Eat Drink Sleep Mallorca

Eight Michelin stars on Mallorca for 2016

November 25, 2015

by Jan Edwards

Mallorca’s annual olive fair

November 21, 2015

by Jan Edwards

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Eat / Food / Mallorcan produce / Markets / Restaurants

“I spy a few olives . . . “

Today is the first day of this weekend’s olive fair, or Fira de s’Oliva, in the village of Caimari. It’s a pretty little village, in the foothills of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tramuntana mountains, less than five kilometres from the large town of Inca – but a world away in terms of character and scenery.

Olives to be pressed

We arrived with friends this morning just before the event began – in a bid to find easier parking than we had last year. We were soon touring the stalls in the main square and the few streets leading off it. Many of the goods on display and for sale were olive-related, as you’d expect, but there were others, including several excellent cheese stalls (and we bought some particularly fine cheeses), sausages and preserved meats, honey, artisan beers, and handicrafts – among others. There was even a stall with a display of birds of prey.

Everything the olive farmer could want . . .

If you’re going to visit tomorrow, be sure to head to the new church – housing a display of art and artisan goods for sale. And don’t miss the chance to see inside the old village tafona, or olive press.

Choose from many types of preserved olives.

After a lovely warm sunny autumn so far, the weather changed today. Caimari was being battered by sudden gusts of wind, and some rain this morning – but it didn’t seem to impact on the popularity of the event.

Olive wood abounds.

Book ahead to eat here…

We would like to have eaten lunch at Ca Na Toneta – a delightful restaurant in a village house – but all tables were booked in advance. It’s not surprising, as this small place run by Maria and Teresa Solivellas is a true gem, where we had a great dinner during the summer.

Caimari’s Fira de s’Oliva continues tomorrow from 10am, but we’ll be at another event closer to home . . . celebrating mushrooms instead.

©Jan Edwards 2015

A Mallorcan hotel for a romantic break

November 8, 2015

by Jan Edwards

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Hotels / Restaurants / Sleep / Wine

Several years’ ago I had the pleasure of interviewing David Stein, the American businessman who owns the 5-star Gran Hotel Son Net in Puigpunyent, Mallorca. The estate – which has glorious views of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Serra de Tramuntana mountains, and looks over the village – dates back to the 17th century, and used to be his family home.

Spectacular location of Gran Hotel Son Net. Image courtesy of hotel.

David’s former house was converted into a luxury boutique hotel in 1998, following a sensitive restoration which retained many of the historical features of the building. The hotel has 31 rooms and suites and all the facilities a discerning (and romantically inclined) guest could wish for. It’s also open during the winter, which – on an island where many hotels put up the shutters during the cooler months – is a bonus for anyone who wants to discover the beauty of Mallorca at this time of year.

Having stayed here with The Boss in the past, it’s easy to understand why Gran Hotel Son Net has just been voted “Best for Romance Hotel in Europe and the Mediterranean Region” in the prestigious 2016 Condé Nast Johansens Awards. It’s another award for the hotel from the same publisher, which named it their “Most Excellent Hotel in Europe and the Mediterranean Region” in 2013.

Quintessential Mallorca

Condé Nast Johansen described Gran Hotel Son Net as ‘a finca hotel that dates back to back to 1672 and screams quintessential Mallorca. Its rooms and suites are awash with colonial influences; beautiful four-poster beds and immaculate marble bathrooms big enough to party in! The Son Net estate has its own vineyard, olive groves and kitchen garden supplying the hotel.’

Gran Hotel Son Net – another perspective. Image courtesy of hotel.

When it comes to romance, there are plenty of boxes to tick:

Dreamy elevated views for amazing loved-up selfies;
A superb wooden tree house (ideal for an engagement or wedding proposal dinner);
Huge bathrooms;
Four-poster beds;
Chimney Room – lounge with fireplace;
Romantic Oleum restaurant with exposed stone walls, original olive oil press, and opulent velvet curtains.

If a romantic getaway is on your agenda, Gran Hotel Son Net is currently offering a package starting from 222€ per couple, per night, including a welcome cocktail, cava and fruit in the room, a three-course candlelit dinner and breakfast in bed.

Notes:

The awards, which are widely regarded as among the most prestigious in the industry, are based on the combined results of the Condé Nast Johansens’ online voting system, guest survey reports, inspector feedback, and Condé Nast head office.

Condé Nast Johansens (www.condenastjohansens.com) is an international mark of distinction. Trusted for 34 years, it is the leading independently produced multi-media source for today’s traveller, sourcing hotels, spas and venues for leisure and business in the UK, Europe and the Americas.

©Jan Edwards 2015

Learn to cook gourmet tapas in Palma

September 26, 2015

by Jan Edwards

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Eat / Food / General / Markets

Learning to cook new things is something I really enjoy. It’s always surprised me that there are no cookery schools on Mallorca offering courses of a few days or more – the sort of thing you find advertised in glossy magazines and quality Sunday newspaper supplements in the UK. Or perhaps there are and I have yet to find them?

But there are certainly opportunities on Mallorca to brush up one’s kitchen skills. In the past on the island I have learned to make sushi. And earlier this week my friend Sandra and I attended the Gourmet Tapas workshop at Palma’s The Galley Club cookery school, run by Katy Rosales.

The Galley Club is in Palma’s Santa Catalina district, which is jam-packed with restaurants, cafes, and bars. The cooking school is just a few minutes’ walk from the area’s great indoor produce market – ideal for Katy to stock up on fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetables for the school.

Most of the workshops start at 6pm and have a limit of eight participants – many of whom work in the nautical sector cooking for boat owners or charter clients. Some longer courses are specifically designed for yachties; others are also designed for keen – or even novice – cooks.

Chop, chop

Seven of us were there to learn how to knock up some impressive tapas (there was a no-show, which was a pity, as there were more people wanting to attend than there were places). England, Holland, Colombia, South Africa, and Hungary were all represented around a central work station; the only male participant was a Mallorcan. Katy is Spanish but speaks good English (she has travelled the world – very often as a yacht chef), so the workshop was conducted in English, with some Spanish thrown in for the Colombian and Mallorcan participants.

We each had a list of recipes for different gourmet tapas, and were asked to choose one we’d make. I opted for coconut shrimp with mango mint dipping sauce, and was soon de-shelling and de-veining a bowl of plump prawns, as my companions followed the recipes for their own choice of tapa.

From the kitchen to the table

Katy kept a watchful eye on us all, giving tips and help as required. When it came to cooking, we (somehow) managed to have everything ready to eat at once. The evening ended around a dining table, laden with the fruits of our labours – and a couple of bottles of wine – and we spent some enjoyable time eating what we’d made and chatting . . . not suprisingly, mainly about food. My place for this evening cost 40 euros – which included all the ingredients, recipes, and our tapas ‘supper’ – and I felt it was good value, as well as fun.

If you want to spice up your life in the kitchen, check out The Galley Club’s website (in English and Spanish) for a wide variety of evening workshops and courses.

Thanks to Sandra (below), who used my camera to take some of the photos while I was up to my elbows in cornflour, egg white, and a combo of coconut and breadcrumbs! Anyone offer a course on how not to be a messy cook?

Katy checking progress in the oven.

Taking pictures of the results . . . before we demolish them.

Time to eat . . .

©Jan Edwards 2015

A super scoop of ice cream in Palma

September 22, 2015

by Jan Edwards

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Eat / Food / Mallorcan produce

One year, while working for the BBC in Oxford, I appeared (for one night only, folks!) in pantomime. My brief role on stage included performing the song “I scream for ice cream”. I obviously had to learn the words and it became one of those earworms that lives in your head for days. It even put me off my friends Ben & Jerry for a while . . .

Those days are over because, on Mallorca, we have a great choice of ice cream to enjoy. Following on from my last post about the Taste of Tuscany menu at Belmond La Residencia a couple of weeks ago, the Italian theme continues: we have discovered RivaReno Gelato in Palma.

So that’ll be four scoops then?

All natural ingredients

pened this year, opposite the emblematic Sa Llotja building, RivaReno offers authentic artisan ice cream. Adjoining the parlour itself is what they call the laboratory, where the ice cream is made fresh daily. They use all-natural ingredients – no hydrogenated fats, artificial colourings, or preservatives – and Alpine milk and cream from Piedmont, Italy. Their ice cream is made in small batches and kept in traditional Italian lidded-containers to minimize exposure to the air. And, yes, you can taste the quality in every luscious lick.

Get your gelato here!

They’re RivaReno ice creams!

Appealing decor . . .

How it began

RivaReno takes its name from an area of Bologna, where the brand was created. Their first store opened in Milan in 2005 – others have followed all over the country. In 2008 their ice cream won an award for ‘best ice cream in Italy’. RivaReno opened in Sydney, Australia, in 2013 and, now, RivaReno is also pleasing ice cream fans in Malta, Marbella, and Palma de Mallorca; Germany is their next destination.

I was amused to read – on the brand’s website – that RivaReno was created by two Italian gelato-makers, an Italian lawyer, a former Italian car executive – and a former BBC journalist! But I bet the latter never sang “I scream for ice cream” in a flouncy pantomime costume on stage at the Oxford Playhouse . . .

NOTE

If you prefer to enjoy Mallorcan products when on Mallorca, check out the artisan ice cream offered by Can Miquel Gelateria Their parlour has plenty of space where you can eat your ice cream sitting at a table. Their range of flavours includes some delicious savoury ice creams and more varieties of chocolate ice cream than you can shake a cone at.

©Jan Edwards 2015

Review: Sant Francesc Hotel Singular – Palma’s Old Town

September 8, 2015

by Jan Edwards

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Sleep

Some lovely smaller hotels have opened in recent years in Palma’s Old Town – the most interesting of which was only this spring (2015). The 5-star Sant Francesc Hotel Singular is in the plaza of the same name, opposite the Sant Francesc Basilica. The 42-room hotel is a superb renovation of an old palacio, involving artisan work to restore many of the property’s original traditional features. It’s ultra-cool, contemporary, and comfortable. Not always a guaranteed combination. And it looks at its best at night, with romantic lighting.

We stayed for one night in a first-floor room, which open onto a large shared terrace – from which we had a glimpse of the hotel’s garden (note the vertical planting wall). As you’d rightly expect in a 5-star room, amenities were good and included a capsule coffee-making machine (with Nespresso capsules), well-stocked minibar, safe, and glossy magazines to read. I especially liked the delicious fig-scented Heeley toiletries in the bathroom.

View from our terrace of part of the garden (and dining area)

Eating

The temptation is to dine out in one of Palma’s restaurants – but Quadrat, the restaurant here, is well worth experiencing. I had previously had a good set lunch here, so dinner was a must-try. The dining room was once the palacio’s stables – spot hints of that in the décor. In fine weather, you can eat in the garden, which we did.

We ate from the à la carte menu, with a choice of around a dozen starters, a couple of rice dishes, three meat, and three fish dishes. We had a bottle of Mallorcan ‘rosado’ from Ribas (25€ – a fair price in this setting). We started with warm bread rolls with a local extra virgin olive oil – bottled for the hotel – and a delicious amuse bouche. Like many restaurants on Mallorca, a tasting menu is also offered: five courses for 45€. Our dinner was of a very high standard and we didn’t regret not going out to eat.

Dining indoors . . .

The tomato corner of the breakfast buffet!

Breakfast was also very good, with plenty of choice: cereals, fresh fruit, baked goods, preserves, cold meats, and cheeses. A whole host of egg dishes is offered – including the classic eggs Benedict – which are cooked to order.

Drinking

Have a drink in the hotel’s ground-floor bar, or at the poolside lounge/bar on the roof terrace, where you have views of the city skyline. It’s pretty special for a post-dinner cocktail at night (but the bar closes at midnight, which surprises those who think the Spanish party all night!).

Bar of Sant Francesc Hotel Singular Palma de Mallorca

Ground-floor bar

Part of rooftop pool area (where there’s also a bar/lounge)

If gastronomic indulgence calls for more exercise than a few gentle laps of the pool, head to the basement, where the weapons of torture (can you tell I’m no longer a gym bunny?) include free weights, exercise balls, and a couple of serious-looking Technogym machines – oh, and a glitter ball hanging from the ceiling! I figured walking down to the basement and back up was exercise enough . . .

The hotel has featured in numerous international glossy magazines and respected newspapers. We spent time by the pool chatting to an orthopaedic surgeon and his wife from Los Angeles. Word of this hotel has travelled around the world, thanks to the clever use of a professional PR agency in New York. Hotel Sant Francesc Singular is well and truly on the global map . . . and I think it’s worth the journey.

Foyer of hotel (looking towards entrance doors)

Prices correct at time of writing.

©Jan Edwards 2015

Alcúdia’s boutique hotel with a heritage

August 23, 2015

by Jan Edwards

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Hotels / Sleep

Following a July 2018 visit, this post has undergone an update.

Mallorca now boasts some excellent boutique hotels and if, like me, your favoured type of hotel is one small enough to ensure a high degree of personal service, you have plenty of choice on the island.

I stayed for a night at Mallorca’s Hotel Can Mostatxins, in the old walled town of Alcúdia. I’d been keen to experience the place since it opened in late spring 2015 – and I wasn’t disappointed.

You can drive into the walled town to deposit your luggage, but it’s not far if you decide to park and make the short walk with your bags. Parking is easy – and free – just outside the mighty stone walls.

Hotel Can Mostatxins has its origins in a former 15th-century manor house, which had been neglected until British owner and property developer Mark Worthington came along. Turning the place into a stylish boutique hotel took six years, with many restored architectural features – such as Gothic arches and exposed stone walls – incorporated into the contemporary decor. And yes, it was definitely worth the wait.

What’s on offer at Can Mostatxins

The hotel has nine guest rooms. Two – of which one is a stunning suite – are in the building’s restored tower. It was occupied when I stayed, so I didn’t see it – but it’s on my list of rooms in which to stay with The Boss in the future.

My (very comfortable) bed for the night was in room 5, named Alcanada. The room had everything a travelling gal could need: safe; tea, coffee, and kettle; fridge (with complimentary water, milk, and bottle of cava – very welcoming); wall-mounted satellite TV; air conditioning; robe and slippers, and free Wi-Fi. And, for we girls who don’t like to go out with our skirts inadvertently tucked into our knickers (!), there’s a useful full-length mirror on the back of the room door, so you can check all is as it should be just before facing the world.

A unique feature of the hotel is the open central courtyard, below street level (and hidden from the outside world). It has a comfortable chill-out area and spa pool, where you can gaze up at the old stone walls – wishing they could speak and reveal stories from their past.

Breakfast buffet-style is the only meal offered here, but the walled town of Alcúdia has lots of eateries and the hotel can suggest places to suit individual tastes. On both my two stays (the latest in July 2018), I have eaten dinner at Italian restaurant Osteria El Patio, just around the corner from the hotel. It’s popular so be sure to book a table – especially if you’d like to eat in the large rear courtyard garden.

What’s in a name?

If you’re arriving by taxi and want to tell the driver in a confident manner where you’re going, here’s how to pronounce it:

“Hotel Can Moss-tatcheens”

Mostatxins was the nickname (derived from the Mallorcan word for ‘moustache’ ) of the building’s former owner Raphael Aguilo Valls – a distinctively moustached man who ran a butcher’s shop from the premises in the early 20th century. You’ll spot a few moustache motifs around the hotel . . .

If you’re looking for a boutique hotel in Mallorca offering comfort, style, warm hospitality, and a sense of place and history, I can personally recommend a stay here in the delightful old town of Alcúdia.

Wherever I lay my head . . .

Spa pool and chill-out area in courtyard of Hotel Can Mostatxins.

Perfect for a dip

The attractive breakfast room

Female Chefs on Mallorca in Repsol Guide’s Top Ten

August 19, 2015

by Jan Edwards

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Chefs / Eat / Michelin

Mallorca has plenty of traditional restaurants where a woman is at the helm in the kitchen. They’re often referred to as cooks, rather than chefs. But there are some women in restaurant kitchens on this island who are most definitely chefs. And two have just been selected by the travel guide Guía Repsol for inclusion in their list of the top ten women chefs in Spain.

Macarena de Castro (Jardín, Puerto Alcúdia) and María Solivellas (Ca Na Toneta, Caimari) represent Mallorca on the list. Macarena – who became the chef in her family’s restaurant at the age of 23 – has already been recognised with a Michelin star for her culinary talents.

Macarena de Castro

María Solivellas and her sister Teresa run Ca Na Toneta – located in a village famous for olives and olive oil (and the annual olive oil fair Fira de s’Oliva, in November).

Up there among the best

The Repsol Guide list of top ten women in kitchens in Spain also included Spanish TV’s Top Chef winner Begoña Rodrigo (La Salita, Valencia), and Elena Arzak (Arzak, San Sebastían) – named ‘World’s Best Female Chef’ in 2012 by British magazine Restaurant.

There are, of course, other very good female chefs working in restaurants on Mallorca. The following – in whose restaurants I have enjoyed eating – deserve a mention here:

Cati Pieras – DaiCa, Llubí
Svenja Gallé- Restaurant Bellaverde, Puerto Pollensa
Irene Gutiérrez – Sumaq, Palma
Marga Coll – Miceli, Selva
Marta Rosselló – Sal de Cocó, Colònia de Sant Jordi

Woman-power is fuelling some memorable cuisine on Mallorca!

Insider tip for a good café in Manacor . . .

June 27, 2015

by Jan Edwards

Drinks and eats

They use Marabans coffee – from Mallorca – and we’ve always had a good cup of coffee here. This morning The Boss had a frapuccino and declared it the best he’d ever had. I did have a small sip and although I only take coffee black usually, it was excellent. El Palau also offers a range of Marabans teas and, in the summer, iced tea. Smoothies and juices are good, and they offer cakes (some home-made), pastries, and filled rolls for those with a small gap to fill. In the evenings, it’s worth trying a cocktail here.

For lunch, try a pizza (8 varieties, including a vegetarian), ranging from 7,80 euros to 9,50 euros; choice of pasta dishes (all under 10 euros), and five different salads (8,50-9,50 euros).

Nofre, the friendly man who runs the place, uses fresh fruit and vegetables here from his partner’s garden. And lots of stuff is home-made: he makes the pizza bases on a Sunday afternoon and freezes them for the week ahead. So no mass-produced pizzas here! The pasta is artisan-made by an Italian friend of his.

Good to Know

Nofre has created a café that’s doing something different from many of the others in the town. He likes to practise his English, so if you don’t speak Spanish, this is definitely a place to head for.

Closed Sundays (when Nofre is gardening and making pizza bases!).

Plaça del Rector Rubí, 8, Manacor – Tel 971 845 163

Review of dinner at Petit Hotel Son Arnau, Selva

May 11, 2015

by Jan Edwards

Dinner at Petit Hotel Son Arnau

Contemporary art in Petit Hotel Son Arnau, Selva.

One of several new paintings in the hotel dining room since our previous visit.

Although the hotel dining room is not open to the public, we were lucky enough to be able to join friends there for dinner last week. Alex – whose background is in banking – has come into his own in the kitchen, and the multilingual Susan – who previously worked in the hospitality industry – is a really delightful hostess in the dining room. We’d already recognised that last year when we stayed at the hotel (see my post on this blog of August 14th), but this hardworking and welcoming couple has since gained in experience and confidence and it’s clear that they are loving it. And so are their guests, it seems.

Dinner menu

Dinner for guests this year costs 26 euros for three courses (with choices), including bread, olives and alioli made from milk rather than eggs. We’d also had the latter at Sol y Vida restaurant in Cala Murada. The menu changes daily and is based on fresh market produce. On the night we visited this was on offer:

Mediterranean chicken and pasta salad

Chili king prawn cocktail

Bruschetta of mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil and balsamic glaze on rustic bread

– – –

4-hour slow-cooked leg of lamb

Tuna tataki with a toasted sesame seed dressing on a bed of cucumber and radish salad

Warm cauliflower salad

– – –

Spanish orange cake with fresh fruits

Optional selection of cheeses with tomato chutney – supplement of 5 euros.

A delicious starter: chili king prawns

Meltingly tender lamb and lentils.

Susan’s gluten-free orange cake (made with almond flour). Divine.

Special mention should be given to the Spanish orange cake, which was moist and full of flavour – and made by Susan. It looked so good I dived straight in, forgetting that I hadn’t taken a photograph. When Susan removed the empty slate, I mentioned this – only to be presented with a second portion a few moments later! I should like to place on record that this additional portion was shared after its moment in front of the camera!

Wines on their small but interesting list are Mallorcan and Spanish. We had a 2007 Cabernet i Callet (local grape variety) from Jaume Bennassar (a part-time winemaker who owns the restaurant in Orient famous for suckling pig). It was excellent and cost 23 euros.

Kitchen open four nights a week

Alex and Susan offer dinner for their guests on four nights a week; for those staying on the other nights, my own suggestions (in no particular order) for eating out in the vicinity are:

Miceli, Selva
Joan Marc, Inca
Celler Can Amer, Inca
Ca Na Toneta, Caimari (the next village, towards the mountains)
Santi Taura, Lloseta (but you’d need to book way ahead)
Sa Fábrica, Inca

I know that Alex and Susan will have additional recommendations to share with their guests.

If you’re staying at Petit Hotel Son Arnau, be sure to eat dinner in the hotel on at least one night. And in the warmer weather, it’ll be served on their village-view terrace.

Thank you for sharing!

Book ahead to eat here…

Thank you for sharing!

Quintessential Mallorca

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Chop, chop

From the kitchen to the table

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All natural ingredients

How it began

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Eating

Drinking

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What’s on offer at Can Mostatxins

What’s in a name?

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Up there among the best

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Drinks and eats

Good to Know

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Dinner at Petit Hotel Son Arnau

Dinner menu

Kitchen open four nights a week

Thank you for sharing!