Friends from Oxford have just stayed with us for eight nights and, although I have had a break from writing over that period, we have been enjoying Mallorca’s gastronomy as much as ever. Of all the people who come to stay with us, Duncan and Kristina’s gastronomic tastes are the closest to our own and we make a point of taking them to places we enjoy – because we know they will too.

Dinner by the sea

Our first venture out for this holiday was to the waterside Quince in Porto Cristo. The evening was too cool to eat out on the terrace, so we ate indoors. Read more about this restaurant – which we have now visited three times – here.

Our friends were very impressed and told manager Mariano Sasso they’d be back. That’s one restaurant sorted for their next visit . . .

Tapas by the sea

Stay in Puerto Pollensa is open every day of the year and, with so many coastal restaurants on Mallorca closed out of season, that’s worth remembering. In the port since 1972 – but kept up to date and contemporary in style – it does indeed seem set to stay. Come for breakfast, coffee, drinks, lunch, tapas, snacks, or dinner. This one place fits all and we have never been disappointed here. On this occasion, we had a stomach-lining tapas lunch on our way to Pollensa for the Fira del Vi. We didn’t take advantage of Stay’s excellent choice of quality wines by the glass – for obvious reasons. In my next post, read about the 12th edition of the Fira del Vi and about another wine event in May.

Great-value Michelin-starred cuisine

Chilled pea and lime leaves soup with citrus-marinated scallops – Marc Fosh

Our friends have wanted to try British chef Marc Fosh’s restaurant Marc Fosh, in Palma, for some time and, this year, with a Michelin star to its name, it was a must. We had an excellent three-course lunch which, at 23,50 euros (plus VAT of 10 per cent), is a

Starter of royal of foie gras, rhubarb, raspberry, cocoa beans and verjus – Simply Fosh

fantastic-value-for-money Michelin experience. We ended our day in Palma with a cocktail in Cappuccino Grand Café in C/ San Miguel in Palma. This chain of smart cafes is quite expensive (even just for a coffee) but visitors we take to the branch in San Miguel never fail to be impressed by the handsome building and peaceful gardens. Tip: Food portions are large, and one plate could easily be shared by two people.

Feet-in-the-sand lunch

Balinese-style red curry of tiger prawns at Ponderosa Beach

Last year we had the good fortune to meet a great couple – Alex and Susan – who had opened their lovely Petit Hotel Son Arnau in the village of Selva earlier in the year. They told us about Ponderosa Beach at Muro Beach, and it wasn’t long before we were hot-footing it there to try it for ourselves. Bowled over by it, we couldn’t wait to introduce our friends to the place and, although it was a tad breezy on the day we visited, we buried our feet in the sand and enjoyed a tasty lunch, along with some cool tunes in the background. They have a new chef this year, but early ‘testing’ of his cuisine seemed promising. We’ll be back . . .

Market town lunch

Goli in Santanyi – interior detail

After a visit to the Wednesday market in Santanyí, we fortified ourselves with a delicious salad lunch there, at Goli. It’s a German-owned-and-run establishment, with mainly German clientele, but we were made very welcome and enjoyed some friendly banter with the owner. There’s a cute courtyard garden at the back and lots of attractive interior design features to admire. They open during the day only when the market is on (Wednesdays and Saturdays), but open for dinner every night except Sunday. We’ve never had dinner there but, based on lunch, think it’s worth a punt.

©Jan Edwards 2016