 

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2006

Late for O Lume...

My first visit to O Lume could have been my last when we were late for our booking at 8pm. I’d left the family in the square enjoying a drink and went off to find it, having only the vaguest memory of where it actually was, tucked away down one of the back streets of PP.

After almost giving up, I tried one more time and this time was lucky, so after booking, I returned to the square and was shocked to find it was already 7.45pm. My husband had just ordered another beer and wasn’t going to be rushed so I sat and wriggled with impatience while he finished his drink and managed to catch the waiter’s eye at Café L’Algar to pay our bill.

As we walked in (I take it the man in charge was Jaime?) he teased me by looking at his watch and I was very apologetic for being late.

So, I was there, at the famous O Lume and we were seated at the back of the restaurant on a little outside terrace opposite another family. While we studied the menu we were given little freebie starters of fishy croquettes for the children and a sort of fishy potato salad for us adults. Delicious! We also enjoyed bread and butter.

The restaurant was quiet, and the service we were receiving (from Jaime?) was wonderful. Very polite, attentive and friendly.

For starters, hubby and I chose grilled vegetables which were fantastic. They were cooked beautifully and included carrots, courgettes, onions, tomatoes and asparagus. There was a delicious sweetness to them and they made a great entrance to the meal.

The children enjoyed grilled chicken for their main course while hubby chose the barbecued rabbit and I went for veal escalope. Both our dishes were delicious and it was a lovely change to have veal amidst all the ducks and lambs I’d been eating. The veal was in a tasty, creamy sauce and served with vegetables and crispy French fries. Our wine choice of the evening was a Jaume Mesquida Negre which was a very reasonable 12 euros. It was fruity and full-bodied and had a slight hint of liquorice and pears poached in wine.

It was while we were eating dinner that I was recognised by the family opposite who had seen my photo on the forum, so we had a great chat about the restaurant. We were both of the opinion that O Lume was certainly living up to its reputation.

For dessert, I just had to experience the fried milk and it was great! Like a custard tart encased in a light batter and served with ice cream. The children had very good quality chocolate ice cream, which of course they wolfed down!

As we sat back, satisfied, and with big smiles on our faces, Jaime offered us a complimentary liqueur and with them, the most delicious chilled chocolates.

All in all, this ranks as one of the top meals we had over the two weeks. Not only in terms of food and service but for incredible value for money when I compare it to Cantonet. The meal for the four of us came to a fantastic 77 euros, half the price of the Pollensa restaurant. Cantonet didn’t even begin to compare when it came to our overall experience.

I cannot understand why this wonderful restaurant is not packed to the rafters every night. As the evening wore on, I was pleased to see more diners arriving and I only hope that
it continues to be successful and word will spread.

I know the next time we visit PP, we’ll be straight back.

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2006

Double Helpings at Ca'n Costa

OK, to take a leaf out of Belladonna’s book, here goes:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Yes, I think I’m in love with Ca’n Costa…

This restaurant is quite simply in a league of its own and in my opinion, there is nothing to touch it in the area. Maybe the restaurant at Son Brull would come close, but as I haven’t been there, I can’t comment.

We went to Ca’n Costa twice over the two weeks and it’s not just the food that was good. The staff are some of the best we’ve ever met and the place is so relaxed and beautiful. I always feel comfortable there and I just simply sit back and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere.

Our first night was lovely. We sat on the sofas and enjoyed a pre-dinner drink with nuts and olives to nibble on. Alex, who is perhaps my favourite waiter, greeted us personally which made us feel very special. We ordered scallops and soup to start, followed by baked cod and lamb surrounded by chicken and wrapped in filo pastry.

All the meals were delicious and hubby raved about his cod, saying it was the best he’d ever tasted. The children were treated to spaghetti and chicken and we finished with desserts of chocolate torte (remember Meg Ryan?) and New York cheesecake.

Our wine for the first evening was the Jaume de Puntiro Carmesi and the bill came to 137 euros which included a freebie starter of chilled tomato juice (yummy) and beautiful bread with dips.

On our second evening, we took my parents who had visited in the past (under different ownership) and had very fond memories of the place. We were greeted warmly again and relaxed with drinks on the sofa while we studied the menu.

This time our starters included game ravioli and mackerel salad, which were all delicious. For our main courses, we enjoyed calves liver, chicken and baked cod (again). My parents were impressed with the meals and the atmosphere of the restaurant which was filling up nicely.

But it was my Dad’s dessert that he is still raving about… he chose the lemon sorbet served with a shot of vodka. Never have I heard him rave about a dessert so much and I think he enjoyed it! I also enjoyed my chocolate fondant but managed to keep most of the moaning to a minimum…

We drank two bottles of wine with dinner – both of them the Macia Batle Crianza.

The bill came to 244 euros which included pre-dinner drinks, water and freebie starters of creamy goat's cheese on a sun-dried tomato cake.

Quite simply stunning!

Restaurant reviews Mallorca 2006

Lunch at Los Zarzales 

This was yet another restaurant that I was determined to try, having managed to miss it last August.

It was the Friday before we left and we'd decided to eat at lunchtime as we were meeting Timberman and his wife in the evening for a drink.

So, we did a little shopping in PP and made our way slowly to the restaurant which is one street back from the main promenade in the resort.

I think we caught the staff unawares as it was just past 12pm when we enquired about a table. But they were very professional and we took a seat under a large umbrella outside the main entrance.

The setting was very relaxed at lunchtime and I noticed the interior of the restaurant looked much more formal, but for us, it was great with the children able to wander down to the small supermarket on the corner and bug us to buy them things.

We enjoyed a pre-lunch glass of beer and some bread and olives while we studied the menu. Hubby and I both went for the prawn cocktail for a starter which was delicious. The prawns were plump and juicy and there was lots of sauce and salad. The children happily munched on garlic bread.

For our main courses, hubby chose cod while I went for pork tenderloin in a beautiful sauce. Both dishes were beautifully presented and we enjoyed them immensely. My pork was tender and the sauce thick and tasty.

The children enjoyed well-cooked meals of chicken which were only charged at 5,50 euros, perhaps the cheapest meals for the children of the whole two weeks.

There was no question of dessert. Our main courses were very filling so we just sat and enjoyed a coffee and watched the restaurant gradually fill up.

The bill was 98 euros which included lots of drinks and the usual bread and olives.

We'll definitely go back but for dinner next time. The service was relaxed and friendly and we could have sat there all day soaking up the sun and enjoying the ambience.