• Join the Puerto Pollensa Community Forums

    Provide or get advice on everything Puerto Pollensa, ask questions, gain confirmation or just become apart of a friendly, like minded community.


    Join our Community!

La Fonda, Pollensa Old Town

  • Thread starter Thread starter JH02JLH
  • Start date Start date
JH02JLH

JH02JLH

Active member
Joined
Sep 11, 2004
Messages
1,859
Age
58
Location
Northamptonshire, UK
This was another restaurant that I have always wanted to try, but somehow it always got shoved to the end of the queue and we never quite made it.

But this summer I was determined to try some new restaurants and hubby was happy to go along with my ideas, even more so after I'd heard good things about the rabbit dish from my dad, who is a real rabbit fan.

So I made sure and booked a table before our drink at the Cafe Espanyol. The staff wouldn't book an outside table for me, but we were assured of one inside and we'd be able to change it to an outside table if there was one available.

As it happened all the tables on the narrow street outside were taken and we were shown to a table at the very back of the restaurant. This was my first grumble as I love to people watch and we had no-one to stare at. But anyway, we settled into our seats and I managed to pin my son to his chair and get him to decide what he was eating before he rushed back to the square to carry on his game of football.

In all honesty, this is not really a restaurant to take young children, although it would have been easier if we'd eaten outside. The inside is very elegant with pale yellow walls, stone floors and huge oil paintings. There is no children's menu so we chose veal escalope and pork chops for the kids.

I went for the house salad to start while hubby chose leek and cream soup. For our mains we ordered lamb in a honey sauce and rabbit (hubby).

My salad was large and very good. It included tuna, prawns, sliced egg and almost all the salad items you could think of. Hubby's leek soup was "like leek soup" when I asked him how it was...hmmmm.

By now we had been joined by some other couples but I still felt a little isolated. I noticed one couple order a paella between them but didn't hear any groans of appreciation coming from their table.

My main course was ordinary. It was shoulder of lamb and the portion was large and covered in a thick honey glaze. It reminded me of the sickly sauce you get in a Chinese takeaway when you order sweet and sour chicken but it had very little taste. I gamely plugged away at it, but after a little while gave up and tried to sneak some onto hubby's plate as his rabbit had obviously been on a diet...

The children's meals were awful - my son's veal was dry and tasteless and both meals were served with chips which looked like they had been hanging around for a few days. The pork chops were dry and salty and I had the annoying thought that not much care had been taken over them at all.

To make up for their meals, the children were desperate to have chocolate profiteroles for dessert, but they were "off" so we called for the bill and left, the ice-cream kiosk in the square fulfilling their craving for a sweet.

The bill was 82 euros which included the star of the evening - a delicous bottle of the new local wine - the Mortitx Merlot.

Any more reviews would be welcome as the restaurant was full and very popular.

Jane:D
 
We ate here 4 years ago and it was awful. We gave it another go last October and it was just as bad. The wild boar in chocolate sauce was disgusting. It is possible that we were unlucky as we have heard good reviews of the place but there is no way we will try it again.
 
Thanks for that, Klad1

I was beginning to think it was me and I was just being too critical so it's nice to know that maybe there is a problem there.

The restaurant just seems to promise a lot, but not deliver.

Jane:D
 
Just to let you both know, my husband and I went there 3 weeks ago and the food (minus the Dorado) was amazing. I am from the US and the names of fish are different and honestly, most of the fish are different as well. When, in my broken Spanish, I explained that I didn't know what types they were, the owners mother came out with an enormous basket of fish for me to choose from. It was a little fishy for my taste, but I don't hold the restuarant responsible for that. If you do go again the rabbit is still wonderful and the mussels done in the fishermens style were amazing! We went back a second night just for them! If you get to know the owner and his family, they are wonderful people!! I can't wait to go back!! Anyhow, give it a second chance!
 
La Fonda changed hands around a year ago. It's run by Juan, the son from Bodega d'es Port in Alcudia. His mother used to have Don Corleone in the port.
 
Yes, it's a completely different set up now, the old owners didn't seem terribly interested in non Mallorcan trade. Fish great,as for Bodega des port, that can be a bit of hit and miss for food as well so look at La Fonda in it's own light.Bon provecho
 
That's very interesting to know as our last occasion at La Fonda, about three years ago, was possibly the worst meal I had had in Pollensa - we have had two lovely meals this year in Bodega d'es Port though, so we will definitely give the new La Fonda a try. It's the most beautiful old building, one of the nicest settings for a meal in the old town. I wonder if they will be doing a lunchtime MDD as the one we had at Bodega d'es Port - potatge to start, then fresh fish, followed by white chocolate mousse - was both excellent and cracking value. The old La Fonda was definitely more of an evening place.
 
Fonda La Fonda

I'm fonda La Fonda. In fact the more we go, the fonder we get.

Tucked away just off the main square of Pollensa it's a delightful, authentic Mallorquin restaurant which is a welcome refuge from the bustle of the Placa.

We went last night. Not having booked, we ate inside. It's a decent room, the lighting could be a little more subtle. but that's a minor quibble considering the food, the value and the service.

The service gets a few adverse comments here and elsewhere. The lady who runs it is no Zarzarles Yolande. A little shy, a little diffident, so the first timer may find her just a touch 'offish'. Her strangulated English doesn't help: she addresses all women as 'Laydee' instead of Madam - straight out of Little Britain. And the Head Waiter is no Jaime. Gangly and slightly overbearing, I'm sure some find him just a little intimidating. But they're actually both charming, wonderful people: eager to please and really very kind.

The food rarely disappoints. If you're looking for genuinely home made tapas this is the place to come. Try the Frito Mallorquin. In my opinion the best around, but everyone has their favourites.

Starters were a gazpacho and a really divine Tuna salad with onions and capers. For mains Jane and I both had sea bass with crispy onions, and Peppers Padron. Utterly, utterly delicious. Huge helpings and almost too much. So no room for puds.

Jane had two glasses of the house white. I had the Natureo, a non-alcoholic white wine which is actually pleasantly drinkable.

It wasn't cheap. 90 Euros for 2. However the crispy onion dish was the most expensive on the menu. So no one's complaining.

Oh and for those who are following and still care….4 days down and still not a chip has passed my lips!!!!
 
Another great post Graham :D will definitely rethink going to La Fonda as like others we weren't impressed a few years ago.

I really laughed..and cringed..at you commenting on the owner calling all the ladies 'Laydee !! I've noticed this happening a lot in the last couple of years, whereas before it was always Madam. It sounds really odd and I'm not sure why they have suddenly adopted this strange way of addressing us .....
....ladies :rolleyes:;)
 
Have to say that we ate at La Fonda in June and reviewed it as being very average and wouldn't rush back again. But as is always the case, everyone's experience seems to be different:)
 
Back
Top