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Repsol Guide 2021 – Sols for Mallorca
Spain’s nearest equivalent to the famous Michelin stars are the ‘Sols’ — awarded each year in the latest edition of the Repsol Guide, or Guía Repsol, as it’s known in Spain.
The latest guide was launched yesterday in San Sebastián, with 96 new ‘Sols’ awarded across Spain. In total 618 ‘Sols’ were awarded for 2021 — 31 of them in the Balearics.
Guía Repsol awarded the following ‘Sols’ to restaurants in Mallorca:
Dani and Maca De Castro (pictured at Maca’s Palma restaurant Andana) ‘Sols’ for Mallorca in 2021
The following restaurants in Mallorca have ‘Sols’:
3 ‘Sols’
Maca De Castro – Alcúdia
2 ‘Sols’
Andreu Genestra – Capdepera
Béns d’Avall – Sóller
Dins Santa Taura – Palma de Mallorca
El Olivo – Deià
La Fortaleza – Llucmajor
1 ‘Sol’
Aromata – Palma de Mallorca
Bodega Barahona – Casa Manolo – Ses Salines
Ca na Toneta – Caimari
Can Toni Moreno – Port des Canonge, Banyalbufar
DaiCa – Llubí
Es Racó d’es Teix – Deià
Marc Fosh – Palma de Mallorca
Voro – Canyamel, Capdepera
Congratulations to all these restaurants. There are only three of these I haven’t tried and they are definitely on the must-visit list for 2021.
Jan Edwards Copyright 2021
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The Unique Ten Mallorca Hotel
Table was set for my al fresco birthday lunch in November. Mallorca has some superb boutique hotels outside Palma and the coastal areas. In my last post I wrote about a memorable dinner we recently had, featuring the cuisine of private chef Piers Dawson — of whom we are big fans. The hotel where this guest-chef dinner took place was Ten Mallorca and it’s at the very heart of Mallorca, in the authentically Mallorcan town of Sineu. We’ve stayed at the hotel twice — the first time for my birthday last November and then again for the recent dinner.
English-owned-and-run hotel in Mallorca
Ten Mallorca is owned by Joanna and John Yaxley who were property surveyors when they lived in England.
Their idea had been to semi-retire in Mallorca and buy an apartment overlooking the sea. It didn’t quite work out like that: John was busy with work in the UK and unable to come to Mallorca with Joanna to view some properties. Instead of the apartment by the Mediterranean, she put a deposit on the old house that the couple has turned into a must-visit hotel for many islanders and tourists.
Over a period of several years they painstakingly restored this property, which is tucked away in a quiet lane in Sineu, into a unique nine-bedroom hotel (a tenth is being added).
They did most of the renovation work themselves, including the interior design.
‘We wanted to create something unique,’ Joanne told me, ‘something that was a bit of us. Every boutique hotel we saw in Mallorca and Ibiza was white, with rustic wood and materials. All very nice, but very similar.’
In terms of style, Ten Mallorca has hints of London, Paris, and even New York. Every bedroom is different and the bathrooms are gorgeous — three have a freestanding bath, as well as a walk-in shower. You’ll find wallpapers by designers Matthew Williamson and Christian Lacroix.
A flavour of some of the stylish interiors. The couple preserved some of the property’s original heritage, including the beautifully patterned original floors on the ground floor.
‘One of the joys of the project was us working together,’ John told me. ‘It was the first time we’ve actually done that, to create something for which we both had a passion.’
Hospitality Rules
A high-quality renovation and stylish design are not the whole story at Ten Mallorca. This owners of the hotel are also the hosts and, despite not having worked in the hotel business before, they are naturally hospitable and good fun. The warmth of this couple will make you feel right at home.
Food & Drink
Ten Mallorca has an attractive bar — both in terms of design and what it offers to drink. Gin fans will have fun choosing from a tempting selection of premium gins (including Mallorcan) but the bar is also well stocked with other drinks. The hotel has an excellent selection of Mallorcan wines, including organic.
Breakfast of champions! All lovingly prepared and presented. Last year, once lockdown was over, Ten Mallorca offered Sunday roasts, courtesy of Joanne and John’s daughter, Hannah, an accomplished young chef. These lunches quickly sold out. Current restrictions mean the hotel cannot serve food to anyone not staying overnight in the hotel, but Ten Mallorca has some interesting Supper and Stay events including dinner, accommodation in one of their luxurious rooms, and a breakfast the next morning that will set you up for the day.
Our most recent visit was for one of these Supper and Stay nights and there are more of these events scheduled in the coming weeks. Hannah, Piers Dawson, and private chef Ross Hutchison will be taking their turns at the stoves in Ten Mallorca’s envy-inspiring kitchen during April. Follow Ten Mallorca on Instagram for details, or see their website.
Good to Know
Sineu is on the railway route between Palma and Manacor and the hotel is a short walk through the town from the station. If you arrive by car, a free public car park is just a couple of minutes’ walk from the hotel.
Ten Mallorca has a ground-floor wheelchair-accessible guest room.
Pack your swimmers! Ten Mallorca has an inviting courtyard saltwater infinity swimming pool.
Sineu has a huge weekly market every Wednesday morning; it’s one of the island’s biggest and most varied markets.
Jan Edwards Copyright 2021
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Piers Dawson @ Ten Mallorca
Eating dinner in a restaurant that’s not in a hotel is still not possible in Mallorca, because of Covid restrictions, but the good news is that the interiors of bars and restaurants will be able to open again from next Monday, March 15th. Whether this will be just during the day or include evenings too is not yet known… but it’s a step forward.
Meanwhile, we enjoyed a superb dinner out on Friday evening, combined with an overnight stay in the stylish boutique hotel Ten Mallorca, in the heart of Sineu (which, if you don’t know it, is right in the heart of the island). The English owners and hosts of the hotel decided to do something different to attract islanders and came up with the idea of supper-and-stay events, featuring well-known guest chefs who work on the island.
Piers Dawson First at the Stoves
Chef Piers and his charming (and efficient) right-hand woman (and wife) Holly Private chef Piers Dawson launched this series with a few events during February and March; after an unsuccessful try to book the first event, we managed to book early enough to secure two of the limited places for Friday evening’s dinner. As at his Charlie’s Kitchen events, Piers came into the dining room as his wife Holly and the Ten team served each of his eight dishes, to describe the food in more detail than his minimalist menus give. When you listen to him, you realise just how much work goes into each dish he creates.
Having eaten Piers’ cuisine on a number of occasions, I am firmly of the belief that whatever he serves will be amazing – not only because of his talent for cooking and his incredible creativity, but also because of his evident passion for making people happy through his food.
You can see Piers Dawson in action on his You Tube channel. Check out his webhttps://www.piersdawson.com site too for more about this amiable chef.
Friday’s Menu
- Trout, Apple, Charcoal
- Pea & Mint – a pea-and-mint ‘milkshake’ with a wafer topping.
- Sobrasada Lollipop – not a traditional way to serve sobrasada!
- Butternut, Sage, Jamon, Parmesan – The bread-and-butter course. Sourdough bread and flavoured whipped butter with Parmesan and crumbs of Iberian ham sprinkled over.
- Beef, Rocket, Artichoke – sirloin beef tartar with truffle oil and puree, shallots and chives, chargrilled baby artichoke
- Salmon, Citrus, Vodka – fish course: home-cured salmon, avocado, pink grapefruit, orange, lemon and saffron aioli, granola, radish
- Masterstock Pork, Tenderstem, Wasabi – local pork belly cooked in Chinese masterstock (6 years old!), jus, blackened onions, wasabi aioli
- Chocolate, Peanuts, Banana
Trout, Apple, Charcoal 
Pea & Mint 
Sobrasada Lollipop
The three canapes starting Friday night’s amazing menu The Ten Club
Numbers for these supper-and-stay events are currently limited to 12 and the hotel is using its lounge as a dining room during this period, to facilitate social distancing. The events are very popular and the first of Piers’ dates was fully booked within 20 minutes of being announced.
Ten Mallorca came up with the clever idea of The Ten Club. For a fee of 35 euros per couple, members receive 48 hours’ advance notice of the March and April events before they are advertised generally. Members also receive a complimentary glass of house wine, beer, or cava on the evening. The cost does NOT include the price of the event, but does give early access to book events that are likely to fill quickly. If you’re in Mallorca and would like to become a member of The Ten Club, please email info@tenmallorca.com.
Prices for these supper-and-stay evenings vary according to the guest chef’s menu, but they are fair prices which include the overnight stay and a very good breakfast the next morning. Friday’s cost was from 150 euros per person (depending on the room booked). It’s blissful being able to enjoy fine food with one of the hotel’s carefully chosen wines (drinks are extra, but reasonably priced) and have only to climb the stairs to your room at the end of the evening.
Future Guest Chefs
This weekend, Sebastian Pasch – of the wonderful Restaurante Sebastian in Deya – is the guest chef. His menu looks superb and is based on dishes he’s cooked at his romantic restaurant since he opened it in 1994.
Other chefs who’ll be rocking up in the Ten Mallorca kitchen in coming weeks are Edu Martínez of Brut in Llubí and private chef Ross Hutchison A New Healthy Takeaway Option in Palma
Any of these events will be worth smashing the piggy bank for! Just trying to persuade The Boss to let me do it!
In Eat Drink Sleep Mallorca’s next post you can read more about Ten Mallorca hotel.
Jan Edwards Copyright 2021
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Mallorca’s Hospes Maricel Open this Winter
Winter can be a challenging time to enjoy a short break right by the Mediterranean in Mallorca, as many hotels outside Palma close at the end of the holiday season. If you’re feeling in need of a short break by the sea and some luxury, the 5-star Hospes Maricel in Las Català is open all winter 2021/22 and is only a short drive from Palma de Mallorca.
Breakfast on the terrace in February! Not for us though… Find Spacious Rooms & Mediterranean Views
The property is built in the style of a 17th-century stately Balearic mansion right on the seafront but was, in fact, constructed as a rather different hotel in the late 1940s.
Hospes commissioned Barcelona-based architects ADD+Arquitectura Xavier Claramunt to create the beautiful hotel that awaits guests today. The property is rich in marble, wood, and golden sandstone from Santanyí. Beams, arches, and columns grace the huge public areas.
In 2008, Hospes Maricel opened an extension across the road – again designed by Claramunt, and inspired by the terracing of the Mallorcan coastal village of Banyalbufar. The extension is contemporary, features a lot of stonework, and each room has its own terrace and private plunge pool. An underground passage connects these rooms with the main hotel building, so there’s no need to dodge the traffic on the road between them.
I first visited Hospes Maricel to do an interview in connection with an article for Interiores y Diseño by Deluxe magazine in 2008. I’ve subsequently reviewed the restaurant a couple of times and had a drink there, but we’d never stayed overnight.
The hotel had a special offer for Valentine’s Day 2021 so we booked one night away, having noted that the Hospes Maricel has the Institute for Spanish Tourist Quality’s ‘Safe Tourism Certified’ accreditation. Their protocols to protect against Covid-19 were prepared with the help of Quirónprevención, Preverisk, and the Institute’s guidelines. We were impressed by the attention to detail and felt safe during our stay. The spacious public areas make social distancing easy too.
We booked a room on the top floor, which had two windows looking out over the Mediterranean. Our bathroom had both a shower cubicle and a free-standing claw-foot bath.
Superbly comfortable bed 
Shower cubicle too! 
Worth waking early for this view of the sunrise
Hospes Maricel – our room on the third floor A ‘Covid’ pack of two masks and a small bottle of sanitizing gel were in the room for us, although there were sanitizing stations throughout the hotel.
Rafa Sánchez – Chef
Rafael Sánchez joined Hospes Maricel to lead the kitchen in 2018. His previous experience includes working at the former Plat d’Or restaurant, which had a Michelin star. We had a special set menu for Valentine’s, which was tasty and balanced so we didn’t feel uncomfortably full afterwards. Due to the romantic (low) lighting, my photos don’t really do the dinner justice. We’ll return one day for lunch sitting on the terrace by the sea…
Breakfast
Breakfast at Hospes Maricel was an assisted buffet – help-yourself buffets were not allowed during the Covid restrictions in operation when we stayed. We had a choice of eating on the terrace or indoors. Quite a few people were breakfasting outdoors, but we opted for indoors on this occasion, as it was quite a cool early morning.
Guests queued to point out what they wanted from the breakfast buffet and the masked-and-gloved server plated up the selected items. Hot dishes are made to order and brought to the table.
We were pleased to see the service team reminding people of the need for social distancing while in the queue and the requirement to wear a mask. I saw only one person who arrived without a mask, who was told she had to wear one (which they fetched from a drawer) while she was waiting in the buffet queue. We also spotted the hotel’s general manager, who came to cast his eye over things.
Good to Know
One thing to note if you are staying in a hotel in Mallorca: bathroom amenities in the rooms are limited for hygiene reasons. We had soap, shower/bath gel, and shampoo – but were told other items were available on request.
If a luxurious short break or night away in Mallorca appeals to you this winter, check out the Hospes Maricel offers.
Jan Edwards Copyright 2021
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French Oenologist Joins Mallorcan Finca Biniagual
Mallorca’s Finca Biniagual – near Binissalem – has appointed the acknowledged French oenologist Matthieu Pichenot as the new oenologist and manager of their winery, viticulture, and agriculture.
Matthieu at work in the vineyards Matthieu is a qualified oenologist and engineer in viticulture and oenology, and was winemaker for the pioneering ecological winery Domaine Gayda in Languedoc (France) for six years. For the past three years he was technical director and oenologist at the winery Château de Lastours in Corbières.
Thirty-eight-year-old Matthieu has left the South of France, his birthplace, to settle in Mallorca, and is full of enthusiasm for Finica Biniagual – where winemaking started twenty years ago. He is leading the team in the vineyards and in the winery, with cellarmen José Luis Seguí and Isaías Curiel.
“I love the potential of the terroir, of Mallorca’s autochthonous grape varieties and its complex and well-balanced wines,” Matthieu says.
Circular Agriculture
“Biniagual’s project also attracted me because of its philosophy of polyculture and circular agriculture,” the oenologist adds. “We have sown leguminous plants and cereals as green fertilizer and in order to compete with weeds in a natural way. The seeds come from our own production, and the manure and compost are produced by our sheep. Thus we return part of what the soil produces.”
Mallorca’s climate is not unfamiliar for the French oenologist. “I come from the South of France, which has lots of climatic similarities. Both are regions deficient in rain and with a Mediterranean climate. There is a difference in the wind – in the South of France, the Tramuntana blows with much more force; in Mallorca, the summer heat is more intense.”
The appointment of Matthieu reflects Finca Biniagual’s continuous progress towards excellence in their wines and major sustainability in the cultivation of the estate.
Finca Biniagual, apart from a winery, is a farm with 170 hectares: vineyards, olive groves, citrus trees, carob and almond trees, plantations of cereals and a flock of 300 sheep. The agriculture is certified as Integrated Production, a system that guarantees a sustainable production of food products using environmentally friendly methods.
If you’ve never visited the hamlet of Finca Biniagual, I’d like to recommend you do so while in Mallorca. It’s a place of extraordinary charm and timelessness – and a wonderful location for weddings and other functions (once Covid restrictions are lifted).
Jan Edwards Copyright 2021
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Mana Pan Pita – Made in Mallorca
Pita bread is the perfect and authentic accompaniment to some of the Middle Eastern dishes we enjoy eating at home, such as hummus, baba ganoush, and labneh. Until recently, we were able to buy only mass-produced pita bread in vacuum packs, from a local supermarket. We’d tried several brands of pita bread and found them dry and unappetizing. Why couldn’t we find pita bread as good as we’ve eaten in Santosha restaurant in Palma? We knew that was made in Palma de Mallorca by Mana Pan Pita.
When I heard the Eroski supermarket chain was selling fresh Mana Pan Pita, in packs of four, we hot-footed it to our local Eroski in Manacor.
Now here’s the thing: in 2004, when we were still new to Mallorca and checking out local supermarkets, the town’s small Eroski did not impress us and we didn’t shop there again.
What a pleasant surprise we had when we went to buy Mana Pan Pita: Eroski in Manacor has had a makeover at some point, and the variety of stock now impressed us. If it hadn’t been for our urge for some decent pita bread, we wouldn’t have discovered this. And not only did we buy the delicious, soft Mana Pan Pita (four pitas for 1,85 euros) , we came out with several other items that appealed to us.
About Mana Pan Pita
Naor Topaz, Mana Pan Pita’s proprietor and baker, answered questions from Eat Drink Sleep Mallorca.
Why did you start a pita bakery in Palma?
When we moved to the island, we soon realised the lack of good quality, fresh pita bread, so we decided to try and make our own.Had you been baking pita before moving to Mallorca?
Not in a professional way; I had made some at home for us, but nothing professional.How difficult was it to find/refine the recipe you use?
We started using a basic recipe and since then we’ve always been working on developing and improving it, either through the ingredients themselves, or through our method.A video of the bakery on your Facebook page shows some specialist equipment for making pitas? How easy was it to source those items?
Yes, we use specialist pita-bread equipment, which was all made and designed in Israel especially for this specific type of pita bread we make. We had to import it into Spain, as it’s not available here.How does your pan pita differ from the usual supermarket pitas in vacuum packs?
The idea of pita bread in vacuum packs came about as a logistical solution for importing pita from overseas, because of a lack of local producers. Generally speaking, bread should be sold fresh or frozen to be reheated and is not supposed to have a shelf-life of six months. The vacuum packs, combined with some preservatives, provide a solution for transport and help extend the product’s shelf life.We believe in natural products, so we sell our pita either fresh and/or frozen. We use a shock-freezing process which keeps the bread’s texture as close to fresh as possible. Our bread is 100% natural, it doesn’t contain any preservatives. It also has a high percentage of hydration so it opens fully and easily, without crumbling, so you can fill its pocket with all your favourite fillings.
Which restaurants in Mallorca serve your pita bread?
As we mainly work through distributors we don’t know about all the restaurants that serve it. Simply Delicious by Ronen, Santosha, and Fosh’s catering division in Palma do. We know it’s on the menu at the Balneario restaurants in Playa de Palma, at Naan Street Food (Santa Catalina, Palma), and a brand-new home-made kebab eatery called Urban Kebab (Palma). It’s also served with hummus at Cappuccino’s and many others.You sell all over Europe, including Portugal, France, Italy, and the Canaries. How did you achieve this?
As far as we know we are the only pita-bread bakery selling frozen pita in Europe, so this has given us an advantage. We have worked hard on creating a good marketing network and, through this, most of our clients found out about us and approached us themselves.It’s now sold in Eroski in their packaging (but with your bakery name on it). Are these available in all of Spain’s more than 1,300 Eroski supermarkets and hypermarkets?
To begin with we have started working in the Balearic Islands and it’s available at 74 Eroski supermarkets in the Balearics. We hope this will work well so it will expand and all of Spain can enjoy our fantastic pita bread.It looks as though you offer mainly wholesale, but can the public come to the bakery to buy too? If so, when?
We are wholesale, we mainly sell to the professional sector. We used to accept drop-ins at our bakery, but now we have a selling point for the general public, at Eroski, we prefer private customers to buy their pita bread there.What, if any, expansion or development plans do you have for the next couple of years?
We are always looking to improve the quality of our bread. Some of this requires new and more modern equipment. We are also investing in the development of new bakery products and hope to launch them later this year.What’s your own favourite way to eat one of your Mana Pan Pitas?
What I love the most about our product is that I can take a pita bread out of the freezer, at any time of day or night, and simply defrost it in a microwave or toaster and, in a matter of 30 seconds, I can enjoy a fresh pita bread as if it had just come out of the oven at a bakery.
Read more on Mana Pan Pita’s website.
Jan Edwards Copyright 2021
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Three New Michelin Stars for Mallorca
Last night Madrid was the location of this year’s announcements of the new Michelin stars, published in La Guía Michelin 2021. This year’s Gala was a virtual affair, so only the presenters dressed up in their formal wear for the occasion.
You don’t need me to point out it’s been a devastating year for the hospitality sector. Mallorca has been hit hard because of its high economic dependence on tourism. But on this one night in December 2020, some good news came Mallorca’s way: next year’s Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal has three new stars for the island.
Two of these are, in my humble opinion, long overdue; the third star – Estrella Verde – is for the new category of sustainability. I’m thrilled for all three restaurants and hope the news has given the chef/proprietors and their teams something to lift their spirits.
Dins Santi Taura
Santi Taura 
Santi Taura has been one of my favourite chefs for a very long time. He’s a household name here, presenting a cookery show on IB3, from the kitchen of Dins Santi Taura‘s former location in Lloseta. Santi moved his restaurant to the new El Llorenç Parc de la Mar Hotel in Palma. Although I’d eaten twice in the Lloseta location, I have yet to try Dins Santi Taura in Palma. His former eponymous restaurant (in the same Lloseta premises) was known for having one of Spain’s longest waiting lists for a table – even without a star. If you fancy trying Dins Santi Taura a try in 2021, best to book early!
Béns d’Avall
First opened more than forty years ago as a family-run eatery, Béns d’Avall can finally boast a Michelin star. What took those inspectors so long? Everything is to like here at Béns d’Avall: from the romantic off-the-beaten-track location and breathtaking coastal views from the large terrace, to the warm, professional service from Benet’s wife Catalina Cifre and her team, and impeccable cuisine and wines.
It’s hard to believe that when this place first opened in 1971 it had no running water or electricity. The only things today’s restaurant has in common with that simple eatery back in the day are the family’s philosophy and passion for Balearic cuisine.
Benet Vicens followed his mother and grandfather into the kitchen and, today, Benet and Catalina’s talented son Jaume is in the kitchen with his father. Despite the pandemic, Béns d’Avall managed to stay open later than usual this year – such is the popularity of this restaurant between Deià and Sóller.
The father-and-son chefs use only high-quality, fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients. They are big supporters of local providers, such as farmers, fishermen, and artisanal producers, but also grow vegetables and fruit on their own land.
Bèns d’Avall is now closed until the 2021 season and we can’t wait to visit again and offer the family our congratulations in person on the Michelin star.
New ‘Green Star’ for Andreu Genestra
The eponymous Andreu Genestra restaurant in Capdepera has had its Michelin star for some years. Now it is one of only 21 restaurants in Spain and Portugal to receive the Estrella Verde, a new-for-2021 Michelin star category for sustainability. Congratulations to Andreu, who can often be found on the productive plot of land opposite the hotel where the restaurant is located, and his team.
New Bib Gourmands in Mallorca
Michelin awards its Bib Gourmand to restaurants delivering a high-quality dining experience at a reasonable price. The restaurants Miceli in Selva and Ca’n Boqueta in Sóller are celebrating the award of a Bib Gourmand in La Guía Michelin España y Portugal 2021.
Stars Retained
Adrián Quetglas
Adrian Genestra
Es Fum
Es Racó d’es Teix
Maca de Castro
Marc Fosh
Voro
Sadly, Zaranda (which had two stars) didn’t reopen in 2020 and chef Fernando P Arellano hopes to open his restaurant in new premises in 2021.
Jan Edwards Copyright 2020
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Hidden Kitchen with Edu Martínez/Brut
Last Saturday we attended our second Hidden Kitchen event, organised by Chefs(in) – promoters of Balearic gastronomy. I booked and paid for our places some months ago, as soon as I saw that the chef would be Eduardo Martínez from the unique Brut Restaurante in Llubí. And had my fingers crossed that the pandemic wouldn’t lead to its cancellation.
Team Brut Book a Hidden Kitchen event and you don’t know where you’re going to eat until you arrive on the day. It won’t be a restaurant. In the five days leading up to the event, Chefs(in) emails participants one clue each day – one of which is the meeting point.
Our meeting point was on an industrial estate in Palma (Son Castelló), outside a discotheque called Latin Magic. We’d been advised to wear comfortable shoes. No salsa stilettos then. Those facts fired up my synapses, I can tell you.
Garage Cuisine
The restaurant Brut used to be a garage/workshop, earning its food the title of ‘garage cuisine’. Edu and his business partner Bruno Balbi even gave a presentation on ‘garage cuisine’ at the Madrid Fusion international gastronomy congress in January this year. Would we be eating in one of the many luxury car showrooms in Palma?
Not quite. Twenty-four diners arrived at the meeting point, where Araceli and Miguel Angel from Chefs(in) welcomed us.
For our last Hidden Kitchen, we were whisked in a luxury minibus from the meeting point to the lunch venue. How would it work this time, with the necessity for physical distancing?
‘I hope they send a full-sized coach,’ The Boss said to me, concerned about so many people breathing – even wearing masks – on a minibus during a pandemic. No transport was required – and all Covid precautions were taken.
The Reveal
Our venue for lunch was mere steps away from the meeting point, inside a business called Bosch & Lozano – a vast store selling vehicle spares and, at the rear, tyres. To be honest, it’s a business I’d never have otherwise visited but it was certainly appropriate for ‘garage cuisine’ Brut.
We began with a cocktail created by Matías Iriarte (of the Palma cocktail bar, Chapeau 1987), before moving through to the enormous tyre depot, where four well-spaced tables for six diners each, as well as Edu and his team, were waiting. As before, the tables were attractively decorated and, for added interest, the well-ventilated space had creative displays using tyres; a gleaming 750cc Norton Commando was also part of the décor (much to The Boss’s interest).
Edu (left) welcomes diners, standing next to a 750cc Norton Commando; someone got creative with the tyres! The menu had a Roman theme and a few of the dishes are pictured below.
A cocktail to start 
The menu card (also available in English) 
Oyster to start 
A ‘tyre’ of bread 
Chicken, fig leaves 
Not just a lettuce heart: kimchi and garum added delicious umami 
Edu plating 
Bruno plating 
Hare with foie, potato, truffle 
Themed dessert: turron, chocolate, and matcha tea 
One of the five wines served with the tasting menu 
Miguel Payeras from Chefs(in) at the Roman-themed wine station
Reasons to Attend a Hidden Kitchen
A Hidden Kitchen lunch or dinner is not only an opportunity to enjoy a unique menu prepared by one of the Balearics’ best chefs, but also to discover new places and meet new people (with a common interest in gastronomy). We shared our table with a German couple from near Santanyí and a local couple from Alaró, who’d been gifted the experience; neither had eaten at Brut, but seemed likely to try it in the future. If we’re ever in the market for a new fan belt, tyres, or other motoring miscellany, Bosch & Lozano will spring to mind!
A Date for your Diary
The next scheduled Hidden Kitchen is on January 30th, 2021, featuring cuisine by Javier Hoebeeck from the restaurant Fusión 19 in Playa de Muro. It’s a restaurant we intended to visit this year, but time ran out and it closed for the winter. Chefs(in)’s next Hidden Kitchen offers a chance to try Javier Hoebeeck’s cuisine before his restaurant’s new season begins. More details and bookings on Chefs(in).
Jan Edwards Copyright 2020
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New Mallorca Cookbook
If you’re looking for a Christmas gift for a foodie or keen cook, I’d like to suggest three cookbooks written here in Mallorca. The first was published in 2019; the second, this year, and the third one, only recently.
Modern Mediterranean – Sun-drenched recipes from Mallorca and beyond – by Marc Fosh (whose eponymous restaurant in Palma de Mallorca has a Michelin star).
The mymuybueno Cookbook – by Justine Murphy (who has recently relocated her eponymous cookery school to London).
The third cookbook I would suggest is called Mallorca – Das Kochbuch by Caroline Fabian (left in photo below). Yup, you guessed correctly: it’s in German. I have a copy, even though my schoolgirl German is as rusty as an abandoned Mallorcan tractor.
Thanks to Hotel THB Felip in Porto Cristo, for letting us record in their lounge – even though the hotel was closed! 
Love the vibrancy of this cover!
This book has a vibrant cover and is packed with beautiful photographs and I’m sure it would delight any Mallorca-loving foodie friend who speaks German, or has a grasp of the language.
Caroline Fabian – Cook & Author
Caroline Fabian is from Munich but is married to a Mallorcan and lives on the island. After her training, she went to work in Canada and later moved to Mallorca, where she worked in Josef Sauerschell’s Michelin-starred Es Racó d’es Teix in the mountain village of Deià.
For more than a decade, Caroline has been a private cook, catering for visitors and residents all over the island. She’s passionate about the island’s gastronomy and the specialist producers here.
Authors in Mallorca
Caroline joined me in conversation on the second episode of my podcast Authors in Mallorca, available to hear on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and TuneIn. Here’s a taster…
If you enjoy podcasts, you may also like to check out Living in Rural Mallorca – in which I talk to foreigners who have chosen to live in the Mallorcan countryside. I’d love it if you subscribed to receive future episodes.
Jan Edwards Copyright 2020
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Style & Sustainability in New Pollensa Hotel
A boutique hotel displaying copies of Architectural Digest and Monocle in its lounge and guest rooms must be confident that its design will stand up to comparison with the stylish images featured in such design-focused publications.
Art installation in lounge by Jaume Roig 
Ceramics by Jaume Roig 
Reception 
View of rear of the hotel 
View from Junior Suite 
Stylish reads Mallorca’s new boutique adults-only hotel, Can Aulí Luxury Retreat, brims with confidence in its design. It’s evident from the moment you enter this 21-bedroom property, located in a quiet street in the charming town of Pollensa in the north of Mallorca. Can Aulí Luxury Retreat is the first boutique hotel outside Palma de Mallorca for the IT Mallorca Unique Spaces group.
The noble 17th-century building would now be unrecognisable to the Pollensa doctor who used to call the place home. The redevelopment of the property has respectfully preserved many of the traditional Mallorcan architectural features – such as the handsome stone arches – combined with 21st-century comforts and design features and some interesting artworks by local artists. It’s gorgeous.
Natural materials, such as local stone and wood, and muted colours give the rooms (and the hotel’s public areas) a restful as well as luxurious ambience. But luxury wasn’t the only consideration in the creation of this stylish Pollensa boutique hotel. Sustainability was important: for example, the paint used in the hotel was ecological.
Our Stay
Although we arrived on a day threatening rain, we were able to sip the glass of cava, offered as a welcome drink, on the Gastrobar’s outdoor terrace. As we relaxed – it doesn’t take long at Can Aulí Luxury Retreat – our bag was delivered to our room.
Good night´s sleep in comfort at Can Auli Luxury Retreat 
Only part of the bathroom in the junior suite We stayed in Room 22 (the hotel has no room number 13). This junior suite has a view of the large courtyard garden, which has a tempting swimming pool. Beyond the property’s ivy-covered wall we could see a mountain and villas on the wooded hillside. It was a reminder that Pollensa is an excellent base for anyone who wants to drive into the UNESCO World Heritage Site Serra de Tramuntana.
I was pleased to find no capsule-coffee-making machine in our room but, instead, a Kitchen Aid kettle (another example of the high quality at Can Aulí Luxury Retreat). No environmentally unfriendly capsules here: we had sachets of Illy coffee and an impressive choice of organic teas. The two mugs provided for our hot drinks were made by island ceramicist, Jaume Roig (his work is also a key feature in the hotel lounge area). If you prefer, you can help yourself to hot drinks from the smart machine in Gastrobar’s open kitchen at any time.
Our spacious bathroom was fitted with chic copper-finish taps, and a walk-in shower as well as a bathtub – something that’s becoming less common in new boutique hotels. Amenities are organic and the travel kit provided is made from bamboo.
The Gastro Bar
The town of Pollensa has a good choice of restaurants but it’s worth trying the organic food in Can Aulí Luxury Retreat’s Gastro Bar. The menu offers snacks, a choice of breads, spoon dishes, sandwiches, tapas and sharing plates and, of course, desserts.
Outdoor dining area 
Indoor dining area 
Through the curtain to the Gastro Bar We shared three dishes: guacamole with corn chips and seasonal tomatoes with tuna belly and Kalamata olives, and apple tatin with vanilla ice cream. All delicious. Vegans and gluten-free diners have a plentiful choice here.
Breakfast
Perk up your breakfast with a choice of toppings 
Slices of bread are presented in compostable bags A surprisingly varied buffet breakfast is available at Can Aulí Luxury Retreat, which includes local products, a variety of breads, and cooked food if wanted. Covid safety measures meant pointing to the items we wanted on the other side of the now ubiquitous Perspex screen, which were then plated for us. Slices of different breads and pastries were each presented in compostable paper bags. It all felt very safe in these unnerving times.
Good to Know
- Can Aulí Luxury Retreat doesn’t have its own car park, but a large, free car park is less than five minutes’ walk away. You can always drop your luggage at the hotel first.
- The hotel offers a number of pampering wellness and spa treatments, using organic products. It’s recommended that you book these in advance (the treatments menu is available on the website).
- Can Aulí Luxury Retreat would make a perfect base to enjoy some of the social-and-cultural events for which the north Mallorcan town is known. And if you love to browse for a bargain or something local, Pollensa’s weekly Sunday morning market is a must.
Jan Edwards © 2020
Eat Drink Sleep Mallorca 