TAST TAPAS - EARLY SUPPER

Address:  Carre Unió, 2, 07001 Palma, Illes Balears
Telephone:     971 729878

I went here for an early supper (6 pm) with a friend prior to attending a Requiem in the nearby cathedral.  It is a popular venue so I booked a table the day before.  Prior to 7.30 pm it is only possible to eat/drink in the bar area and then both the bar and restaurant areas are open from 7.30 pm onwards.

It was relatively quiet when we arrived and a high table with a stool and bench seat had been reserved for us.  However, within half an hour people who had not reserved a table were queuing for a table, so we were pleased we had booked a table in advance.

The ambience is informal dining at high tables with bar stools or bench seats and there is a definite buzz about the place even when it is not full.

We were given a friendly welcome by the waiter, drinks were ordered and menus brought.  The menu contain a selection of pinchos, kebabs, tapas, and salads with some of the dishes being large enough for a main course and others small bite-sized portions.  Some dishes were cold and others hot and there was such a good selection it took us some time to decide what to order.

Drinks - a G&T and a glass of Ribero del Duero red wine - were brought promptly whilst we decided upon what to order.  My friend had a second glass of the same wine later on during the meal.

As I was not ravenously hungry I chose a small Caesar salad accompanied by prawns in garlic oil and my friend chose cod with garlic and chips.  My Caesar salad was fresh and deliciously tasty with 2 good shavings of parmesan cheese, crispy lettuce with a good sprinkling of croutons, bacon bits and anchovies and a generous amount of dressing.  The prawns were very hot and fresh with a good garnish of garlic - just as this dish should be.  

My friend was hungrier and ordered the cod with garlic and chips.  The chunk of cod was generous and had a thin batter over it topped with fresh fried garlic - and was declared hot, moist and tasty.  The portion of chips was generous and flavoursome - so many that I was able to share a few as it was more than enough for one person.

We finished with coffees and the whole bill came to just under €44 for 2 of us which we felt was a fair price for the quantity and quality.

As we were nearing the end of our meal the bar eating area was more or less full and the service could be seen to be slowing but we were very happy with the pace of ours.

We both enjoyed our experience and it will be a place I shall return to.