First up this is about the old town of Pollença and not PP.
We’ve been coming to Pollença and the surrounding area for 36 years now only having missed out a couple of years for Covid and other family reasons and it’s always interesting to see what has changed from year to year – equally to find what hasn’t! In terms of shops and restaurants I struggle to think of many that have stayed the same over the time of our visits – Ca’n Moixet,
Celler El Moli??
We usually come in May or September but couldn’t get our usual house in Pollença for those dates this year so chose the first two weeks in October. Apart from one day with some rain we were blessed with glorious weather. We’ve already booked for Oct 2023.
We
always start out with intentions of only eating out two or three times a week but as ever we found some places or some dishes that we just had to try so ended up eating out more often than planned. In no particular order he’s my views on the ones we did eat at this trip.
Mares is a new restaurant just around the corner from La Font Del Gall and is owned by the same couple. I can't recall what was in the building before but they’ve done a really good job of renovating and decorating the space – very tastefully done inside with a few tables in the street outside.
Talking of renovations – do you the old Almacenes Femenias store along from where Mares is? It was always a really interesting old fashioned shop to have a look into. I recall there was always a white cat in the window! It closed some time ago and on the last two trips the building was being gutted and renovated. That renovation is finished and wow what a building – if you get a chance and the shutters are open have a look inside. It’s beautifully done. Not sure if it’s for rent or what but worth further investigation!
The menu at Mares isn’t that extensive and it's billed as a grill or BBQ restaurant. The night we went it wasn’t particularly busy but there was only one waiter and we saw some customers who weren’t as patient as us and walked out because of the service time. We didn’t mind that at all as we were out for a relaxing evening. The food was excellent with some dishes similar to those in La Font Del Gall. Most of the starters are portioned to share and I had the grilled turbot which was huge as well as very delicious. Sides are an extra though. I would have sworn the waiter was English as he spoke with a very clear pronounced English accent but he’s from Inca having learned English from age 6 from someone from Cambridge.
La Braseria – this was a new one for us although there’s been a restaurant or cafe at the roundabout into Pollença from the Port for a long time. Most mornings we’d go for a walk which usually involved a stop for coffee (and some times cake). If we walked around the roads of La Font / Ternelles we usually ended up at La Braseria. The coffee and Zumo de Naranjo there whilst watching the world go by were great. Service was really good too. The menu for food looked great too but we never managed to get back there – the breakfast/brunch dishes we saw being served looked really interesting and different. One day.
La Font Del Gall – this is my partner’s fav Pollença restaurant, mine’s being Cantonet but see later! We always usually visit LFDG and Cantonet more than once each trip and certainly always have our last night at one of these. This year it had to be LFDG as Cantonet was closed for an end of season holiday.
We actually had a panic when we arrived in Pollença on our first night to find LFDG closed on the Saturday and then again on the Sunday. It turns out they’re not opening on the Sat just now – our villa company suggested a number of restaurants were no longer opening on ‘change over’ day but we didn’t really noticed that elsewhere – and they were closed on the Sunday only because the owners family were visiting from Uruguay. I do love the food, service and atmosphere at LFDG but the menu hasn’t really changed over the years. That said the Sea Bream Ceviche is a favourite of ours and their selection of local wines is the best in town.
Dodo – another new venue for us this year and we were very impressed. We visited twice, once for dinner and once for morning coffee and cake. They describe themselves as a Zero Waste Market and Seasonal Produce Eatery which I think is pretty accurate from what I saw. They’re just off the main square and have a tables both inside and out. The food we had was delicious and not expensive. There’s an emphasis on vegetarian dishes but there’s plenty of choice for everyone. Service was excellent and the almond croissants with morning coffee are probably the best I’ve had!
Which reminds me Pastisseria Giardino on the other side of the square is no longer there – the shop is empty and up for sale. Another ‘casualty’ further down that street that was a long term favourite deli/grocery was Vera – which now gone and is an architects office!
Bar Alhambra (Taverna Galega Trisquel) is another favourite when looking for a quick bite to eat. The food is nothing fancy but it’s reasonably priced and served quickly. We like the service from Claudio (including his loud rock music) but I can see from the reviews it’s not to everyone’s taste! We ended up eating there three times this trip.
Cantonet is my own personal favourite in Pollença. We always get a lovely welcome when we return and whilst the menu hasn’t changed in years the dishes are always excellent. We almost don’t need to read the menu to decide. Portions are large and both food and drinks are well priced. We ate there three times, twice in the evening and once at lunch time with friends. In the evening we sat inside because of the mosquitos but lunch was enjoyed in the lovely courtyard.
R3SPIRA used to be hit or miss for us but we enjoyed an excellent evening meal there one night this trip. It’s always advisable to book a table here. It’s not cheap but I believe the quality and service matches the prices. I’d certainly not hesitate to go back but probably leave it for a special occasion or celebration.
Onze/Q11 – never very sure what they want to be known as. Another Pollença favourite. We actually prefer sitting inside or in the lane in front of the church but had to take a table in the square this night. We’ve always found the food here excellent, if a touch expensive for the portion sizes, but that doesn’t stop us going back. Service can be a bit hit and miss and the night we were there I think that’s because there were too many servers with not enough to do!
Marc Fosh (Palma) – for a special occasion we just love the tasting menus (food and wines) here. We ended up staying at the Convent de la Missio after an evening meal here and whilst it was very expensive we really enjoyed the whole experience – evening meal, room, breakfast and visits to their spa and rooftop pool. Cannot fault it.
La Fonda de L’Aigua – we were regulars at La Fonda previously and were disappointed when we saw it was closed last year. The menu and service at this reincarnation were enough to entice us back twice during this trip – in fact (don’t tell my partner), this might become my favourite Pollença restaurant. It seems to be two young couples the females running front of house and the males in the kitchen. The menu is small but the food is delicious and very well presented. I can recommend giving it a try – we sat inside both times again because of the mozzies!
La Mar Dolca – we discovered this cafe when wandering down from our house to the bus station. We’d seen it before but had never stopped as whilst it has outside seating none of it is in the shade. However we sat inside this day and ended up going back several times so good were the coffee and cakes. It’s only open Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 15:00 and one day we’d love to go back for breakfast the selection of dishes coming out of the kitchen looked fantastic. Thoroughly recommend this one.
Fera (Palma) – unfortunately my partner was unwell on the morning we were due to travel to Palma for this lunch time visit so we had to cancel our reservation. Next time...
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Trip Report 6-22 October (part 1)
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