La Reserva Rotana Golf & Wine Resort is a beautiful, rural hotel near Manacor, with a private nine-hole golf course and a helicopter pad. The hotel sits in 200 hectares of land, including the golf course, vineyards, and vegetable garden.

We haven’t stayed in this 5-star hotel for the simple reason that it’s too close to home to justify the expense of paying for an overnight stay. For several reasons, though, we have become fans of La Reserva Rotana’s restaurant Anator.

The Setting

At the end of May, we had dinner in the restaurant’s cosy courtyard, sheltered from any breezes.

Our next visit was for lunch, by which time it was warm enough to be eating on the spacious, open terrace with its beautiful, bucolic views over Sa Vall – the fertile valley that’s the source of some of the fruit and vegetables sold in the local town. The setting is gorgeous – particularly as the sun sets – and it’s hard to believe you’re so close to busy Manacor.

I feel sorry for chefs working in the intense heat of July and August in Mallorca but, at Anator’s summer terrace, the food is prepared in an open-sided kitchen, which must surely be a more comfortable place to work than some indoor kitchens.

The Cuisine

Before 2021, the only time I’d eaten in La Reserva Rotana was for a review I was commissioned to write for a magazine. We didn’t see the bill at the time, having been invited, but imagined the amount would be commensurate with the hotel’s five-star status.

Last year we went to eat there again – partly because it’s our closest restaurant to home and I didn’t want to drive too far. We were surprised to find that Anator offers a set-price, executive menu for lunch and another for dinner. If you’re on a limited budget, it’s good to know how much your meal is likely to cost – although you have to add any drinks you order to your bill. La Reserva Rotana offers its own wines as well as other labels.

We’ve been back to Anator already a few times this year, when lunch costs 29€ for three courses. We had a choice of two starters and three mains (one of which was veggie); there was no choice for dessert, but cherries and lemon sorbet worked for me. These were our choices, and for a five-star hotel restaurant, I think the value for the cost was fair.

Dinner is a three-course affair (with no choices) at 49€. Of course, you can also order à la carte – which we did on our last visit for dinner. These were a couple of the dishes we chose then.

The Verdict

Easy and signposted access from Manacor, with ample parking space.

Good service and tasty, well-presented dishes.

Other benefits include being able to combine lunch and golf; arrive by helicopter (oh, I wish), and combine your visit with a horse-riding excursion locally with the wonderful people and horses of Naturacavall

Small niggle: restaurant prices on the website are not up to date.

©Jan Edwards 2022