QUADRAT - DINNER

Address:        Plaça de Sant Francesc, 5, 07001 Palma, Illes Balears

Telephone:   00 34  971 49 50 00

I went here with my husband, his son and wife on a Wednesday night for dinner.

The Quadrat restaurant is contained within the 5 star Hotel San Francesc in the heart of Palma's Old Town.  It has been open about a year and combines the original old building's features with contemporary decor which gives a classy relaxed ambience.  The staff on arrival in the reception were helpful and charming.

We started with drinks on the roof top bar as it was still mild enough to be outside.  The ambience was delightful as it was dark outside but the roof top area (including a small swimming pool) was illuminated with candles and other soft lighting and we had views of several of Palma's illuminated churches, including the cathedral.

Our drinks were brought in a timely fashion together with some crisps and nachos to nibble.  I had a Brockman's G&T (well made) and the others had glasses of Albarino white wine declared to be good.

We then headed down to the basement level to the restaurant where we were given another warm professional welcome and the choice of 2 tables.

Baskets of bread rolls were brought whilst we awaited our drinks order - a G&T for me and a bottle of Verdejo white wine for the rest of the party - all good.  A bottle of excellent olive oil was on the table to accompany the bread which was fresh and well flavoured.

Prior to the starters we were given an amuse bouche of a lime shot which had a beautifully intense lime flavour.

For starters we shared suckling pig stuffed dim sum, cristal bread and croquettes of cod and of ham.  All were excellent and the dim sum had a bit of a Hestor Blumenthal twist as liquid was poured over it to create white smoke around it.  Every single dish was delicious.

Smoking dim sum starter

For mains we had duck breast, monkfish, fillet steak and Spanish style risotto  (arroz) with cuttlefish and prawns.  All were cooked to perfection with a good-sized portion and declared delicious by all.

For dessert I chose a fake beetroot on a bed of cocoa crumble with yogurt cream, one chose chocolate with 1,000 textures and the other two chose the cheese plate.  Like the preceding courses they were excellent.

We finished with 3 coffees.

The total bill came to just under €300 excluding tip.  We felt this was a fair price for the beautiful surroundings, attentive staff and superb food.

FOSH KITCHEN - LUNCH

Address:       Carrer d'Orfila, 4, 07001, Palma

Telephone:       00 34 971 72 13 54

My husband and I went with another couple for lunch on a Wednesday in October, having booked the table the night before.

The restaurant was full when we arrived for our 1.30 pm table reservation - always a good sign for a restaurant which has only be open a short while.

We had a street table which was nicely presented and were given a friendly and professional welcome by our waitress.  Our drinks order was taken and delivered in a timely fashion - a G&T, a white wine and a bottle of beer as well as 2 small bottles of sparkling water.  My husband had wanted a tomato juice but, unfortunately, they were not able to supply this.  However, he was quite happy to change this for a glass of white wine!

Our food order was also taken in a timely fashion considering how busy the restaurant was.

We were served delicious warm ciabatta bread with a mustard dip which made a nice change from the garlic mayonnaise which is more customary to serve in Mallorca.

All our starters were excellent - steak tartare, smoked salmon and filo pastry triangles filled with ricotta cheese and leeks.  The amounts were not huge but were about the right size for a starter.

To follow three of us had the sea bass accompanied by a parmesan and potato cream.  The fish was cooked to perfection and the cream accompaniment made a very interesting and tasty combination.  My husband had an aubergine risotto with burata cheese on top which was equally delicious.

To finish three of us had the pudding dish which was a modern twist on the traditional Mallorcan pudding dessert with a hint of almonds and apricots and served with an exquisite amaretto mousse.  My husband had a generous plate of cheese with bread which he chose from the a la carte menu.  As he had taken this approach to his meal he paid €17.50 for the starter and main (as opposed to €22.50 for the 3 courses) and then paid the a la carte price for the cheese plate.

We all felt suitably replete at the end of the meal and felt it was excellent value for money for the quality of the food.  The total bill for food and drink was €148.

This will be a restaurant to return to.

BASMATI - DINNER

Address:      Calle Caro, 7, 07013, Palma

Telephone:   00 34 971 710 387

I went here with my husband and another couple on a Friday night in October.

As you enter the main door you come into a large bar area beyond which is the restaurant - and you could almost believe that you had arrived in India.  The light is at a low level and there are Indian lanterns dotted around and the staff are wearing traditional Indian style clothes.  Our white table cloth was dotted with fresh red rose petals which was a nice touch.

The owner, dressed in chef's whites, welcomed us to our table and explained the menu to us, as well as the drinks.  A bottle of drinkable red wine was provided but, as I don't drink wine, I had a very acceptable glass of beer.

The menu is a tasting menu and, unlike the more local food tasting menus, there was food aplenty. With the exception of the dessert all dishes were for sharing.

We started with pakoras and pumpkin bhajis which had 3 different sauces to accompany them.  All were delicious and a great way to start the meal.

This was followed by kebabs - one being chicken and the other being beef - together with chicken tandoori.  There were 2 chicken tandoori legs which were delicious but they were a bit more difficult to share than the kebabs which were also excellent.

To follow this was perfectly cooked basmati rice and pashwari naan to accompany 4 different curry dishes, including a venison dish.  Once again these were extremely tasty.

None of the dishes were extremely hot which meant that you could enjoy the different spice flavours in each.

There was just room for the excellent mango cheesecake which was served in a  whisky glass.  This was extremely light and refreshing and perfect to finish on.

However, we were not quite done as coffee and tea were offered and I had an excellent cup of slightly spiced tea.

The meal for 4 of us came to just under €140 which we felt was excellent value for money.

There was no a la carte menu so you have to be feeling hungry if you are going to dine here in order to work your way through the feast.  So if you just fancy some curry and rice then this is not the place to go to.

When I next fancy a curry and am particularly hungry I shall certainly go back here.

LA PALOMA - LUNCH

Address:     Calle Apuntadores, 16, Palma de Mallorca
Telephone:  00 34 971 71 17 45

I went here on a Tuesday in September for lunch with my husband and another couple, having booked the table a few days before.

The restaurant is set in a corner building of the La Lonja area of Palma just off the Passeig Born.  It has sandstone walls and a feature chandelier in the centre of the restaurant.  It was quite cool outside and it felt warm and welcoming inside.

We were welcomed to the restaurant by a very pleasant waiter who showed us to our table and quickly brought our menus and took our drinks order.  Two of us had sparkling mineral water throughout the meal, one had a small draught beer and the fourth had a couple of glasses of red Rioja house wine which were no more nor no less than you would expect from a house wine.

As it was rather a grey watery autumnal day we all decided to plunge straight in to the menu with the slow-cooked shoulder of lamb on a bed of puree potatoes, accompanied by a medley of finely chopped vegetables.  The lamb was superb and the potatoes were not so much of a puree but mashed and worked well with the lamb.  There was a small amount of gravy which was tasty but I would have liked to have had a bit more of it.  The vegetables were an interesting mixture of courgettes, carrots and peppers and there was more than enough to share between the four of us.

The helpings were extremely generous but we decided we had room for dessert.  Three chose the creme brûlée which was declared delicious and I chose the chocolate mousse with coconut cream.  The chocolate mousse was delicious, and not too sweet, but the consistency was more that of a fondant.  This, I felt did not detract from its enjoyment and the coconut cream was light with a hint of coconut and went very well with the chocolate.

By this stage we were all replete with no room for coffee and all declared that we had had an excellent lunch with friendly, timely and professional service.

The bill came to a very fair €127 for the four of us before the tip.  

We will certainly return to this restaurant.

QUADRAT RESTAURANT - DINNER

Address:            Plaça de Sant Francesc, 5, 07001 Palma, Illes Balears

Telephone:         00 34 971 49 50 00

I went here with my husband and another couple for dinner on a hot Wednesday night at the beginning of September.

Although I have been here a few times before the entrance to the Hotel San Francesc in which the restaurant is situated never ceases to delight.  A combination of old and new is tastefully achieved in the high ceilinged reception area and you then pass through a delightful open atrium courtyard with olive trees in it before arriving at the top of the stairs that lead down to the restaurant.  There is a lift if you don't want to walk down the stairs.

As it was such a warm evening we ate in the outside terrace which is once again tastefully presented with a good distance between the tables so that there is a degree of privacy for each dining table.  A living wall of plants is a particularly stunning feature of the terrace.

We were given a warm and professional welcome and shown to our reserved table.  Food and drinks menus awaited us and our drinks order was taken quickly and drinks delivered in a timely fashion.  I had a G&T (very drinkable) and the rest of the table had white and red wine - both excellent.

We were presented with an amuse bouche which was a frozen lime and saki mojito presented in a frozen half lime.  This was delightfully cooling on a warm evening as well as tasting excellent.  A generous basket of an assortment of delicious bread rolls was brought at this time too.

For starters we shared crystal bread, ham and cheese croquettes and small cod fritters.  The croquettes and cod fritters were faultless but the crystal bread could perhaps have been served warm, but it was otherwise very good.

For mains the women chose the sea bream which was served with a beautiful green pea sauce.  This looked extremely appetising - and was just the right amount on a warm evening.  It was perfectly cooked and the flavours combined well.  We both thoroughly enjoyed it.

The men chose fillet steak served with roasted new potatoes and they were declared superb - lovely fresh ingredients cooked to perfection and again most enjoyable.

By this time we were quite satisfied but 3 of us could not resist the chocolate dessert which was a selection of chocolate delicacies with a chocolate ice cream, so we shared 2 between 3 of us.  Whilst it was nicely presented I felt that each delicacy could have contained more chocolate - some were like small pieces of tiramisu and others were like chocolate sponge with tiny chopped nuts.  It was not unpleasant - we managed to devour both plates - but was just not quite what I had expected.

We asked if we could have coffee on the roof terrace which wewere told was fine, but we had to pay for dinner before going up to the roof as they are different franchises.  We didn't feel this was a problem and were surprised that our meal had worked out at €200 for the 4 of us which we felt was good value for money.

We took the lift to the roof terrace where we had beautiful views of the Palma skyline complete with several illuminated iconic buildings.  

The staff on the roof terrace were every bit as charming as those in the restaurant and our coffees and wine order was taken and delivered swiftly.  They were also up to the high quality of our experience in the restaurant.

I shall look forward to returning to Quadrat again soon.

TIERRA DE GRACIA - SUPPER

Address:        Carrer de la Missió, 15, 07003 Palma, Illes Balears

Telephone:    00 34 971 59 05 35

Having dined here twice before on a weekday evening, I went with my husband and another couple on a Saturday night in September.  Both previous times the restaurant had been more or less empty which we thought was a shame as the food had been excellent.

On this evening, though, they were turning people away as it was fully booked and I was glad that I had booked a couple of days before.


The ambience is comfy industrial and it is well air conditioned so very cool.  Had we wished they would have turned the temperature up a bit but we were comfortable with it.  This is just one of the ways that the owners/staff in this restaurant try to make your experience comfortable and enjoyable.

As on previous occasions we were given a warm and professional welcome by the head waiter and shown to our reserved table.  Our drinks order was taken and menus brought very quickly.  One of our party ordered a G&T - very drinkable - and one had a glass of verdejo white wine which was very good.  Two of us were on water - one was driving and I was running early the next morning.

For starters we shared 2 plates of carpaccio of octopus which was delicious.  It was gently dressed with a robust olive oil and oregano, seasoned to perfection and served with small batons of brown bread.

To follow, two had seafood linguine with olive oil and garlic sauce which was pronounced excellent, one had the homemade hamburger which was served on a bun with homemade oven chips on the side - again pronounced excellent - and I had the sea bass with small roasted potatoes and sweet potato chips.  This, too, was delicious.

Although we were pretty full by this stage we ordered a rosemary panna cotta with strawberry jus so that our friends could try it.  They loved it.

I had a cortado to finish (espresso with shot of steamed milk) which was just right.


The pace throughout the meal was spot on and staff were happy to chat and answer our questions at any time.  As we were leaving we asked what the area was upstairs and they explained it was a waiting area if someone wanted to wait for a table and have a drink and offered to show us it.  It is rather like a snug with comfy sofas and some pieces of furniture and I would be very happy to wait there for a table.

The bill for four of us came to €115 before the tip which we felt was excellent value for money.

We shall be back!

TIERRA DE GRACIA - SUPPER

Address:      Calle Missio 15B, Palma 07003
Telephone:  00 34 971 590 535
Website:      www.surtierradegracia.com

I went here with my husband on a Thursday evening in August.  I booked a table for 8 pm for the two of us thinking that in August it could be very busy. However, many locals go away in August and when we turned up at the restaurant it was completely empty.  

We were greeted by a very professional and welcoming waiter and given the pick of the tables in the restaurant.  We chose one overlooking the internal patio which we were told was not used for dining so as not to disturb the neighbours.

In spite of being decorated in an industrial style, the restaurant had a comfortable and calm ambience.

Our drinks orders were taken quickly and menus brought to the table with the drinks menu.  I had a very generous and well made Hendricks G&T and my husband had a glass of Verdejo white wine which was served at a good temperature as were the glasses of Ribeira del Duero red wines which he followed with.  Both wines were more than drinkable.

We decided to share a starter of prawns in Venezuelan rum.  The prawns were beautifully fresh and perfectly cooked and the sauce was not too alcoholic, with a dash of hot spice, and contained halves of cherry tomatoes.  This was accompanied by tasty and crisp homemade kettle chips.

For mains we went with the waiter's recommendations - veal tenderloin for my husband and sea bass for me.  Like the prawns the ingredients were beautifully fresh and cooked to perfection.  The sea bass was slightly crisp on one side and I was worried that it would be overcooked, but it was succulent and tasty beneath and I enjoyed the contrasting textures of crispness and succulence.  The veal was served with mashed potatoes, vegetables and a black sauce and was a good-sized portion.  The sea bass was served with roast new potatoes and miniature batons of sweet potato.  Again this was a good-sized portion.

Although I was pretty full I was curious to try a dessert and ordered the rosemary panna cotta with strawberry jus.  This was delightfully light to finish on and the rosemary gave the panna cotta an excellent piquancy and the strawberry jus had just the right amount of sweetness.

Finally I had a cortado (espresso with a shot of hot milk) to end the meal.

We complimented the waiter on the food and the chef, one of the Venezuelan partners in the family business, came out of the kitchen and answered our questions about the meal in a very charming way and was happy to talk about with us about his cooking as well as life in Venezuela.

The meal came to €83 without the tip and we felt this was a fair price for a very good quality dinner and drinks.

We really hope that this restaurant thrives, as it is in a back street parallel to La Rambla which means that it does not get too much foot fall.  It is certainly one that we will return to.

TOQUE DE QUEDA - SUPPER

Address:          Carrer de Can Cavalleria, 15B, 07012 Palma, Illes Balears

Telephone:       00 34 971 21 38 10

This is one of my husband and my favourite haunts as it is close to where we live and the quality is consistent every time.

We went there on a Tuesday evening in August having booked a table by text at lunchtime as they were not open the previous day as it was a fiesta and they were not open at lunchtime on the day that we wanted to go.  I received a text almost immediately to confirm that a table would be available for 6 of us.  At this time of year it is best to book as it is popular with both tourists and locals alike.

On arrival we were given a warm welcome and offered the choice of 2 shared tables - one with high chairs by the door and the other further into the restaurant with normal height dining chairs.  We chose the one with normal height chairs as one of our party has short legs!


The restaurant is in an old bakery and much of it remains as was so it is more shabby than chic but this adds to the charm of it.

Our drinks order - sparkling water, beer, white wine and and G&T - was taken quickly and brought to the table equally quickly at which time we ordered our choices of food.

We shared the table with a party of about 5 French people with a baby in a small pram.  The baby was sleeping until my husband started speaking a very loud voice which wakened her.  However, the French people calmed the baby and she soon went back to sleep.

We ordered a selection of tapas and a tabla of Italian cold meats.  Our tapas were carpaccio of courgettes with avocado and parmesan shavings accompanied by delicious balsamic vinegar (you can buy this to take away) x 2; burrata mozzarella with dried tomatoes and salad x 2; oven-cooked new potatoes with tomato mayonnaise x 4; crystal bread x 2; anchovies in olive oil x1.  We found this to be more than enough for 6 of us.  The taste of every dish was a delight due to each being made with fresh ingredients and each was presented in an appetising way.

To finish we had 2 portions of homemade brownies and a home made panna cotta with caramelised condensed milk, together with 4 coffees.   Each dessert was just the right size and tasted wonderful.

The cost came to €50 per couple including tip.  We felt this to be excellent value for money and will continue to be regulars here.

FOSH LAB - DINNER

Address:         Carrer d'En Morei, 5, 07001 Palma, Illes Balears

Telephone:      00 34 971 59 53 01

My husband took me here a couple of weeks after it opened on a Wednesday night in August as a welcome home treat after I had been away for nearly 3 weeks.

It is very tastefully decorated in muted colours in an industrial style.  The seating was extremely comfortable dining chairs and banquettes and there were  food-themed painted glass panels on the walls.

We were immediately welcomed in a friendly and professional way and taken to have a look at the in-restaurant kitchen area where some of the dishes were being prepared.  A novel feature was a plasma screen TV mounted above this area which enabled diners to see their food being prepared.

Our drinks order was taken quickly and my husband was delighted that Nou Nat white wine was on the wine list and he confirmed it to be excellent as always.  I had a very well made gin and tonic.


Our waiter was very attentive and friendly in a professional way, as were all the staff and he was there when my husband's wine glass needed topping up and explained each dish as he brought it.

The menu was a tasting menu of 9 dishes with no a la carte menu.  However, we noticed at the next table a vegetarian alternative was offered in place of the meat course.   The menu changes weekly.  Every course was elegantly presented as you would expect in a Marc Fosh restaurant.

Our first course was a delicate ensemble of 4 small tasters - prawn cracker, marinated tuna, melon consommé and bao filled with sour cream and caviar.  Each taster was well flavoured, but not exquisite.

Next was a carpaccio of red prawns with anise, samphire and watermelon.  This had a good blend of flavours but for me the watermelon slightly overwhelmed the prawn flavour.

Following on was slow cooked tomato with smoked cheese, basil and black olives.   This was tasty but the tomato was too chilled for my liking.

Next was Acquarello rice with capers, pollen and green asparagus pearls.  This was the best course so far - full of interesting flavours and an excellent texture and the first course that left a satisfied feeling.

A frozen lemon with thyme and citronella palate cleanser followed and this did the job well.

Sea bass with roasted corn, black radish, sous-vide stir-fried onions and lime came next.  This was cooked to perfection and all the flavours worked well together.  

Whales (this is what the menu said but I think it perhaps should have been Wales/Welsh) lamb with celery puree, roasted garlic, onion powder and parsley clorofila was next.  The lamb was cooked to perfection and the accompaniments worked well with it.  At this point my husband ordered a Ribera del Duero red wine which, like the Nou Nat, was excellent.

Two separate desserts were served.  The first was raspberries stuffed with red pepper, coconut ice cream and "crispy" yogurt.  This was tasty but not remarkable, unlike the second one.  It was chocolate and coffee cream with milk jelly, chicory, dandelion and liquorice and was absolutely fantastic.  I could have eaten a lot more of this even though it was the final dish of the menu.

I ordered a cortado to go with the petit fours which were included in the tasting menu and a nice finishing touch.

The bill came to well over €200 (including the tip) as my husband had had several glasses of white wine as well as a couple of glasses of red wine and the sparkling water and cortado were added extras.  My husband said he still felt hungry at the end of the meal, but I felt pleasantly sated.

As a dining experience this was very pleasant, but we felt that there are other fine dining restaurants in Palma where a similar or better meal could be had at a more reasonable price.

We won't be rushing back but it might suit foodies who want to have an interesting dining experience in classy surroundings.

TOQUE DE QUEDA - SUPPER

Address:      Carrer de Can Cavalleria, 15B, 07012 Palma, Illes Balears
Telephone:   00 34 971 21 38 10

My husband and I went here with another couple on a Monday evening in July, having previously booked a table.  As Palma is full of tourists in the summer months we book a table in advance to save disappointment.

As always we received a warm friendly welcome and were shown to a table in a small room at the back of the building where we were on our own for most of the meal, but were joined towards the end by another party of 4 at the only other table in the small room.

Our drinks order was taken quickly - 2 cavas, a gin and tonic and a white wine.  Our friends chose cava and were offered a range from demi-sec to very dry and they chose the latter and declared it to their taste.  My G&T and my husband's verdejo were both very drinkable.

We chose a variety of tapas to share together with a full portion tabla of 4 kinds of Italian charcuterie.  Our tapas included carpaccio of courgette with parmesan, avocado and a tasty dressing, small prawn spring rolls, burata mozzarella with tomatoes, crystal bread (thin slices of lightly toasted bread topped with rubbed tomato and garlic) and homemade oven-roasted new potatoes with a tomato mayonnaise.

Every dish was delicious and we almost didn't have room for dessert, but we managed to squeeze in a tiramisu and caramel panna cotta which we shared between three of us.

The whole meal came to a very reasonable €100 (including a tip) for the 4 of us.  I don't think we shall ever tire of going here as the surroundings are quirky and relaxing, the staff friendly and professional, the food exquisite and a bill that is always affordable.  They do not take credit cards, but it is so reasonable that it is more than likely that you will have enough in your pocket to pay for it without having to visit the cash machine.

SANTOSHA - FILM & SUPPER

Address:      Calle Metge Matas 2, Palma de Mallorca 07012
Telephone:   00 34 971723701

This is the third time I have tried this event as I enjoyed my two previous visits.

As on previous visits we were given a warm friendly welcome and all our contact with the staff was equally charming.

There were 3 of us in our party and we started with drinks - a G&T for me which was more than acceptable and a glass of white wine for the other two.  As on previous occasions the white wine was not as cool as the drinkers would have liked so required ice to be added.  When this was mentioned Eran, the owner, offered to put the bottle in the freezer so that the following glasses of wine were colder - which we agreed to - and subsequent glasses of wine were to the drinkers liking.

The nibbles, which were served with the drinks, were very tasty olives which had a spicy kick to them and brown bread slices with tomato and toasted cheese on top.  These were fine but nothing to write home about.

The film tonight was "American Beauty", an old classic but an excellent choice even though we had seen it before.  Individual glasses of popcorn were served at the start of the film and a short pause in the film was made about half way through to top up our drinks.

Afterwards 2 of us chose starter and main course instead of main course and dessert.  One was crispy cabbage in a tasty dressing with nuts and the other was mozzarella and tomato.  Both were very tasty.  To follow, all of us chose beef flank with green beans and summer squash which was exquisite with small tender slices of beef cooked to perfection accompanied by tasty market fresh vegetables.

I chose the hot chocolate mouse with plum cream for dessert.  The chocolate dish was light and flavoursome and the whipped cream was mixed with delicious fresh pieces of plum.

We had water with the meal as well as several glasses of white wine and I finished with a cortado coffee.

The bill came to €117 for the 3 of us (excluding a tip) and we felt it was a very fair price for the excellent evening of food and entertainment.

I look forward to returning again soon.

SANTOSHA FILM & SUPPER

Having been to Santosha's film night with supper the previous Thursday we decided to go again the following Thursday.

This time my husband joined me and we were given just as warm a welcome as the previous Thursday.  We kicked off with a glass of very drinkable white wine for my husband which was not cool enough for his liking, so asked for some ice to add to it.  My gin and tonic was a modest size but well made with a good kick of gin.

Our drinks were accompanied by a very tasty homemade hummus with pitta breads and a bowl of olives.

Around 7.30 pm we headed to the cinema room at the rear of the building.  There were only 2 others watching the film and we were offered popcorn to eat during the film, but neither my husband nor I are popcorn eaters so did not partake of it.

This week's film was "Shine" about an Australian child prodigy pianist with a very controlling father who has a break down and manages to recover.  It is based on a true story and well done.

A short pause during the film enabled us all to top up our drinks and when the film was over we joined up with the 2 other people for supper.  We could have had separate tables but the 4 of us were happy to eat together as we had started chatting just prior to the film showing and it made an interesting evening.

My husband and I did not really need starters but Eran, the owner, brought us a sharing plate of roast vegetables with some more of the lovely hummus so as not to sit watching our dining partners eat their starters.

For mains my husband had hake with savoury rice which he declared as very tasty and I had chickpea and feta stuffed red pepper with some more hummus - fortunately I love hummus and all was very tasty.

By this stage my husband was full but I managed to squeeze in some dessert which was a delicious light brownie cake with coffee ice cream.

I had no room for coffee nor did my husband.  The supper with film is €25 per head which includes a welcome drink with appetiser, film, main course and dessert and water with the meal.

We both had a really lovely night out with great service, tasty food, and interesting film and the bonus of meeting some new and interesting people. Had my husband not been enjoying the film he was under no pressure to stay watching it and could have gone to the bar for a drink until the film was over.

We just hope that as word gets round that Santosha is open on Thursday evenings for supper and a film (as well as Saturday and Sunday evenings) that it will get busier as this restaurant deserves to do well with its food offering and very customer focussed service.

SANTOSHA - FILM & SUPPER

Address:    Carrer del Metge Matas, 2, 07012 Palma, Illes Balears
Telephone:   +34 971 723701

I went here with 2 friends for one of their film evenings with supper.

It was only the 2nd week that Santosha had put on this event and, sadly, there were only myself and 2 friends there as it was a really enjoyable evening.

Santosha is set in an old Mallorcan building with a retro stye which is very comfortable and welcoming.

I was first to arrive and was made to feel most welcome by the owner, Eran.  He quickly brought me the G&T that I ordered - very pleasant although not as enormous as the usual Mallorcan G&T - and was very happy to chat about the concept of the restaurant.

When my friends arrived their drinks were brought promptly together with olives to share and individual portions of white gazpacho with toasted oiled bread.   The soup was extremely tasty and had a good kick of garlic about it and the bread was a good accompaniment.  We chose our main courses at this point.

Around 7.30 pm we were taken to a cinema room at the back of the restaurant which had very comfy sofas and a large flat screen.  The film was "The Talented Mr Ripley" which is a great classic and one that you could watch over and over again.  We were each given a good size dish of popcorn at the start of the film and about half way through the film was paused in case we wanted to top up our drinks.

After the film our supper was ready for us.  All three of us chose the lamb-stuffed aubergine with rice.  The aubergine was a little overcooked but not so that it would detract from its enjoyment and the rice was an interesting mix of rice with some vegetables and spices - very tasty.  Supper was served with water and a complimentary glass of wine if desired.

For dessert we had the choice of chocolate mousse cake, warm apricot cake with caramel sauce or cheesecake with cherry compote.  My friends chose the apricot cake which I tasted and it was a rich spicy cake and most enjoyable.  My cheesecake was a generous and tasty portion with a good helping of the cherry compote - very more-ish.

I finished with a decaff cortado by which time I had not only enjoyed a tasty supper served by friendly professional staff but also had a lovely night out with a film thrown in all for €30 per head.

This restaurant really deserves to do well as every box is ticked.  I will definitely go back!

TOQUE DE QUEDA - SUPPER

Address:       Carrer de Can Cavalleria, 15B, 07012 Palma
Phone:         +34 971 21 38 10

I had supper here with my husband on a Monday evening in April.

We had not booked and were able to get a table easily.  However, apparently it is best to book at the weekend as it can get busy.

We were welcomed by a friendly waiter who quickly brought us menus and took our drinks order - G&T for me and a glass of verdejo white wine (good enough to have another couple in the course of the meal) for my husband.  He was happy to engage in conversation with us and was very pleasant.

The menu offered a choice of tapas dishes and tablas which are large wooden boards with meat and/or cheese placed on top and would normally be for sharing as they are substantial.

We decided to share 5 tapas dishes.  All were delicious but these were our favourites:

• carpaccio of courgettes which was served with avocado and a light cream sauce - this is light and tasty and easily enough to be shared between 2
• bufala mozzarella salad - again this was a good sized plate and enough for 2 and extremely tasty
• Toque de Queda potatoes - small new potatoes roasted in the oven with perfect seasoning of salt and herbs accompanied by a spicy tomato mayonnaise, good for sharing between 2 and very more-ish
• pan cristal - toasted white bread thinly sliced and spread with tomato and garlic - again tasty and more-ish and plenty for 2 people to share

I just had room for a dulce de leche panna cotta which was served in a small jam jar and was of a lovely creamy consistency and not overwhelmingly sweet and just the right amount.

I also had a small cortado (espresso coffee with a shot of hot milk).

The bill came to a very affordable and good value for money €50.  We knew from previous visits that you cannot pay by credit card so came armed with cash.

We shall definitely go back here as it has interesting and tasty food at affordable prices.

S'ANGEL - DINNER

Address:        Plaça de la Porta de Santa Catalina, 9, 07012 Palma, Illes Balears
Telephone:     00 34 971 773 661


I went here on a Saturday night in April with my husband and a friend who had eaten here previously.


It is decorated in simple modern Mallorcan style and we were given the choice of 2 tables.  We chose one which we didn't realise was beside a door which opened on to a terrace which when we arrived was not being used but during our main course other diners arrived to eat there, and it was then also used by the waiting staff,  and this meant that my husband was constantly having to move his chair to let them through.  Unfortunately, there was no other way out to the terrace so we would not recommend sitting at this table.


The restaurant manager was sympathetic to our complaint but there was no solution as the restaurant was now full so we could not move tables.  We were offered a glass of cava when we paid our bill as an apology.  


On our arrival the waiting staff came quickly to our table to take our drinks orders and bring menus and our food order was taken in a timely fashion.  I had my usual G&T which was acceptable and my husband and our friend shared a bottle of Pesquera which was more than drinkable and at the amazing price of €19 which is cheaper than some wine shops sell it for. We also ordered a bottle of still water to share.
Our friend told us the portions were large so we shared a starter which was a half portion of Iberian Bellota ham and a portion of crystal bread.  There was more than enough for 3 of us and the ham was tasty but was a bit too fatty for our liking.  The crystal bread was a bit disappointing as it was not very crisp and lacked sufficient tomato, oil and garlic to be flavoursome.


For main courses my friend had salmon with goat's cheese which was a good sized portion, well cooked and declared superb.  My husband chose the pork cheeks with crispy onion and white miso sauce and again this was a good sized portion, beautifully cooked and tasty.  I had the Chicken Teriyaki which was a boned grilled chicken thigh on a bed of spicy couscous with vegetables.  This was a huge portion and, for me, was slightly overfacing.  However, I found the couscous extremely tasty, as was the chicken but I found that it was somewhat fatty as the skin had been left on the boned chicken thigh.

Chicken Teryaki



Salmon with goat's cheese



Pork cheeks with crispy onion and white miso sauce


By the time we had eaten the starter and our main courses we did not have room for desserts so cannot comment on them.  Because of the situation developing regarding people constantly asking my husband to move his chair in order to access the terrace we decided to pay the bill at this point and have a coffee elsewhere.


The total bill for the 3 of us was a very reasonable €79.  We would be happy to go back here, if we fancied eating out instead of cooking at home, as it is good value for money, but would ask for a table away from the door to the terrace.

LA ROSA VERMUTERIA - DINNER

Address:        Carrer de la Rosa, 5, 07003 Palma, Illes Balears
Telephone:    00 34 971 77 89 29

I had walked passed this many times and it was always buzzing with people so I hoped that it would be good if so many people wanted to go there.

You cannot reserve a table and I ended up going here with my husband and 2 of his business colleagues as we had not made a reservation anywhere and our first choice of restaurant was full, so we took a chance on their being a table here.

When we arrived it was full of people, as always, but we were told that we could sit on the upper gallery which is situated above the downstairs eating area and overlooks the bar.  We were at a sharing table but we were the only people sitting at it.  The ambience is very upbeat with simple decor - including a nice collection of old soda syphons which sit above the bar area -  and we were quickly attended to by a waiter who worked like a whirlwind to take our drinks order and give us menus in the language of our choice.

The waiter explained that it is a vermouth bar and has about 50 different types of vermouth, but they also served the normal selection of drinks.  I had my usual G&T, which was acceptable, and the other 3 shared a bottle of Albarino white wine which they said was good.  We also ordered a bottle of still and a bottle of sparkling water.

The waiter helped us with our food choices and we decided to share both starters and main courses.

For starters we had, grilled octopus which was delicious but was served whole, rather than sliced, so may put people off if they don't like to see the whole "animal" that they are going to eat.  The ham croquettes were piping hot and crispy on the outside with a tasty cheesy potato filling with small pieces of jamon serrano - very tasty.  The "Patatas Bravas" were small chunks of potato with a spicy sauce and were very tasty too.  All this was accompanied by "p'amb oil" which was good but not special.

Mussels in the "chamberpot"

For main we shared a huge dish of steamed mussels cooked with small pieces of vegetable.  These were excellent and there were loads of them.  The only thing that might put people off was that they were served in what looked like a small chamberpot!  The other main was fillet steak with chips.  We asked for it to be cooked "medium" but it was probably more like "medium-rare".  However, the waiter did say he could take some or all of it back to be cooked more.

Fillet steak and chips

We ate the steak as it was and it was tender and delicious with excellent seasoning and the chips were excellent  too - hot and crispy on the outside and soft inside.

None of us felt the need for dessert or coffees so the bill was settled at a very reasonable €100.  

As we were leaving a smile was brought to our faces when we saw a bike in the window carrying a bottle of wine in a leather sling under the crossbar - that is my husband's idea of cycling!

Wine on the bike

I now understand why this restaurant is so popular and I will be happy to return there very soon.

CANELA - DINNER

Address:  Calle Sant Jaume 13, 07012 Palma de Mallorca
Telephone:  00 34 971 71 03 14

I have visited Canela on several occasions since November 2015 for both lunch and dinner and this time I went with my husband and 2 friends for dinner in April 2016.

The restaurant was closed for several weeks from February 2016 for an internal refurbishment.  The ambience is similar to before but has smart new wooden floors as well as a low bar table which surrounds the kitchen on 2 sides from where you can watch the chefs preparing your meal.

The staff are the same and give you a warm welcome on entering the restaurant.

The first time we ate after the refurbishment the service was rather too relaxed for our liking and the size of some of the main courses was variable to the point that some were more like the size of starters.  We fed this back to the restaurant staff who were most grateful for the feedback.

We were given the choice of sitting at a table in the restaurant or at the table surrounding the kitchen but we decided upon the table in the restaurant which is more conducive to conversation if there are 4 people.

Our drinks order was taken quickly and menus supplied.  I had an acceptable G&T and the rest of the party chose a white wine which was a combination of verdejo and another grape (whose name I have forgotten) from a Mallorcan vineyard.  We also ordered a large bottle of still water.  This was deemed very drinkable as evidenced by the partaking of 2 bottles.

The waiter assisted us in choosing our starters as well as the main courses.

We shared a selection of "Bites" for starters which included delicious mushroom and truffle croquettes with a light cheese foam sauce,  grilled white asparagus with a soft egg yolk as a dip which was different, small pork dumplings which were given the thumbs up by half the table and an average rating by the other 2 diners and a tasty pork and vegetable delight on a toasted bread.  All of these filled a spot and whetted our appetites for the main courses.

For mains two of us chose the suckling pig which was deliciously tender with flavours of Asia, one chose the beef sirloin and the other the blackened cod, both of which were described as delicious.

None of us had room for dessert but 2 of us had cortados - nicely made.

We had been advised that we could have a table from 8 pm to 10 pm when we made the reservation as the restaurant was very busy that night and this was th the only way of accommodating us.  However, the pace of service was not hurried and we enjoyed our meal in the time allowed and were gone from the table just before 10 pm.

The total bill was €216 for 4 which is a bit more than you might pay in some other restaurants but the combination of excellent ingredients cooked with imagination and flair, the ambience, welcoming staff and efficient service means that we shall definitely be back.

CELLER SA PREMSA - LUNCH

Address:     Plaça del Bisbe Berenguer Palou, 8, 07003 Palma, Illes Balears

Phone:        00 34 971 72 35 29

I went here for lunch with my husband and 2 Mallorcan friends in April.

My husband was a regular here some decades ago and reminisced on how it was very popular then so we were interested to know if it had stood the test of time.

As you enter the old wooden glazed swing doors into the restaurant you enter a large area with a high ceiling and small windows positioned in the roof.  It is simply furnished in a rustic style with dark wood tables and chairs with vintage artefacts from wine-making and storage.

The waiters are mature men and extremely efficient.  As we arrived just after opening we had the choice of tables and bread and olives were instantly brought to our table and our drinks order taken.  On this occasion all we wanted to drink was water so I cannot comment on the wine here.

The menu was available in English, German, Spanish and Catalan and had mainly traditional Mallorcan dishes to choose from.  You could choose from the a la carte menu or have a "menu del dia" (with 3 courses - each course having a good selection to choose from.  The menu del dia was €12.95 per head including wine and water.

As we were eating rather early we passed on the menu del dia and chose from the a la carte menu.  My husband was the only one to choose a starter - lentils with garlic which was a generous sized dish for a starter and was declared delicious.

For mains 2 chose arroz negra (black rice) which contained cuttlefish and peas and once again was declared very tasty.  Like the starter, this was a generous size.  I chose the "lomo con col"(pork stuffed with 2 types of Mallorcan sausage and wrapped in cabbage with a light tomato sauce containing some raisins).  There were 2 large pieces of cabbage wrapped pork on my plate which I found a bit overfacing but for those with a hearty appetite it would probably have been very appealing.  It was beautifully tender and tasty and I was able to eat one whole piece and the rest was shared between my dining companions who also enjoyed it.  My husband had prawns in garlic oil for his main and it was piping hot and perfectly cooked.

Three of us decided to have dessert and all chose "puding" which is a bit like a slice of madeira cake which has been cooked with egg custard and a served with a light caramel sauce.  Again this was excellent.

To finish 2 of us had coffees - a "cafe con leche" (white coffee) and a "cortado" (an espresso with a shot of hot milk).  The bill came to a very economical €54 for 4 people - excellent value for money.

The whole experience was authentically Mallorcan from the highly professional and attentive waiters to the perfectly cooked Mallorcan food.  It is not surprising that it has been going for more than 50 years.  However, if you favour more modern cooking it would perhaps not suit but for a flavour of Mallorcan cuisine it is a good choice - as confirmed by our Mallorcan friends.