Cantonet in Pollensa
 

Is ambience more important than food? Or is it the other way round? A week or so ago at Cantonet, we had the chance to find out.

For sheer quirkiness and individuality, the terrace at the top of the steps at Cantonet in Pollensa can’t be beat. You’re sitting under the watchful eye of the church tower; the restaurant itself is strangely enough nowhere to be seen; the lighting comes from rickety bulbs slung beneath umbrellas and the food appears from a window in the alley below to be carried up the stairs by willing – and charming – waiters. It is, quite simply, sublime.

But when the wind is blowing and the rain is threatening, the terrace just isn’t the place to be. So, for the first time ever, we tried inside the restaurant itself.

The lighting is harsh, the seats less than comfortable, the paintings on the wall are …well, weird is putting it nicely. So all, in all, distinctly unpromising.

But the food. Oh the food. It’s dazzling.

The special that night was described as moules in something or other which I missed in translation. It turned up looking like a huge pie with a kind of Cornish pasty topping under which a fish stew had been steamed. Now the reason I’m not describing this particularly well is because it’s indescribably good! The pastry seals in all the juices and the aromas, so when you pop it open, there’s an absolute explosion of seafood juices. The moules are fragrant, the fish falls apart on the fork and the taste is dizzying.

Follow that with a sobrasado ravioli and you’re getting pretty close to the perfect meal. Service as ever was charming. Wine, a Chardonnay pui Llevant Adrover was crsip and delicious and the bill was – well, I can’t remember actually. (It may have had something to do with that 3rd bottle!)