L'Arca d'en Peter is an oddly named restaurant seeing as it's owner is called Pedro and it's in Spain. Perhaps Anglicising it more might work - I think that'd be "Peter's Coffer". Perhaps not, then.
It's attached to a boutique hotel, just a couple of minutes walk from Alcudia’s main square. Oddly named and with a somewhat wacky fusiony menu which might have put us off had we seen it before making the reservation. But, we’d seen this thread and fancied an evening “down the road”.
Amongst the less wacky starters were several offering variations on a “pa amb oli” theme. So we each ordered one only to be told it was “finished”. How does a restaurant, at 9pm, run out of bread, olive oil and tomato, for heaven’s sake?
A second-choice starter of grilled vegetables was light, although by this time of the holiday very repetitive, with courgette, pepper, aubergine and mushroom. A loose black olive paste provided a bit of sauce.
The other starter was mixed croquettes – possibly homemade (but by no means certain). Six different ones. We identified three – chicken, cheese and sobrasada. As to the other three, your guess is as good as mine. They were just bland and gloopy.
A main of lasagne was fine in taste and texture but had sat around in the kitchen for a while and was not piping hot.
The other main was a masterpiece of careful thought and cooking. Described on the English menu simply as “Iberic pork”, the chef knows how to bring together simple flavours to make a superb multi-layered dish. A few slices of pork fillet, cut thick enough to retain a good texture, quickly fried so that the meat was just cooked to medium. It was tender, tasty and moist. The meat sat on a bed of prunes, walnut halves and dried apricots – providing a classic “pork & fruit” concept – the nuts adding a savouriness and crunch. A small amount of thin gravy moistened everything. Alongside some small cubes of crispy fried potato. And the now standard mix of pepper, courgette and aubergine. This was one of the best main courses I’ve eaten all year and it was a real surprise to come across such a level of cooking in a place like this.
Dessert was fresh fruit salad – thin slices of apple, peach and orange in apple juice. A light and tangy end to the eating. Reasonable “café solo” followed.
The bill came to a €63, which included €15 for my life companion’s bottle of local vino tinto.
any excuse!! We went with friends who had never been to the old town (as we hadn't for about 20 years ) It is really quaint with many shops and restaurants, and well worth a visit.
