The last time we visited Pollenca the building where Q11 now sits was old and rundown and sported a banner saying "70 anyes d'injustica, 70 anyes de vergonya" which I was told related to some of the buildings in the town being left to fall into a state of disrepair.
Well, Q11 (or Onze?) now inhabits this old building and is very smart indeed. It's right next to Cafe Espanyol and the tables stretch across the square almost meeting those of its neighbour.
Tonight was hubby's birthday and we had tentatively planned on going to what was once Ca'n Costa, now Fogoneu. However, it closes on a Tuesday and when I looked at the menu I was a bit shocked by the prices, to be honest. Eating there would have cost us way over 200 euros and I know I would have been comparing it to the much-missed Ca'n Costa, which used to be my favourite restaurant in the whole world...
Anyway, we chose Q11 meaning "
Q is for quality, and 11 is our magic number, which represents the synergy between creativity and the capacity for expression" according to their website, and it was a great choice for a celebration meal. The only problem was the influx of mosquitoes which, at the start of the meal, had a really great meal out of
us!
We'd booked a table earlier in the evening and we were seated outside, although I think they have an upstairs dining area. The restaurant was really busy so we were glad we had reserved a table.
I ordered a bottle of white wine - Quibia from the Anima Negra winery. It was delicious, very fruity and easy-drinking so we ended up ordering another as Mike joined us for a change.
For starters we chose a range from the tapas menu - goats cheese on crusty bread for me, corn polenta and parma ham on toast for Sophie, pa amb oli for Hubby and Mike stuck with his fishy octopus theme.
Sophie reverted back to being a vegetarian for her main course, the vegetable risotto served with a parmesan crisp (although strictly speaking, parmesan isn't vegetarian!). The rest of us enjoyed suckling pig which was delicious and very deceiving, as it looked a small portion until you dived into it and pulled it apart. It then trebled in size! It was topped with crispy skin and was very tasty. Our suckling pigs were served with julienne vegetables and we were very happy with the presentation and overall quality of the food.
Although the mosquitoes were a problem (Sophie was bitten about ten times in the space of an hour) the reaction by the staff was wonderful. They handed out insect repellent for us to use and citronella candles to place on the tables. After a while they dispersed so whether it was a swarm, we don't know.
For desserts we chose panna cotta with a red berry coulis (Sophie and I, and not as good as Cantonet as I felt the fruit overpowered the delicate flavour), chocolate cake for Mike and an Irish coffee for Keith.
The restaurant seems very popular and tables were snapped up so it's best to reserve. They have a wine shop as well, but sadly we didn't go in. I wouldn't have wanted to be tempted by bottles that I was unable to carry home with me! Next time, maybe!
The bill was the most expensive of the holiday at 206 euros, but the wine at a pricey 25 euros per bottle contributed to that. We definitely recommend!