K
kate1
Member
Week 1, Saturday: Armed with recommendations from this forum and with the memory of past experiences, we arrive for Easter fortnight and head straight out for our traditional 'first meal' at the Stay. Before the heat has a chance to make us giddy and reckless we agree to stick to the set menu - as always, good value for money. Guinea fowl and duck salad for me, a veg strudel thing for husband - a veggie pasty to you and me. He eyes my choice longingly, but no way am I swopping! Then beef escalopes and chicken with garlic - very pleasant, although husband does say that for 32 euros for the MDD he thought they could manage chicken breast rather than leg. Fair point. The kids, as always, more than happy with their generous spag bol. Eating at the Stay always gets the holiday off to an idyllic start: there's something about those tables by the water, the reflection of the sun on the sea... Yes, it's good to be back in PP.
Sunday: Under a vivid blue sky we decide to follow the advice of so many Forum members and manage to grab the last table at the Brisa Marina - packed to the gills with local families. At it is Sunday there is no MDD but we are more than happy to choose from their excellent a la carte menu. My fish soup arrives in what I can only describe as a cauldron - it would feed all four of us, never mind just one. It is excellent, packed with fresh and succulent seafood. Husband polishes his vegetable soup off quickly and has a bowl of fish soup. Then another. And there is still some left! For mains it was cod with allioli for me - gorgeous - and grilled squid for him. And pork escalopes for the girls. Particularly impressed with the vegetables here - much more plentiful and better than in many PP restaurants. And lovely friendly staff. Thanks for the recommendation -we will definitely return.
Monday: MDD is the order of the day again as we head to the rather pricey La
Llonja. Last time we came here it was empty apart from us and we were served by one of the world's least charming waitresses. This time there are quite a few tables occupied and the waitress couldn't be sweeter. Pa amb oli and tapenade are brought to the table gratis; then it's pate for husband, a very stylish and ungreasy frito mallorquin for me - followed by rabbit with prawns and onions for both of us. An especially nice pudding - panna cotta with fresh fruit. We're really pleased to see this restaurant doing well as the proprietor is always so welcoming and helpful and, on the whole, the food is more interesting than the Stay. Wish the architect had found a way to make those outside tables a bit less windy though - we're weatherbeaten rather than sunburned by the time we've finished eating.
Tuesday: We wake to grey skies. Looks like that was it for the good weather. It's five degrees warmer back home! So it's on with the fleeces (glad we brought those!) and out to Piccolo Forno in the old town for some comfort food. The world's hardest working waiter brings us vast platefuls of spaghetti with seafood and ravioli in cheese sauce. This has to be one of our absolute favourite restaurants - unpretentious, great Italian food, and modestly priced. It always cheers us up. We stagger out into the cold, grey afternoon, stuffed to the gills.
Wednesday: Yet again, not a glimmer of sun. Time for a long lunch again. Another place we haven't been before: La Taverna del Temple in the old town. To our surprise we are the only people there. No tapas until the evening but most of the things on the main menu are available. The owner really tries hard to make us feel at home and to give us a memorable meal: fillet steak for both of us, which just melts in the mouth. The girls delighted with their chicken escalopes. This is such a lovely romantic setting and I can imagine that in the evening it would be very alluring. Definitely one to go back to.
Thursday: Back to one of our old favourites - yes, it's the Ca'n Ferra! Sometimes nowhere else will do. As usual it is packed with locals who have popped in for a pre-lunch aperitif, including two local police officers discussing the football over a glass of vino tinto and a rowdy party of Mallorcan pensioners. In fact everyone is conducting their conversation at TOP VOLUME, which is the norm in Ca'n Ferra. We know our meal will be good and it is: their seafood paella is still the best.
For a treat we've arranged a babysitter, so it's off to Il Posito. I do love this place! It's just so friendly - Tony always makes us feel so welcome. Stuffed peppers for me, baby squid for husband - followed by lechona and roast lamb. Delicious. And Tony leaves the brandy bottle on the table at the end of the meal - way too tempting!
Friday: It's the Davallement tonight so we decide to eat early in the old town and then go and grab a place in the crowd. It's fairly warm so we eat outside at Il Giardino. Have to say, this was the only disappointing meal of our stay. As it's evening there is no MDD and their a la carte menu is frankly hugely overpriced and not especially interesting. Both husband and myself order spaghetti with seafood. An hour later, we are still waiting. OK, the place was busy... if the meal had been amazing, I would have forgiven it. But the 'seafood' comprised one langoustine, a few emaciated prawns, a couple of withered mussels...at those prices (I think our main course was around 15 euros) I think I'm justified in expecting more, especially when compared with the fabulous seafood pasta at Piccolo Forno for considerably less euros. Wish we'd gone there instead! Il Giardino used to be so good - the old town equivalent of the Stay - but if this meal is typical of what's now on offer, they need to get their act together.
Saturday: We can't face another meal out today - we need to save ourselves for Week 2! So it's pa amb oli and fresh prawns back at the villa, huddled round the radiator... Surely the sun will come out soon?
To be continued...
Sunday: Under a vivid blue sky we decide to follow the advice of so many Forum members and manage to grab the last table at the Brisa Marina - packed to the gills with local families. At it is Sunday there is no MDD but we are more than happy to choose from their excellent a la carte menu. My fish soup arrives in what I can only describe as a cauldron - it would feed all four of us, never mind just one. It is excellent, packed with fresh and succulent seafood. Husband polishes his vegetable soup off quickly and has a bowl of fish soup. Then another. And there is still some left! For mains it was cod with allioli for me - gorgeous - and grilled squid for him. And pork escalopes for the girls. Particularly impressed with the vegetables here - much more plentiful and better than in many PP restaurants. And lovely friendly staff. Thanks for the recommendation -we will definitely return.
Monday: MDD is the order of the day again as we head to the rather pricey La
Llonja. Last time we came here it was empty apart from us and we were served by one of the world's least charming waitresses. This time there are quite a few tables occupied and the waitress couldn't be sweeter. Pa amb oli and tapenade are brought to the table gratis; then it's pate for husband, a very stylish and ungreasy frito mallorquin for me - followed by rabbit with prawns and onions for both of us. An especially nice pudding - panna cotta with fresh fruit. We're really pleased to see this restaurant doing well as the proprietor is always so welcoming and helpful and, on the whole, the food is more interesting than the Stay. Wish the architect had found a way to make those outside tables a bit less windy though - we're weatherbeaten rather than sunburned by the time we've finished eating.
Tuesday: We wake to grey skies. Looks like that was it for the good weather. It's five degrees warmer back home! So it's on with the fleeces (glad we brought those!) and out to Piccolo Forno in the old town for some comfort food. The world's hardest working waiter brings us vast platefuls of spaghetti with seafood and ravioli in cheese sauce. This has to be one of our absolute favourite restaurants - unpretentious, great Italian food, and modestly priced. It always cheers us up. We stagger out into the cold, grey afternoon, stuffed to the gills.
Wednesday: Yet again, not a glimmer of sun. Time for a long lunch again. Another place we haven't been before: La Taverna del Temple in the old town. To our surprise we are the only people there. No tapas until the evening but most of the things on the main menu are available. The owner really tries hard to make us feel at home and to give us a memorable meal: fillet steak for both of us, which just melts in the mouth. The girls delighted with their chicken escalopes. This is such a lovely romantic setting and I can imagine that in the evening it would be very alluring. Definitely one to go back to.
Thursday: Back to one of our old favourites - yes, it's the Ca'n Ferra! Sometimes nowhere else will do. As usual it is packed with locals who have popped in for a pre-lunch aperitif, including two local police officers discussing the football over a glass of vino tinto and a rowdy party of Mallorcan pensioners. In fact everyone is conducting their conversation at TOP VOLUME, which is the norm in Ca'n Ferra. We know our meal will be good and it is: their seafood paella is still the best.
For a treat we've arranged a babysitter, so it's off to Il Posito. I do love this place! It's just so friendly - Tony always makes us feel so welcome. Stuffed peppers for me, baby squid for husband - followed by lechona and roast lamb. Delicious. And Tony leaves the brandy bottle on the table at the end of the meal - way too tempting!
Friday: It's the Davallement tonight so we decide to eat early in the old town and then go and grab a place in the crowd. It's fairly warm so we eat outside at Il Giardino. Have to say, this was the only disappointing meal of our stay. As it's evening there is no MDD and their a la carte menu is frankly hugely overpriced and not especially interesting. Both husband and myself order spaghetti with seafood. An hour later, we are still waiting. OK, the place was busy... if the meal had been amazing, I would have forgiven it. But the 'seafood' comprised one langoustine, a few emaciated prawns, a couple of withered mussels...at those prices (I think our main course was around 15 euros) I think I'm justified in expecting more, especially when compared with the fabulous seafood pasta at Piccolo Forno for considerably less euros. Wish we'd gone there instead! Il Giardino used to be so good - the old town equivalent of the Stay - but if this meal is typical of what's now on offer, they need to get their act together.
Saturday: We can't face another meal out today - we need to save ourselves for Week 2! So it's pa amb oli and fresh prawns back at the villa, huddled round the radiator... Surely the sun will come out soon?
To be continued...
