QUADRAT - LUNCH

Address:   Hotel San Francesc, Plaza de San Francesc, 5, 07001 Palma
Tel:         00 34 971 495000 

This restaurant is set within the Hotel San Francesc which opened in October 2015 after the old building in which it is situated was sympathetically refurbished.

As you enter the hotel from the square outside with the imposing building of the church of San Francesc across the road you are greeted by charming staff who direct you through the impressive reception area into a gorgeous atrium with 4 olive trees and interesting balcony windows overhead and then through another hallway and down the stairs to the restaurant.

It is decorated in classic contemporary style in calm colours with comfortable chairs and banquettes with comfy cushions

We were with another couple and it was a fiesta so we were surprised that we were the only people in the restaurant.  However, it felt like our own personal dining room which we didn't mind.  Shortly after we arrived another table of diners arrived but were seated some way from us so it was still very private.

Our drinks order was quickly taken and menus provided by a charming waitress.  The only menu available was a "Menu del Dia" for €26.50 per head but there were 2 starter choices, 3 main course choices and 2 dessert choices all of which sounded mouth-watering.

The verdejo wine was good as was my G&T.

An "amuse bouche" of tomato tartar with little wafers of tomato toast as well as a basket of small hot rolls were presented to us whilst we awaited our starters.  The "amuses bouches" were beautifully presented  on small dishes placed on a larger dish with a bed of rock salt and pebbles.  They were a tasty little nibble to whet the appetite.

As it was a day of cool sunshine we all had the cream of pumpkin soup served with walnut and cheese glass bread - this is almost paper thin toasted bread which is currently popular in some Palma restaurants.  The soup was delicious and beautifully presented.

For the main course we all chose the hake on a bed of lemon-infused smashed potatoes.  The fish was cooked to perfection and the potatoes were an excellent accompaniment.  One of our party likes to have sauce with his fish and announced as it was placed in front of him that he would like a sauce with it.  The waitress neither flinched nor protested that it was not on the menu but suggested a seafood sauce which was agreed to and promptly delivered to the table within a couple of mouthfuls of the fish being eaten.

For dessert 3 of us had chocolate mousse with passion fruit ice cream and a coconut mousse on a bed of crumbed chocolate biscuit.  The chocolate was not too sweet and the passion fruit ice cream was intensely flavoured with the fruit. The coconut mousse was an interesting accompaniment to the other 2 flavours and the crumbed biscuit gave a nice combination of textures.

My husband chose the rice pudding with milk which was not so interesting - it was 3 small clumps of rice pudding with milk poured over the top with cinnamon  garnish.

In spite of the mediocre rice pudding we all thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience here where nothing was too much trouble for the staff and the food was fresh, interesting and perfectly cooked.

Our friends picked up the bill so I don't know what the total bill was but the price of the "Menu del Dia" was a fair price for our food.

We shall look forward to returning here and hopefully enjoy some meals on the outside terrace when the weather is warmer.