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Review of La Braseria restaurant, Pollença
La Braseria may not have the allure of a seafront eatery in Port de Pollença or a restaurant in the narrow streets of the charming Pollença town, but it does have a Josper charcoal oven. And if you enjoy the flavour of food cooked over fire, La Braseria is worth a visit for young Bolivian chef Ruben Uzquiano’s expert cooking.
How to find La Braseria
This restaurant in the north of Mallorca couldn’t be easier to find – it’s at the Ca’n Berenguer roundabout just outside Pollença town, at the junction with the Ma10 to Lluc. It’s between the traditional mallorquín textiles business Teixits Vicens and Paco Mobles furniture store and, at first glance, La Braseria looks like an ordinary roadside eatery with an attractive covered front terrace.
La Braseria’s Menu
Although the terrace looked appealing, on a hot and humid day we were seduced by the prospect of air conditioning and ate in the smart contemporary-style dining room.




The menu offers tapas, salads, and meats and fish cooked on the grill. The meat choices include T-bone and Tomahawk steaks (for two hungry people). La Braseria sources as much of its produce locally as it can and this includes the 0km lamb, from the Cooperativa de Pollença. Lamb even has its own section on the menu. Vegetarian dishes are restricted to four tapas, one salad, and a falafel burger with cheese and confit tomato sauce, so it’s probably not a destination restaurant for vegetarians.
What we ate at La Braseria
We started by sharing generous portions of patatas bravas (8,90€) and grilled chicken wings with smoky tatemada (charred salsa) sauce (10,50€). Both were delicious and I’d eat those chicken wings again anytime.




We both had sea bass (21,50€ each), which arrived whole on a wooden platter with a lettuce garnish, baked aubergine, and very good home-cut fries. The fish was perfectly cooked, and my only tiny service gripe was having to suggest that a spare plate would be useful for discarding the inedible parts of the fish.
Having eaten well, we weren’t going to have dessert. Until our server, Alejandra, told us that all the desserts are made in-house … and the Josper-baked cheesecake (8,50€) is particularly good. It was like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey, so we shared a cheesecake. Had I known how deliciously creamy and rich it was going to be, I’d have had a portion to myself.
We each had a glass of rosado wine from Mallorcan winery Vi Rei, at 4,50€ a glass. We paid a total of 79,90€ for what was a substantial and very good lunch.
Good to Know
- When on holiday, you don’t want to be clock-watching, so it’s good that La Braseria’s kitchen is open from 12:30 until ten at night so you can discover this place at your leisure.
- Open every day. Breakfast and brunch from 10:30-12:30h and then all-day dining 12:30-22:00h.
- It’s usually possible to find a parking space in front of this row of businesses.
- Teixits Vicens is well worth a visit to see the variety of items made from Mallorca’s ‘cloth of tongues’. You can visit the factory as well as the showroom. Do also check out the outlet section upstairs, where there’s also a large collection of antiques that will surely appeal to anyone looking for authentic decorative pieces for a rustic finca.
- If you enjoy eating at La Braseria, you may be interested to know it’s part of the Group Calvary, which also has eateries in Pollença town (L’Illa & Café El Calvari) and in Port de Pollença (L’Illa).
Jan Edwards ©2023
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What’s New at La Residencia in Deià
Those who have enjoyed eating at Es Racó d’es Teix in Deià over the years will be sad to learn that the restaurant has closed due to the retirement of owner Josef Sauerschell. I have fond memories of reviewing this restaurant for a magazine; some years later, it was the first restaurant my husband and I returned to after the COVID lockdown ended.
But life changes and brings both shade and light. And the light comes from good news out of the renowned 5-star La Residencia hotel. Read on to find out what treats await you in 2023 at this iconic Deià hotel, where the gastronomy is led by executive chef Guillermo Méndez (who has worked at La Residencia – A Belmond Hotel for 32 years!)
Tramuntana Grill
Previously this poolside restaurant was open only to guests staying in the hotel. This year, the Tramuntana Grill is open for dinner to anyone. The restaurant has undergone a gorgeous refurbishment, envisioned by Moredesign. La Resi makes a point of supporting local businesses, eg sourcing fresh produce and artisan tableware, and chose the Deià-based architecture and interior design company for this latest project.



The elegant but unpretentious Tramuntana Grill is a covered but open-sided restaurant, where the designers have chosen local, natural materials, such as iron, bamboo, Mallorcan oak, and the Binissalem stone used to create the attractive floor.
Wherever you sit in the new, elevated Tramuntana Grill you’ll have beautiful views – especially when the setting sun paints the mountains shades of pink or orange.
But what of the food? That’s exciting too: the Tramuntana Grill has a Josper charcoal oven – the piece of equipment that many chefs lust after for the flavour it gives to food. The menu here offers Josper-cooked fresh fish and seafood, meats, vegetables – and even a pineapple dessert that delivers two delicious surprises.


EVOO made from the fruits of the hotel’s olive trees 
Carpaccio of red prawn with caramelised red onion, rocket, and pickled lemon peel 
Salad of Josper-grilled watermelon with Mallorcan cottage cheese and confit cherry tomatoes 
Fresh tuna, spiced mayo and avocado 
Galician Blond beef loin on crispy Sardinian-style bread 
Red prawns from Sóller 
Langoustines cooked with sobrasada of black pork 
Sea bass 
Vegetables to accompany fish 
Local ceramics 
Chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream 
Pineapple surprise! 
At the end of the night We began our Tramuntana Grill dining experience with a flavourful carpaccio of red prawns, with cream of caramelized red onions, rocket, and pickled lemon peel. A refreshing salad of Josper-grilled watermelon with Mallorcan cottage cheese and confit cherry tomatoes followed.
We enjoyed a perfectly cooked sea bass with a selection of grilled vegetables, including artichokes and asparagus. Langoustines cooked over charcoal came with the surprising but delicious addition of black pork sobrasada. And when in the Tramuntana – the mountains or the Grill – it would be remiss not to try the succulent Sóller prawns. The veal tartar surprised me: it was served with bone marrow (which would not usually appeal to me) and Beluga caviar – I’d order that again.
Whatever you try from the menu, this is a place for family-style dining so you can experience the variety of flavours and the evident skill of the kitchen team.
There’s live music every night and, when we dined, we enjoyed soft jazz from a Brazilian saxophonist. The music wasn’t intrusive but provided a relaxed ambience that complemented the setting.
The Tramuntana Grill has a wine list of some 50 wines, including local, international, and organic. If you’re driving or not drinking alcohol for another reason, do try the home-made lemonade. I warn you it’s very moreish.
Open to the public for dinner only every night from 19:30-22:30h.
El Olivo
The romantic El Olivo fine-dining restaurant has a new chef at the helm, which has given executive chef Guillermo Méndez more time to supervise all the hotel’s gastronomic offerings. Young but experienced chef Pablo Armando Aranda Moreno donned his chef’s gear at El Olivo in February, in time to create his own menus for the 2023 season.
Pablo hails from Granada but concluded his academic training in gastronomy with a master’s degree from the Basque Culinary Center. He began his career in Andalusia but moved to Mallorca to work for Marc Fosh, Andreu Genestra, and Fernando Pérez Arellano – thereby learning from some well-known chef/patrons.
I haven’t eaten in El Olivo this season but was interested to read his new menus and note that there are designated vegan starters and main-course dishes on the à la carte menu. Pablo also offers two tasting menus – one of which is vegan. Both menus are offered in a choice of 7 or 10 plates and can optionally be paired with wines. If you eat at El Olivo this season, I’d be interested to hear your opinion.
Jan Edwards ©2023
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Review of Lunch at Lassala Grill, near Palma
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New: Farm-to-Table Cuisine at Terra Restaurant, Mallorca
Farm-to-table food is increasingly available in Mallorca, where restaurant chefs who have the space to do so, grow at least some of the fresh produce they use – or obtain it from a trusted local farmer or smallholder. It’s a good sign when you see a raised bed bursting with greens or herbs just a short walk from the restaurant kitchen door. So the sight of the vertical orchards, crammed with herbs and edible flowers, made me smile as I went into the new Terra restaurant for a media lunch.
Terra (which is Spanish for ‘earth’) is the latest restaurant reincarnation at the luxurious 5-star St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort. The last time I ate there, this restaurant – which has a large terrace with gorgeous views of the lush gardens and the sparkling Mediterranean – was called Aqua. Everything has now changed – although the executive chef, Markus Wonisch, is still in charge of the cuisine.
Terra’s new look is from Barcelona-based interior designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán, who has created a fusion of the ambience of the kitchens of noble Mallorcan houses with the elegance associated with the St Regis brand. In keeping with the restaurant name, the décor incorporates natural colours and materials and feels airy and comfortable.

Part of the interior at the new Terra restaurant 
Markus Wonisch The Cuisine
Lunch began with artisan bread, accompanied by Na Capitana extra virgin olive oil. This is a very special oil, produced from the olives on the hundreds of trees on the golf course of Son Muntaner. I’m a massive fan of olive oils from Mallorca (I have two dessert spoonfuls of it every morning before breakfast), but couldn’t resist also trying the herb butter – which was very moreish. We were off to a good start at Terra. Here are the three dishes I ate and would order again.

Skate confit in oil of orange leaves with a spring salad with aloe vera and kaffir lime leaf gel – really fresh tasting and a perfect spring dish 
Breast of corn-fed poularde (so tender) with leek. Oh and a tasty empanada 
Anyone for chocolate ? This will satisfy any chocoholic! New Mar Sea Club to Open in June
Guests staying at the St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort will have another place to enjoy drinks and summer dishes this year. The new Mar Sea Club is under construction in an area of the garden that has superb sea views. And this being a St Regis property, it’ll be stylish.
With a new look to the hotel’s Michelin-starred Es Fum, the new Terra restaurant, and the new Mar Sea Club, it could be time to book a stay at the St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort.
Good to Know
The underground car park at the hotel has more electric-car charging points than I’ve seen in any one place!
Jan Edwards©2023
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New Repsol Sols & a Michelin-star Move
Alicante was the centre of attention for the Spanish gastronomy world last evening: the Repsol Guía held their annual gala dinner to announce the new ‘Sols’ for 2023. These awards are the Spanish equivalent of Michelin stars.

Álvaro Salazar of Voro – 2 ‘Sols’ 
La Vieja de Jonay Hernandez – one of the new ‘Recomendados’ Mallorca’s new Sols are as follows – and both recipients are in the resort of Canyamel:
Voro – 2 Sols (Voro also has 2 Michelin stars)*
Can Simoneta – Canyamel – one Sol. I am delighted for chef David Moreno and his excellent team at this 5-star hotel.
Total Sols in Mallorca
One 3-Sols restaurant
Six 2-Sols restaurants
Eleven 1-Sol restaurants
Repsol ‘Recomendados’
The following Mallorca restaurants are new recommendations for 2023:
Es Pi – Deià
La Gran Tortuga – Peguera
La Vieja de Jonay Hernandez – Palma*
Nus – Santa Catalina, Palma
Sa Pleta by Marc Fosh – Canyamel
Terrae – Pollença
As you may have noticed, Canyamel is now quite the foodie destination!
*These reviews are pre-pandemic, but will give you an idea of the cuisine available. Any prices mentioned will have changed, of course.
For a full guide to all the Repsol Sols in Spain (new and existing) for 2023, click here.
A Michelin-Star Move
Mallorcan chef Andreu Genestra is relocating his one-Michelin-star, eponymous restaurant from Capdepera to the countryside near Llucmajor. After a decade at Predi Son Jaume Rural Hotel, Genestra will re-open in April in the new location of Hotel Zoëtry, a 5-star hotel on the 14th-century Finca Sa Torre. Andreu Genestra restaurant also has a green Michelin star for sustainability. Senzill, Genestra’s bistro at Predi Son Jaume, will remain there.
Although the hotel in Llucmajor has changed hands and name in recent years, it won’t be the first time that a Michelin-star restaurant has been under its roof. When Andreu’s friend, chef Fernando P Arellano, relocated his starred restaurant Zaranda from Madrid to Mallorca, it was on this very same property.
Jan Edwards ©2023
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New Reasons to Stay at Finca Can Beneït, Mallorca
We had our third stay at Finca Can Beneït hotel in Binibona last week, to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Our first stay was to check the place out in April 2021, shortly after Toni Duran – a charming Mallorcan with more than 20 years of international hotel experience – bought the place.
The following year we stayed there for our wedding anniversary; it was such a memorable and enjoyable experience that we checked in again this year.
Since Toni Duran has been the owner, he’s been investing in sensitive enhancements to this centuries-old property with his Can Beneït guests and sustainability in mind. We couldn’t wait to see what had been done since our last stay.
New Garden Spa
Before going to our suite, adjacent to the 200-year-old chapel and the surviving medieval walls, we had a look at the new wellbeing facilities. The former sauna, which was close to the outdoor pool, has been converted into a spacious treatment room where therapist Joana offers facials, massages, and body rituals.
Products used in these treatments are from the Barcelona company, Natura Bissé – which has four times been voted the world’s best spa brand in recent years.
The wooden sauna is now housed in a restored stone building in the garden area. To improve sustainability, it’s the type that functions only when someone is using it, thus saving energy.
Mere steps away from the sauna are a plunge pool (heated in the cooler months), an outdoor shower, and a couple of chairs for relaxing in the outdoor but sheltered, private space. The sauna and this plunge pool area are bookable by the hour for exclusive use.
Close by is a new open-air yoga lawn.

Path to the hideaway sauna and plunge pool 
Sauna 
Sheltered outdoor relaxation area 
Prepare to be pampered To create these new spaces and preserve the integrity of Can Beneït, Toni Duran chose to renovate old stone buildings on the property that no longer had a purpose – thus giving them a new lease of life and creating something special for discerning hotel guests.
Other New Features
The 200-year-old chapel is now a space for art, although elements identifying its original purpose are still in place.
The hotel has invested in new, more comfortable dining chairs too – perfect for a long, leisurely lunch or dinner in the Mirabona Restaurant.
Produce from Can Beneït’s organic kitchen garden has increased with the addition of more beds for vegetables and herbs.

Art in the chapel 
The sheltered herb garden 
Organic produce for the kitchen Good to Know
- If you’re into yoga, pack your gear: the hotel has regular morning classes and that yoga lawn where you can salute to the sun amid fresh air and the sound of birdsong.
- Take walking boots/shoes to take advantage of some of the bucolic lanes and tracks around Binibona.
- The hotel offers bicycle hire (including electric bikes) and has storage facilities for bikes.
- A few places nearby are worth a visit – if you can tear yourself away from tranquil Can Beneït. Nearby Campanet is home to some caves that are well worth a visit. The Black Vulture Conservation Foundation at Finca Son Pons is also interesting to find out about the world’s only island population of black vultures and the associated work to protect these and other birds of prey in the Serra de Tramuntana. Look up to the sky above Finca Can Beneït and you’re likely to see some of these magnificent birds on the wing.
- Read more about Can Beneït here.
Jan Edwards©2023

































