I’m glad we made a reservation well before leaving the UK. Macarena de Castro is one of the upcoming young Balearic chefs and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Michelin Guide recognises her craft in the future. Place was all but empty, apart from a couple of other north Europeans, when we arrived at 8.30. An hour later, it was packed with locals. The first floor room has a very modern décor – all flat lighting and neutral colours – which fits well with the cooking style.
There’s an interesting carta but we opted for the “surprise” tasting menu at €55 (there’s a more extensive €80 one). Difficult to match a single bottle of wine to several courses but the head waiter sorted Jan out with a glass of white for the starters and fish and a red for the main. Both were excellent. As usual, I stuck to water.
With the aperitifs, came an amuse of an aubergine “crouton” – deep fried and crispy as bread might be, covered with a meat and tomato paste. A selection of bread also arrived – olive, ciabatta and baguette. Also arriving was olive oil for dipping and four salts – sea salt and three flavoured ones (hibiscus flower, curry and an indistinct something else). Good idea – dipping was fun. Bread was offered throughout the meal – something we like.
So, to the meal proper.
First up, a cauliflower cream – similarish to a thick cold soup. Good flavour of cauli and topped with just softened veggies, which added crunch, and ham, which brought saltiness.
- next, a coca of foie. A very thin crisp biscuit base, slightly sweet, covered in mushroom pate. On top, two chunks of just cooked liver – rich and meltingly soft and, hopefully not the cruelly raised goose foie gras.
- a tartare of tuna. The raw fish chopped very small (almost minced) and mixed with softened onion. Luxuriously soft, fresh tasting and, erm, slippery on the tongue. A few dabs of red pepper cream were both savoury and sweet as only a fully ripe pepper can be. A few crotons provided texture and crunch.
- a large piece of hake, off the bone. Texture just about spot on with no hint of overcooking. Topped with pine nuts, prawns, peppers, kale (or cabbage) and ham. This all worked well, each complementing the others. Finished with a drizzle of port dressing round the plate which was a little too sweet and jarred against, rather than worked with, the savoury tastes.
- beef sirloin served medium rare, with two slices of very potato-ey spud. The beef was not of the finest flavour and this was the least successful thing we ate.
- a dessert described only as “chocolate” brought a slice of chocolate fudge cake, superb chocolate ice cream and a thin shard of an intensely flavoured choccie bikkie. Separately, a shot glass of chilled white chocolate milk. We like choccie desserts – we like them a lot!
- Coffee and petit fours was a small extra cost. The coffee good. The petit fours not so good.
Final bill was an extremely reasonable €140. I hate the expression but, make no mistake, this was “fine dining” by any standards and, as an eating experience, was streets ahead of anything we ate in the more immediate Pollenca area. Thoroughly recommended for the night you might to throw the boat out.
Restaurante Jardín