-
Al fresco lunch at Café Miró in Deià
Our foodie friends recently paid their annual visit to us and, as last year, we enjoyed a week of eating out and sharing some of our favourite restaurants with them. The highlight of the week was undoubtedly lunch at Café Miró, one of the restaurants at the Belmond La Residencia in Deià. It was our friends’ first visit to this iconic 5-star hotel and they loved everything about it (except having to leave the place later that afternoon).
La Residencia sculpture garden
Deià village views
Café Miró’s menu is sectioned into hors d’oeuvres and salads, pasta and rice dishes, tapas, seafood and meats, vegetables and salads (to accompany), and desserts.
Our Café Miró lunch …
Having first checked the latter section and decided that space should definitely be saved for one of the tempting-sounding sweet dishes, the four of us shared a salad of warm goat’s cheese with Mallorcan rosemary-flower honey, and dried fruits (18 euros), to start lunch. It was delicious and a good recommendation for anyone who likes goat’s cheese.
Warm goat’s cheese salad
Our two friends chose the main course of sea bass medallion with fennel salad and La Residencia olive oil (28 euros); The Boss had a grilled sirloin steak with celery puree and seasonal vegetables (29 euros), and I chose grilled Sóller prawns (34 euros). If you’re a seafood fan and come to Mallorca, these delicious prawns are a must-try.
The Boss’s steak – declared succulent and perfectly cooked to his request
Famous Sóller prawns
After a short pause – during which we relaxed and enjoyed the surrounding views of mountains and the village – we had dessert and coffees. To drink, we had a glass of cava to start, a bottle of Muscat from Miquel Oliver (which has just opened their new contemporary winery just outside Petra), and a complimentary digestif of the hotel’s own moreish (and unusual) limoncello.
Meringue pastry with apricot sauce
Chocolate fondant with ice cream
Pineapple carpaccio with passion fruit sorbet – for me, the perfect summer lunch dessert
It was a superb lunch (from a kitchen headed by executive chef Guillermo Méndez), with warm unstuffy service (led by restaurant manager Onofre), in a fabulous setting. At one point our friends declared it was like being in a dream or on a romantic film set.
Belmond La Residencia is a luxurious hotel and the food and beverage prices reflect that. But, if your budget stretches to it, lunch at this renowned hotel perched above the picturesque village of Deià is likely to become one of your lasting memories of summer. It will certainly be for us and our friends …
Jan Edwards© 2016
-
Where chef/restaurateur Marc Fosh eats out on Mallorca
Marc Fosh is a chef I admire greatly, so I was pleased to have the opportunity to write about him for the Spring edition of Insiders Abroad magazine; the article is republished below.
Marc Fosh on the terrace of his restaurant in Palma, Mallorca
Londoner Marc Fosh has achieved something no other British chef in Spain has done – gaining Michelin-star recognition for his cuisine in, not just one, but two restaurants.
This affable softly spoken chef’s extraordinary culinary career began modestly, in the early ‘80s, when he was a self-confessed “working-class kid”. He admits he was drawn to working in a kitchen by the camaraderie of being part of a team, rather than a great passion for food. The latter would soon come.
London’s The Greenhouse and The Chelsea Room (Carlton Tower Hotel) are on his CV, but he moved around to keep learning from different people. Working with Brian Turner, for instance, taught him the importance of coming out of the kitchen to talk to diners.
In the early ‘90s, Marc moved to San Sebastian, to immerse himself in Spain’s gastronomic revolution. There he worked alongside a developing young Spanish chef called Martín Berasategui … now one of the country’s culinary giants.
Island-bound
Next stop was Mallorca, as executive chef in the fine-dining restaurant of a British-owned country house hotel. His unique take on Mediterranean cuisine – based on fresh, high-quality ingredients, and a modern touch – won many fans and, in 2002, the restaurant was first awarded a Michelin star (which it retained while Marc still worked there).
In 2009 he left the star behind to open Simply Fosh, his own restaurant, within the Hotel Convent de la Missió in central Palma. Gone were the foams and fancy flourishes: “In the beginning, a star wasn’t the goal. It was about good food, with everything else stripped back,” he says.
The restaurant soon became a hotspot for local and visiting gourmets, also garnering enthusiastic reviews from food critics visiting Mallorca. The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Condé Nast Traveller have all praised the restaurant and Marc’s cuisine. International recognition led to him becoming a brand ambassador for Braun, and being invited as guest chef to create first- and business-class inflight menus for Lufthansa. His consultancy work has taken him as far as Russia and China, and he was one of 400 of the world’s best chefs featured in the first edition of the compendium Where Chefs Eat (Phaidon).
Several young chefs who have worked in Marc’s kitchens over the years now have their own restaurants on Mallorca. Joan Marc, Andreu Genestra (Michelin-starred), and Adrian Quetglas are all establishments here owned and run by his former protégés: “It makes me feel proud to see these great chefs having their own success,” he says.
Simply Fosh evolved in an organic way and eventually ticked all the boxes for the Michelin inspectors, who awarded one star for 2015 and again for 2016. Last year Marc’s wife Iris joined him at work, as director of service and customer relations.
Re-branding
Marc’s Simply Fosh restaurant in Palma has been re-branded as Marc Fosh and his name will be the cornerstone of future projects. “I’ve been thinking about this for a couple of years, because ‘simply’ doesn’t really apply anymore,” he says. The hotel in which the restaurant is located has also invested in improvements and expansion with a view to attaining a 5-star rating. “So it’s a good time to re-brand and push forward.”
The restaurant is a Palma lunch hotspot and will continue to offer an innovative but affordable set menu. Dinner will be a more refined gastronomic experience, fitting of a starred restaurant. At night there’s a new culinary concept of three tasting menus, ranging from five to seven courses (one of the latter is vegetarian and has been “phenomenally successful”). The menus are based on fresh seasonal produce, and a wine pairing option is available.
Foie gras terrine with green asparagus, samphire and fresh truffle
Orange-blossom cream, wild strawberries, toasted strawberry sorbet, with chilled hibiscus and strawberry-leaf infusion
The 5-course menu includes some of Marc’s classic repertoire dishes, such as preserved lemon cream, sweet dukkah, cherry rosewater sorbet, and ras al hanout caramel. Browse the dishes on the 7-course menu degustación and you’ll spot rosehip, samphire, hibiscus, summer savory, burdock, liquorice, black garlic, and aloe vera.
Marc has always looked for interesting ingredients for his cuisine and is often inspired by some of the herbs and spices found in health food stores that are not traditionally used in restaurant kitchens: “It takes you on a little journey,” he says, adding that his passion for highlighting certain ingredients “defines my cuisine.”
I ask Marc if he thinks he could have achieved similar success had he remained in the UK. “Yes, I do. I believe in my ability. Living in the Mediterranean for such a long time it’s bound to have refined my style, but I can see that my food would fit there.”
Thankfully he reveals no plans to leave Mallorca. “We’re lucky we have pretty good produce around us,” he says. Of the challenges of running a restaurant here, the biggest is probably staffing. “We’re in an itinerant trade, in many ways, so building good teams has been fundamental for me.” Marc Fosh’s carefully chosen team has the honour of working for, and learning from, the chef who is still the only Brit in Spain creating Michelin-starred cuisine.
-o-
Jan Edwards©2016
-
Innovative tapas with a view over the Bay of Palma
When I was a lot younger, I came to Mallorca for the first time and had a holiday romance with a local guy. It was all quite innocent, because the friend I’d gone on the holiday with was always around. But I had also fallen in love with the island and had the urge to return to live and work here.
A commanding position for this castle hotel.
Confession time. My Spanish then was almost non-existent, but it didn’t stop me writing to the majestic Castillo Hotel Son Vida (in English!) to offer my services as a secretary. What was I thinking? Needless to say, I didn’t get a job.
Castle (nearly) in the sky
I was aiming high: Castillo Hotel Son Vida is the grande dame of Palma’s hotels, boasting five stars and an impressive history and guest list. Hugh Laurie stayed here during the filming of the series The Night Manager.
It’s not called Castillo for nothing: it was a 13th-century castle, located high amongst the hills of Son Vida – now a decidedly upmarket residential area on the outskirts of Palma. The hotel’s huge terrace offers unbeatable panoramic views over Palma and right around the Bay of Palma. Although I’ve never stayed overnight, I’ve attended quite a few functions here and the view always takes my breath away.
A balcony over the island.
Impressive views even on a hazy day.
Tapas restaurant at Castillo Hotel Son Vida
Rafael (third from left) and the Es Vi team.
Es Ví – one of the hotel’s restaurants – is open for dinner only and serves innovative tapas from chef Rafael Dengra, who has worked his way up the ladder over his 18 years at the hotel. The smart restaurant has a mix of seating (we sat on tall chairs at a high table) and a lovely terrace for alfresco dining.
As well as the à la carte tapas menu, Rafael offers a tasting menu of five innovative tapas of his selection (47€ including VAT). If you love the surprise of tasting menus, I’d recommend this. The à la carte menu includes a couple of vegetarian dishes.
Rafael’s new menu for this season includes some very tasty dishes, of which these are a few:
A clever carpaccio of tuna and monkfish, with tapenade, cashew nuts and cherry tomato confit.
L-R Crunchy sole roll with tomato and ginger sauce; crunchy ravioli of pork cheek with mango and sweet chilli sauce, and goat’s cheese and walnut ‘croqueta’.
Mini chicken burger with Mediterranean dressing, quail egg and mustard sauce with pineapple and coconut.
‘Pincho’ of rabbit stuffed with prawns and with fish and meat sauce.
Instant smoked
Instant smoked turbot, revealed from underneath a glass cloche.
Apple strudel with vanilla Calvados ice cream.The Castillo Hotel Son Vida is also the venue for the series of summer Son Vida Café Concerts. If you’ve never ventured up to the Castillo, it’s a great opportunity to discover the place … and maybe enjoy a tapas supper too at Es Ví.
Text & pictures ©Jan Edwards 2016
-
A visit to Mallorca’s Son Campaner winery
Mallorca’s wines – particularly the reds – are often a little hefty in their alcohol content. Delicious they may be, but there are times when a lighter wine is called for, such as the hotter months of summer, for lunchtime drinking, or when you’re trying to negotiate your way around a yacht out at sea. Some friends who own a yacht-charter business were looking for lighter wines to offer with lunch to their clients, and invited us to join them on a visit to the winery Son Campaner, near Sencelles. The bodega produces wines in the category Vi de la terra Mallorca and has become known for their lighter wines.
A German-owned and run Mallorcan bodega
The land surrounding the modern stone-built bodega has been used to grow vines for some time, although the property’s previous owner didn’t make wine himself and used to sell the grapes. When the current German owner bought the property in 2009, it had been his dream to have his own vineyard. It took until 2014 for him to obtain planning permission to build the superb recently opened winery that sits amid the five hectares of vines today and, in the meantime, Son Campaner wines were made in an industrial unit in Binissalem.
In April 2011, owner Ralf Hämmerling appointed Stefan Winterling and Eva Gómez to run the winery. Oenologist Stefan is from a German wine-making family and worked for well-known companies in Germany and California before coming to Mallorca, where’s he worked as a vintner since 2008. He told us he loves making wine and that became obvious the more he talked about his work.
Eva and Stefan
A tour and tastings
Interior detail in tasting room.
Stefan showed us around the winery, which has a light-filled and contemporary-style room for tastings and events. We sat at a table here, tasting the wines and enjoying views over the vineyards outside. It has been Stefan’s mission to make wines with a lighter alcohol content, and he’s now happy with the whites he’s producing. “The idea is to make subtle, easy-drinking wines that are elegant and more feminine,” he tells us. “To do this we harvest early, which is good for the acidity of the grapes and means the sugar content isn’t so high.”
Whites and a rosé
The three lighter wines (two white, one a pale rosé) are: Pálido (11.5% vol) – which had sold out; Blanc de Blancs (12% vol), and Blanc de Negres (11.5% vol). The latter is a pale rosé made by pressing the grapes with their skins still intact and then processing them as for a white wine; grapes used for this are Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and native variety Manto Negro. Typically, the Mallorcan rosé wines (known as rosados here) that we usually have in our rack at home are anything from 13% to 14.5% vol. Having tasted and liked the wine, we bought a case for those occasions when we want something lighter.
The Blanc de Negre we bought. And a bowl of Mallorcan Quely biscuits (made in Inca) – the essential ingredient of wine tasting events.
Red wines from Son Campaner
Stefan is still working to reduce the alcohol content of the red (tinto) wines. There are two coupages: Terra Rossa and Athos (named after the owner’s German tyre company – but, thankfully, with not a hint of rubber in its taste!). The third red is the single variety Merlot, which happens to be the owner’s favourite grape. “It’s an easy grape to work with, and is popular,” says Stefan. “Red wines should always be served chilled here in the summer,” Stefan reminds us, as he pours wine into our glasses.
Son Campaner wines are sold through three wholesalers on Mallorca and at the bodega itself. Visits to the winery are by appointment only, by phoning +34 618 596 233.
Where to eat in Sencelles
If you’re looking for lunch or dinner near to the bodega, I’d suggest the Sencelles village restaurant Sa Cuina de n’Aina, which has been serving customers since 1995. It’s an appealingly decorated family restaurant and offers Mallorcan and Mediterranean cuisine, with a side order of friendly service. We’d called here without a reservation once before, on a Sunday lunchtime, and found the place completely full.
During the week, they offer a lunch menu of three courses and one drink for 18 euros.
My goat’s cheese salad starter.
Perfectly cooked fillet of trout with vegetables.
We came here after our visit to Son Campaner and had a very good lunch. Bonus feature for warmer months is the rear garden. Oh, and we managed to park in the street right outside the restaurant entrance.
Jan Edwards©2016
-
Palma hotel review: Hotel Born – a traditional place to stay
The peaceful courtyard of Hotel Born in Palma.
Despite having suggested Palma’s Hotel Born a few years ago to a friend, as a reasonably priced place to stay in Palma, we’d never spent a night there. Fortunately, said friend really liked it. The hotel has been on the must-try list for some time, along with plenty of other hotels on Mallorca I’d like to write about here.
A place to stay when attending Peccata Minuta
The recent Peccata Minuta event in Palma proved the perfect opportunity to put Hotel Born to the test. The tapas event didn’t start until 9pm and there would be wine. Which meant there should be no drinking for whichever one of us was going to drive. Although there’s a reliable, reasonably priced railway service linking Palma with our nearest town, the last train from the capital leaves at 10.15pm. So much for late nights out in Spain!
It made sense to find somewhere to lay our heads for the night so that we could enjoy the whole Peccata Minuta experience. If you missed it yourself, the organisers Chefs(in) made the following video of the event (in which we make a fleeting appearance). Eagle-eyed watchers of The Night Manager on BBC TV may recognise Palau March, the venue, as the exterior of the Istanbul hotel seen in episode four.
Anyway, we booked ourselves a room at Hotel Born for a little over 120 euros for the night, including tax and breakfast. A good price for a stay in the centre of Palma.
Tradition and history
Hotel Born is ideal for those who want a more traditional place to stay in Palma; it’s conveniently located for anyone wanting to be right in the heart of the Mallorcan capital’s shopping centre. It’s a few steps away from the Paseo del Borne and the colonnaded shopping street, Jaime III, but has only a narrow – mainly motor-traffic-free – lane outside its front doors.
The hotel was originally built in the 16th century as a palace for the Marquis of Ferrandell. It still has features such as the large wrought-iron gates and patio, or courtyard, that are typical of the traditional Mallorcan noble properties that can be seen in Palma’s old town.
Part of Hotel Born’s spacious tiled foyer.
Another area of the foyer of Hotel Born.
The family-owned Hotel Born was completed renovated in 1993, prior to which it had been a hostel. As we were checking out and paying the bill, the receptionist told us that it had originally had 90 simply furnished bedrooms, with one bathroom to every 10 bedrooms. Today it has 30 much more spacious rooms, thankfully all with en suite bathroom.
Our room
The style is traditional Mallorcan, with antique-style furnishings. Our room (303) was spotlessly clean, comfortable and neat and, although the bathroom was a bit small and old-fashioned in style, it too was clean and perfectly adequate. The room and bathroom were both comfortably warm (there’s also air conditioning for the summer months). Our room overlooked the courtyard and was very quiet. I’d recommend asking for an inner-facing room if you book to stay here. The free high-speed Wi-Fi worked very well in our room.
The hotel does not have a lift (elevator), so ask for a room on a lower floor if a lot of stairs are a problem. Neither does it have a restaurant, but Palma is full of great places to eat (several in the same little lane as the hotel). If you’d rather eat in, sushi from the nearby Japonice restaurant can be delivered to your room.
The morning after the night before
The breakfast buffet offers a decent enough choice (including Mallorcan offerings) and our coffee was made to order. Supplies at the buffet were regularly replenished. In warmer weather you can enjoy breakfast at a table in the courtyard but, in winter, this isn’t an option. My only tiny gripe was that, even at the end of February, the breakfast room is too small for the number of guests. When we arrived for our breakfast, the room was full and another person was already waiting for a table. Shortly after we were seated (at a table for four), we were joined by a German couple. I always enjoy meeting new people but am not at my most sociable over breakfast!
Part of the breakfast buffet
When we were checking out, the receptionist told us that quite a few people from the north of Mallorca stay here after a day’s shopping or a night on the town. Hotel Born is certainly a great affordable option if you want to be in the centre of Palma, and don’t mind sacrificing the fluffy robes, slippers, minibars with designer crisps and chocolates, and other little extras provided in more expensive hotels.
A bonus: we were pleased to be given a small discount because we paid our hotel bill in cash, rather than by card.
©Jan Edwards 2016
-
Mallorca is one of the star locations of ‘The Night Manager’
The current BBC mini-series ‘The Night Manager’ – based on the book by John le Carré – is revealing a side of Mallorca that’s different to the Spanish island’s more usual portrayal in the British tabloid press.
The scenes of Mallorca in the second episode must have been a revelation to those whose perception of the island has been coloured by images of ‘over-refreshed’ and possibly over-sexed holidaymakers, seen in some newspaper reports and voyeuristic reality TV programmes.
Actor Hugh Laurie – who plays Richard Roper – must have seen a great deal of Mallorca during his stay. Not only was he travelling around the various island locations, he also stayed at the 5-star Castillo Hotel Son Vida for the duration of the shooting. Located on the Son Vida hill, a short drive from the heart of Palma, the elevated position of this historical hotel (a renovated 13th-century castle) would have given Hugh panoramic views of Palma and the Bay of Palma. Lucky Hugh.
Puerto Pollensa
‘The Night Manager’ features the spectacular British-owned 17th-century La Fortaleza estate at Puerto Pollensa – playing the island home of bad-boy arms dealer Roper. The fortress was originally built to defend the peninsula on which it sits. The estate covers 232 acres, and has more than 15,000 sq ft of terraces and nearly 12,000 sq ft of gardens.
La Fortaleza in the distance from Puerto Pollensa’s Pine Walk.
Argentinian artist Roberto Raumagé bought the property in 1919 and renovated the ruined buildings. The estate was sold by his family to a British owner in the late ’80s. Another British buyer became the owner of La Fortaleza in 2011, for a sum reported to be between 30 and 35 million euros. The estate had originally been put on the market by the real estate agent for 100 million euros.
Cala Deià
The not-easily-reached waterfront restaurant Ca’s Patro March in Cala Deià was the location for the fake attempted kidnap of young Master Roper. Both places are breathtakingly beautiful and I know I’m not the only writer whose blog has come up in searches for ‘Mallorca locations + The Night Manager’!
Sa Drassana
In the fourth episode, when Angela had a meeting in a restaurant in Madrid, the location was the Palma restaurant Sa Drassana. It’s located in the area known as La Lonja, in a square packed with bars and eateries (and close to the President’s office).
Palau March
In the 4th episode, Roper et al checked into a hotel in Istanbul. The exterior of the hotel – seen briefly as the party arrived – was actually the beautiful Palau March in the centre of Palma (close to the Cathedral). It’s a museum – with some notable sculptures – and the home of the March Foundation. Interestingly, Palau March’s courtyard was the location of the last Peccata Minuta tapas event on February 29th.
Mallorca not Monaco
Staying at La Fortaleza isn’t possible for we ordinary mortals, but one of the third episode’s Mallorca locations does open its doors to guests. Playing the role of a hotel restaurant in Monaco, the 5-star Hospes Maricel hotel is a beautiful coastal property which I first visited in 2008, after I was commissioned to write an article about it for a glossy interiors and design magazine.
The hotel was used again in the fourth episode screened on March 13th – the one where Jonathan and Jed have a passionate quickie up against a hotel bedroom wall, while Jed’s boyfriend Richard Roper is sitting at night by the pool having a meeting.
The hotel is part of the Hospes group, and located in the area of Cas Català, just southwest of Mallorca’s capital Palma. Barcelona-based company ADD+Arquitectura Xavier Claramunt was responsible for this luxurious property’s interior design and the renovation of a late-1940s-built hotel, with stately 16th-and-17th-century influences.
The place is gorgeous: ultra-chic, light, spacious, airy, and luxurious, with a long sea-facing terrace. Unfortunately we’ve not yet stayed there, although I had a memorable dinner on the restaurant’s terrace a few years ago.
The world’s best breakfast. Photo is the property of Hospes Maricel.
World’s best breakfast
Hospes Maricel is probably best known for its award-winning breakfast – named ‘The best breakfast in the world’ by gastronomy critics at the second Madrid Fusion summit. This three-hour gastronomic adventure in the hotel’s Maricel Restaurant offers an innovative and seemingly endless tasting menu of seasonal dishes, and costs 48€ a head. I’d love to tell you all about it but I’ve yet to try the world’s best breakfast. Had I known that Hugh Laurie was visiting, I’d have been there by now.
UPDATE: In August 2017, this special breakfast will be relaunched. Having tried it in advance, I can recommend it.
You don’t have to stay overnight to breakfast here, but you do need to reserve your place a day in advance (up to 3pm). Even if your name is Richard Roper . . .
Jan Edwards©2016
‘The Night Manager’, 5-star hotels Mallorca, Bay of Palma, BBC TV mini-series, Ca’s Patro March, Cala Deia, Cas Catala, Castillo Hotel Son Vida, Hospes Maricel, Hugh Laurie, John Le Carre, La Fortaleza, Mallorca hotels with panoramic views, Palau March, Palma, Puerto Pollensa, Sa Drassana restaurant, Son Vida, World’s best breakfast -
Review: romantic Gran Hotel Son Net, Mallorca
Last November on this blog, I wrote that in the Condé Nast Johansens Awards, the 5-star Gran Hotel Son Net in Puigpunyent had been voted ‘Best for Romance Hotel in Europe and the Mediterranean Region’. So, what better opportunity to put it to the test than a combined Valentine’s Day and anniversary celebration?Bubbles and beautiful views
Receptionist Daniel greeted us warmly and, having completed the brief formalities of checking into a hotel in Spain, asked if we’d like a drink outside. We hot-footed it out to the large terrace, claimed two comfortable chairs and, moments later, two glasses of bubbles arrived.
The chimney room lounge, leading to the terrace.
Mid-afternoon on February 14th we could feel the warmth of the sun on our faces and soak up one of Mallorca’s best hotel terrace views – which takes in the small village of Puigpunyent down in the valley and soaring UNESCO World Heritage Site mountains of the Serra Tramuntana.
The hotel is part of one of the oldest estates on Mallorca, and Son Net’s location and history alone are enough to ramp up the romance factor.
Suite fit for a king
We eventually tore ourselves away from the terrace to go to our room, the newly refurbished Jaime III suite, which has a huge private terrace (would be good to be there in summer). No fewer than three rooms – plus large bathroom – were ours for the night. The overall area of the suite was probably about the size of our finca home on Mallorca! If only we could have stayed for more than one night. Or moved in permanently . . .
Despite the grand proportions of the suite, our accommodation was blissfully warm – something we really appreciated when the weather changed dramatically later. There’s a certain romance about being warm and snuggled up to a loved one when a gale is howling and rain is lashing outside.
Bed and bath
We had a huge comfortable bed, plenty of pillows, and soft duvet. A chaise-longue-style couch in the corner of the bedroom provided a spot to curl up for a post-cava snooze for a while before we showered and dressed for dinner.
A comfortable place for two to relax.
A huge comfortable bed.
Somewhere to pen a love letter or poem inspired by the beauty of the surroundings.
Sitting room with colour-cordinated coffee table books!
Sitting room armchair.
Just one part of the spacious bathroom.The bathroom was superb – all creamy marble and light blue Italian stucco walls – with spacious cubicle (ooh, room for two – that’s romantic), large whirlpool bath, his’n’hers sinks, and cubicle with loo and bidet. The deliciously scented Occitane toiletries worked for male and female guests. The built-in bathrooms were also in this room, and concealed useful stuff such as bathrobes, safe, umbrella, and enough drawers, hanging space and hangers even for those who pack the entire contents of their wardrobe for a few nights away from home.
And so to dinner at Oleum Restaurant. . .
I’d been looking forward to dinner in Gran Hotel Son Net’s Oleum Restaurant as a new chef had joined since I had had lunch there last spring. Oleum still houses the original olive press and, although the space is large, it manages to feel intimate at the same time. We sat in a corner with a great view of the whole restaurant, on a plush velvet banquette that was so tactile I couldn’t stop stroking it!
As many hotel and restaurant chefs do for Valentine’s, new executive chef Christian Coll had created a special menu for dinner. It began with an amuse bouche of oyster in curry and coffee sauce. Although that sounded innovative, neither of us likes oysters – even though they are known for their aphrodisiac qualities. When we explained this, we were immediately offered a prawn alternative – which was a promising start to dinner.
We enjoyed the dishes we chose from the menu and the pleasant friendly service (with a special mention for waiter Mauricio). We look forward to tasting more of the Mallorcan chef’s food in the future.
. . . and breakfast
The generous and varied breakfast at Gran Hotel Son Net is buffet style, with the additional option of eggs cooked to order. Breakfast in the room was an option on the hotel’s set Valentine’s package, but I do like to see a hotel’s breakfast buffet in full. So there were no toast crumbs under our duvet!
Did I mention the Treehouse?
Gran Hotel Son Net is, as far as I know, the only hotel on Mallorca with a treehouse. And it’s not the type of treehouse your dad might have built as a kids’ play space at the bottom of the garden. This one is the setting for the hotel’s romantic treehouse dinners (four courses for 150 euros per person; seven courses for 190 euros per person). We haven’t eaten in this lofty space, but I imagine it would make a memorable place for a marriage proposal or special anniversary celebration.
Even after only one night at Gran Hotel Son Net, it’s fair to say that all the boxes were ticked for my own vision of a romantic getaway. Other guests clearly have felt the same way for the Condé Nast Johansens Awards to name it ‘Best for Romance Hotel in Europe and the Mediterranean Region’.
Jan Edwards©2016
“Best for Romance Hotel in Europe and the Mediterranean Region”, 5-star hotel Mallorca, Chef Christian Coll, Conde Nast Johansens Awards, Gran Hotel Son Net, hilltop hotel Mallorca, Hotel treehouse, Jaime III Suite, Majorca, Oleum Restaurant, Puigpunyent, romantic hotel Mallorca, Spain, Tramuntana hotel, treehouses on Mallorca, UNESCO World Heritage Site Serra de Tramuntana -
Presentation of Mallorcan olive oils from the 2015-2016 harvest
Presentation of the latest olive oils from Mallorca at the Aljub, Es Baluard.
Mallorca offers a huge choice of delicious olive oils from different producers – 23 of which attended a presentation last night of oils produced from the latest harvest. The event took place in the Aljub at Es Baluard Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Palma. The Aljub was once an underground water storage facility but is now an attractive and spacious venue for events – and proved ideal for this one, which attracted a lot of visitors (including some well-known chefs on the island).
Chef/patron Marc Fosh of Michelin-starred Marc Fosh in Palma, with Iris – his restaurant manager and wife.
Tables were set up around the walls of the space and each producer set out their wares for visitors to see and try. We were able to taste the oils – and an item of food made from olive oil, which each producer had provided. The tasty morsels ranged from simple bread and oil (and salt, of course) to silky chocolates and desserts. Wine and soft drinks were available for visitors – although, as I was driving, I opted for water (which was also probably better for a spot of serious olive oil tasting).
The most colourful culinary creations were those above, from Cases de Son Barbassa in Capdepera,
All the featured oils were designated (DO) Oli de Mallorca – a mark of quality introduced on Mallorca in 2002. I didn’t taste them all, but enough passed my lips for me to make kissing The Boss on my return home a slippery encounter!
Biniagual is one of several wineries also producing olive oil and, like their wines, it’s very good.
Ecological Oli Novembre, used with the llonguets served at Lorien ale house in Palma.
The only Demeter olive oil produced on Mallorca.
Tiffany Blackman with Aubocassa’s new L’Amo olive oil – presented for the first time, in Madrid this week.
Finca hotel Cases de Son Barbassa also has its own oil.
Olive oil – for health and great taste
With so many luscious and varied oils on offer on Mallorca, it’s hard to believe that when I was a little girl living in the UK, olive oil was usually sold at chemist’s shops, in small bottles for medicinal purposes. My father used to have a measure of olive oil stirred into his daily breakfast porridge for the health benefits…and he’s certainly in great shape as a result.
On this island, and throughout the Mediterranean, the benefits of olive oil have been known for much longer. And having such a great choice of Mallorcan olive oils has been one of the many benefits we enjoy about living here. A peep in my kitchen would usually reveal three or four bottles of different oils on the go. Several friends who have visited for lunch have brought us a bottle of interesting Mallorcan olive oil, instead of a bottle of wine – and what a great gift to bring.
Keep drizzling Mallorca’s liquid gold…you know it’s good for you.
©Jan Edwards 2016
7 Empelts, Aceite Ullaro, Aljub at Es Baluard Palma, Aubocassa olive oil, Biniagual olive oil, Bodega Biniagual, Cases de Son Barbassa, Demeter olive oil Mallorca, Es Verger, L’Amo olive oil, Lorien ale house, Marc Fosh, Michelin-starred Simply Fosh, Oli de Mallorca, Oli Novembre, olive oil from Majorca, Simply Fosh, Son Mir, Son Naava, Spanish olive oils, Ullaro oil -
Palma palace venue for Peccata Minuta tapas event February 2016
Tapas galore at Peccata Minuta
We love tapas – and we love the Peccata Minuta tapas events that local gastronomy business Chefs(in) organizes on Mallorca. Our tickets for the next one are booked. Once again Peccata Minuta will take place simultaneously on Mallorca and its smaller sister island Menorca, on Monday, February 29th – the eve of Dia de les Illes Balears – Balearics Day (a public holiday on March 1st).
The venue for the Mallorca event is the impressive central Palma palace, Palau March (a museum), where seven chefs from Mallorca and Menorca will offer their creative tapas. Previous venues for this event have been Palma’s Santa Catalina and Olivar markets, Parc de la Mar (Palma), and the cloister of Santo Domingo in Inca.
Tomeu Martí working at the February 2015 Peccata Minuta
The chefs at this year’s Palma event are:
- Miquel Gelabert (Can March, Manacor)
- Víctor García (La Fortaleza, Cap Rocat Hotel, Cala Blava)
- Tomeu Martí (Arume, Palma)
- Marga Coll (Miceli, Selva)
- Joan Marc (Joan Marc Restaurant, Inca)
- Patrick James (Pan y Vino, Sant Lluís, Menorca)
- Miquel Sánchez (Smoix, Ciutadella)
Wines selected by Vinamica and artisan beer from Boscana will be on offer.
Tickets cost 30 euros, for seven tapas and two drinks.
To avoid a crush, places are limited for this event. So if you fancy tapas from some top chefs, served in a Mallorcan palace setting, book now for Peccata Minuta in Palma this February 29th at 21:00h.
©Jan Edwards 2016
Arume Palma, Balearics Day in Palma, Boscana craft beers, Can March Restaurat Manacor, chef Marga Coll, chef Miquel Gelabert, chef Miquel Sanchez, chef Patrick James, chef Tomeu Marti, chef Victor Garcia, Chefs(in), Dia de les Illes Balear public holiday, La Fortaleza Cala Blava, Mallorca, Menorca, Miceli, Palau March, Palma, Pan y Vino restaurant, Peccata Minuta, Selva, tapas event Palma, Vinamica -
A Beer Lover’s must-visit in Palma
A warm welcome from Pep at
LórienAccording to an interesting article published in El Pais last October, beer is the favourite tipple of the Spanish. Apparently 50% of Spain’s population drink beer, whereas only 20% drink wine.
Back in the day, when I first came to Spain on holiday, a local told me it was safer to drink the beer than the tap water. A glass of ice-cold cerveza certainly hits the spot on a hot summer’s day, without leaving you feeling sleepy – but my own tipple of preference is wine; we do, after all, live on Mallorca . . . where there are more than 70 wineries, or bodegas.
Craft Beers on Mallorca
At an Olive Fair in the village of Caimari, we met Belgian, Michel Campioni, at a stall selling his Toutatis artisan beer. His brewery is in a hamlet just outside Sencelles. He now also has a bar in Palma.
Artisan Belgian brewer Michel Campioni, Toutatis
The Toutatis brewery at Cas Canar, Sencelles
An Ace Ale House
Toutatis’s La Blonde beer was one of the guest barrel beers on offer at Lórien when we first visited this Palma ale house. I’d only recently heard of the place, so was a tad surprised to learn that it has been open for 26 years!
We arrived early (almost the first customers after it had opened at 6pm) and met bearded owner Pep, who opened Lórien in 1990, when he was only 20. He told us he was a llonguet – explaining this was a colloquial name for someone born in Palma. And there I was thinking it was a type of Mallorcan bread roll . . .
![IMG_2902[1]](https://eatdrinksleepmallorca.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/img_29021.jpg?w=300)
Beer as decoration!
The ale house takes its name from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and offers some 150 different bottled beers from around the world, as well as guest beers from the barrel. The Boss couldn’t resist the opportunity to try a decent British brew, and chose the guest Red Point, an IPA (7.5°) from Buxton Brewery – which certainly hit the spot for him.
As duty driver, I opted for a beer sin alcohol from Aragon, called Aigua de Moritz; it was new to me and I found the flavour much more enjoyable than some alcohol-free beers I’ve tried. I enjoyed it enough to have a second, while The Boss tried another guest ale . . .
What’s in a Name
We perched on stools at the bar, chatting to the affable Pep. The place has a sociable ambience and is popular with locals and visiting beer fans. We’d not been there long before regulars started to drift in, giving us a chance to study the lengthy list of bottled beers – which includes nine artisan offerings from Mallorca. Others come from the Peninsula, Austria, Norway, Scotland, the Netherlands, Denmark, England, Belgium, Germany, and Ireland.
Don’t you just love the quirky names of some beers? Here are some that caught my attention from Lórien’s list:
- Marina Devil’s PA
- Torpedo
- Raging Bitch
- Brutal IPA
- Dead Pony Club
- Liquid Mistress
I don’t know if the Vikings drank beer but, if they did, I bet it wasn’t as strong as the two Danish bottled beers that top Lórien’s list for strength:
Blossom Directors Cut (13.5°) is a wheat ale by To Øl. Friends Tobias Emil Jensen and Tore Gynther founded this gypsy brewery in 2010. (Apparently it’s known as a gypsy brewery because they don’t have their own brewing premises and use capacity at other breweries to make their own liquid magic). Tobias and Tore had begun brewing beer while still at school – in the school kitchen! – along with their teacher Mikkel Borg Bjergsø.
Black Imperial Stout (16.7°). This staggeringly strong brew is from Mikkeller – the brewery founded by Tobias’ and Tore’s teacher (who had assisted them in their school brewing adventures).
Whilst the story that links these two beers is a good one, it’s probably best not to try them both on the same night . . .
Something to Eat
If you’re going to have a beer or two at Lórien, you may want something to eat with it. The place offers a menu of 17 different filled llonguets (the bread rolls, not people born in Palma). Pep started serving these small rolls only four years ago and they seem incredibly good value, ranging from 1,60-2,10€ each.
Lórien is on Facebook and Pep posts regular updates about his guest beers, so check out his pubs’s page if you’re a beer fan. And pay a visit to this little gem of an ale house in the back streets of Palma (near the Caputxines convent), if you’re a fan of artisan beers.
Lórien, C/ de les Caputxines, 5A, Palma
Tel 971 723 202
©Jan Edwards 2016.
ale house Mallorca, ale house Palma, artisan beers Mallorca, Beer in Spain, Beer Palma, beers from the barrel, Black Imperial Stout, Blossom Directors Cut, bottled beers, Cerveza Nau, craft beers Mallorca, good pub in Palma, llonguets, Lorien, Majorca, Palma bars, Palma bars with guest beers, Toutatis
![IMG_2902[1]](https://eatdrinksleepmallorca.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/img_29021.jpg)
Eat Drink Sleep Mallorca 