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.

CAFE BOTIGA ES PES DE SA PALLA - LUNCH

Address: Plaza Es Pes de Sa Palla, 3, Palma, Illes Balears
Phone:  00 34971 722505


My husband and I regularly go to this cafe for a coffee and/or breakfast on our daily dog walk but had never tried eating lunch there although we had read the "menu del dia" many times and wondered if the lunch was as good as the pastries, p'amb oli, cheeses, hams and Spanish tortilla on offer for breakfast.


Some of the food is prepared and served by people with special learning needs and they are all charming and friendly.  It is run by an organisation called amadip.esment.  Everything is spotlessly clean and the ambience is that of an upmarket cafe in a retro style.


We went there on a Monday lunchtime in early April with my husband's daughter and her 2 teenage children.


As it was a bit cool outside we asked for a table inside and were quickly shown to one and provided with menus and a small paper sack each which contained 2 slices of excellent bread with oil to accompany it.


The menu had plenty of choice for both starters, mains and desserts.  The teenagers only wanted a main course but this comes automatically with a small bowl of the soup of the day which was cream of leek on this day.  The adults ate this and it was tasty and perfectly seasoned.  In addition a plate of spinach coca was provided to whet our appetite whilst waiting for the adults' starters.  However, all of us passed on this as we were worried it would spoil our appetites for our chosen meal.


For starter, two of us chose crispy prawns which were fresh prawns wrapped in filo pastry, deep-fried, and served with a chilli dipping sauce.  These were excellent.  My husband chose a pork and vegetable rissole but he found it rather rich for his liking and was only able to eat about half of it.  Like every "menu del dia" choice is all important if you are to enjoy the eating experience.


The teenagers had burgers which were served free of any vegetables/salad (as requested) but with a generous portion of chips.  These were given the thumbs up and duly devoured.


The adults chose the rice dish of the day (black rice with vegetables), egg and chips, and cod on a bed of vegetables.  Unfortunately, the black rice (which my husband had chosen) was again rather rich and he was unable to finish it all.  I had the egg and chips which were tasty but not particularly inspiring and my husband's daughter had the cod on vegetables which she declared fresh and delicious.


By this time we were all feeling a bit full but 3 of us managed either lemon sorbet or strawberry sorbet which were excellent to finish on and you could taste the fresh fruit in them.


The meal was accompanied by jugs of still water which was very drinkable - no unpleasant flavours.  The children both had soft drinks.


We had no room for coffees at the end of the meal and the bill came to €80 with a tip.


Our expectations had been high for our lunch here due to the excellent offerings at breakfast, but it did not live up to them as the dishes were either mediocre or excellent.  We shall continue to breakfast here but would not rush to have lunch again.