Who needs a trip to Paris for a taste of French cuisine? If travelling to France isn’t on the cards for you but the prospect of an authentic French onion soup or a hearty boeuf bourguignon appeals, head to Les Artistes, a cosy French bistro in the heart of Palma, Mallorca’s capital. By the time you’ve perused the menu and taken the first sip of your French beer or Château Bertinerie, you’ll almost believe you were in the ‘city of light’.

The décor helps to achieve this feeling. Think of a French bistro you’ve seen in a movie and you’ll find similar features here, such as red-and-white checked tablecloths and napkins, and framed French art posters and photographs on the walls.

But the most notable authenticity relates to the food – classic savoury and sweet dishes from the French culinary canon.

What’s on the menu at Les Artistes?

The winter menu has starters including snails from Burgundy, sausage from Lyon, and the ever-popular onion soup with grilled Emmental and French bread. Main courses include boeuf bourguignon (made over three days and from three cuts of beef) served in a Le Creuset pot (18,90€), confit of duck (19,50€), hanger steak (‘onglet de boeuf’ (18,70€), and pike quenelle with a sauce of Norwegian lobster and shrimp bisque, and pilaf rice (17,30€). A few vegetarian dishes are available – including a vegetarian main course.

Leave space for a dessert if you can. Anyone for profiteroles bathed in warm chocolate and Chantilly cream (7,90€)? Apple tarte tatin (7,80€), crépes Suzette (8,90€), and îles flottantes (6,50€) are other classic French puds. If you lack a sweet tooth, don’t miss the assortment of French cheeses with fig jam (8,50€).

Our lunch at Les Artistes

For our lunch we started with a marinated fillet of herring with potatoes, onions, and carrots (7,20€), and fried Camembert with salad and fig jam (7,80€) which was accompanied by slices of toasted baguette to mop up all the delicious oozing cheese. Both starters were generous in size and very tasty. 

The Boss’s main course was pike ‘quenelle de brochet avec sauce Nantua’ – a typical dish from Lyon and the perfect winter warmer with its rich sauce and puff pastry garnish (17,30€). A friend had recommended the beef dish, ‘onglet de boeuf, sauce aux échalots’ and although I eat little red meat, I chose this dish with its oven-baked new potatoes and shallot sauce (18,70€). Our waitress asked me how I’d like the hanger steak cooked and the tender meat arrived just as requested. It was delicious.

Our desserts were tarte tatin and crème brûlée with pistachios (7,50€). 

Good to Know

Wines are French and reasonably priced too. We had wine by the glass at 4€ each.

For a restaurant in the heart of Palma, prices at Les Artistes are attractive. And service is friendly and efficient, with the serving staff dressed in jaunty flat caps and aprons.

Les Artistes is in the heart of Palma, right opposite the access to the underground car park at Mercat de l’Olivar. The nearby department store El Corté Inglés on the Avenidas has an underground car park too so you could park there and combine a shopping trip with lunch (or dinner) at Les Artistes in Palma.

Les Artistes is popular so be sure to book your table in advance. 

Jan Edwards©2024