Masala Indian Restaurant, Cala Blanes, 971 38 83 70
Exciting news in Ciudadela is the opening of the Masala Indian Restaurant at Cala Blanes. This is a sister restaurant to the Raj in Cala Blanca, which of course belongs to the ever popular Rainbow Spice on the Port of Mahón.
The Raj, happily, re-opens at the beginning of April and the Masala at the beginning of May. The new restaurant is situated in the heart of Los Delfines, to the north of Ciudadela; drive straight through the archway down the centre and you will find it next to the church. Amrul, brother of Hossan from the Rainbow Spice and known from the Raj, is in charge. The Masala is sure to do well with both residents and visitors as these Indian restaurants are known for their authenticity and excellent prices. An extensive set menu is always available, also there is a take-away facility, as is the case with both Rainbow Spice and Raj.
Biniarroca Rural Hotel and Restaurant Sant Lluis, 971 15 00 59
Biniarroca rural hotel, situated down a country lane shortly after the hamlet of Trebaluger, between Es Castell and San Luis, opens again at the beginning of May. This charming oasis of peace and tranquillity is a wonderful place not only to stay, but also in which to enjoy excellent cuisine. Lunch is served daily in the courtyard, offering an extensive range of tapas and other creative dishes, all at very reasonable prices, and dinner is served either in the hotel dining room or on the wide covered terrace, which looks over lovely gardens. The restaurant is will be open every evening except Sunday, serving exquisite food in an elegant setting.
The SIRT food diet fad or for life?
The Diet has been well publicized in the UK. It involves using SIRT rich foods that work by activating proteins in the body called SIRTUINS. In turn this helps protect our cells against ageing.
I was sceptical at first, but decided to give it a go.
Here listed is one of my favourites, a salad that incorporates many of the SIRT foods on the list. They are all available here on the Island. I must say it tastes good, and who knows, it might even work!
Finely Chop: Fresh Ginger, Celery, Capers, Fresh Chilli, Avocado, Red Onion, Rocket, Walnuts 1 or 2, Medjool Pate, Parsley, Dates, Parsley, 2 Strawberries, mix together and sprinkle with Tumeric. Add extra virgin olive oil and a splash of balsamic mix and serve with a glass of red wine (Red is allowed on the diet).
Contribution by our resident doctor
Es Rais: Mahon Harbour, 971 36 23 45
Located in the site of the previous Marivent, Es Rais commands spectacular views over Mahon Harbour as it is situated on the elevated first and second floors. We popped in for a late light lunch, and the staff were most accommodating. We opted for one-course, and the food was delicious. My lunch partner had a very creative presentation of prawn gyozo, a Japanese “dumpling” which she loved. I had the seafood black rice, that really tasted of the smell of the sea. One glass of house wine each, at a cost of 18 euros, set us up for the rest of the day. Note to self: Must go back for a proper lunch/dinner.
Sa Paparra: Mahon, 971 15 73 55
Nestled in Mahon City Centre, near to the Esplanada, and the sister restaurant to Cap Roig in Sa Mesquida, Sa Paparra offers an interesting and varied menu, with a strong focus on BBQ meats. We shared a delicious starter of Escalivada amb Anxoves/Aubergine with anchovies (10.00 €) followed by a Solomillo de Buey/Sirloin steak (22.00 euros) and a Solomillo de ternera/Veal Sirloin (20.00 €). Both cooked perfectly and unusually served with home cut fries with a fried egg and roasted garlic on top!
They have a Munues Espaciales/Special Menu for two people, with prices starting at 50 €, which sounds good value. There is a tidy selection of wines with prices starting from 12 €.
It is a modern, stylish space, but would advise booking ahead to get a table in the more spacious back section. Front of house and waiting on staff are helpful and friendly, and the atmosphere is relaxed and convivial.
Av J. Anselmo Clave – Bayos, 07703 Mahon | Tel: 971157355
Way: Mahon Harbour, 971 14 36
Definitely one of the “must go” places in Mahon, the owner Mr Wang has recently moved and upgraded his restaurant Way from its original location to a much larger space in the harbour. It is lively, serves great food and has a really buzzy atmosphere. This is an Asiatic Restaurant, with a very interesting and extensive menu.
We chose a selection of courses to share between the four of us. Spring Rolls (Rollo de primavera), Hot and Sour soup with meat, bamboo and tofu (Sopa Agripicante), Chili Beef with sesame seeds (Ternera Hong Kong), Crispy Aromatic Duck served with pancakes and hoisin sauce (Pato Peking), Fried Vermicelli rice noodles with prawns roast pork, vegetables and curry – our eyes were probably a little bit bigger than our stomachs.
Despite all the deliciousness of the above, the star of the show – The Special Sushi – was presented as an assortment of 24 pieces including Nigiri, Maki and Uramaki – on a beautifully decorated boat. The restaurant is a special treat, and all served by very friendly, attentive and courteous staff.
The meal for 4, including house wine (10 € for Rioja), was very good value at 130 €, for the level of food and fun we had!
Don’t forget, you can take-away a Way!
Pedro’s Restaurant Cala Torret, Binibequer. Tel. 971 15 01 72
Three of us visited this popular restaurant one Friday lunchtime, knowing that it was fish and chips day! The bar dining room was in use and has lovely views over the coast and the charming little terrace affords extra seating.
Most tables were filled with local residents enjoying Dean’s renowned cuisine. The menú del día (12 €) offers three starters, from which all three of us chose the dark green salad with walnuts, dried fruits, cherry tomatoes and pieces of goat’s cheese, tossed in a raspberry dressing, which was delicious. Two of us could not resist the fish and chips, but the third member of our party took one look at the enormous plates of fish being served to other tables and opted for the less daunting dish of chicken with ratatouille. The fish was a stunning sight, delicious cod in crisp, crunchy batter which was light as air and so large it almost covered the plate. It was served with plenty of excellent chips and little dishes of mushy peas and tartare sauce. The perfectly cooked roast chicken was served in an oval dish atop a delicious ratatouille. We did find room for the wonderful home-made puds, two of us choosing the crème brulée, served in ramekin dish with a very crisp topping, while I decided on the apple crumble, hot and crunchy, plenty of apples and crumble, and topped with a ball of vanilla ice-cream. Total bill, including drinks came to 60.95 € for the three of us.
Dean’s specialities include roast shoulder of lamb, rib eye steak, cod Thermidor, steak and Ale Pie, tempura prawns and pasta dishes.
Café des Pla, Sant Climent. Tel. 971 37 79 79
Tolo’s little bar restaurant in Sant Clemente, which is situated opposite the church, is delightful, pretty, welcoming and serving really excellent food. A passageway leads out to a garden terrace, which boasts a children’s play area where one can also eat.
Tolo is known for many things, his ebullient personality, excellent service and food, which specialises in local cooking. We have often sampled his range of tapas, usually relaxing in the sunny square, but on this occasion two of us ate inside, one of us intent on sampling the menu del día, which offers four starters four main courses, dessert and drink included in the very reasonable price (15 €). An an aperitif, we ordered a plate of chicken croquettes to share, several large home-made irregular balls of tasty chicken deep-fried in breadcrumbs, which were first class. My companion chose from the menú del día (15.00 €) while I opted for stuffed aubergines, a wonderful local dish.
We drank an apple juice and bottled water, and rounded off with two herb teas and two white coffees, our total bill came to 41.30 € with soft drinks.
Restaurante Pizzeria Roma, Ciutadella. Tel. 971 38 47 18
This ever popular backstreet restaurant is open again, very good news for everyone, and it is always well patronised by people from all walks of life. It can be found by turning right off the ring road towards the old town, shortly after the last corner before turning into the Plaza del Borne. It can easily be recognised in the narrow calle Alcantara, as a couple of tables and chairs sit below the awning, a blackboard beside them on which the day’s set menu is chalked.
This lovely old town house is fascinating, as are so many old houses in Ciutadella, many of which have been converted into restaurants. Downstairs in the bar area at Roma are several tables, but stairs lead up to another two levels of dining rooms and an outside terrace where you can eat in good weather.
The menú del día, which is reasonably priced at 15.50 €, from which the party chose habitas con jamón, oblong dishes of tender baby broad beans tossed with chopped Serrano ham and a dish of pimientos piquillo (pickled red peppers) stuffed with fish, in an excellent creamy sauce. We then enjoyed Iberian pork with garbanzos (chick peas) and potatoes and grilled merluza (hake), which was served with mushrooms, green beans and slices of boiled potato.
Excellent food, value and service. Since this is a pizzeria, it should be pointed out that the speciality of the house, pizza, is excellent. We have all experienced Roma’s pizzas on several occasions, as well as other dishes from the wide range a la carte and can recommend the restaurant thoroughly. Everything about it is welcoming, no wonder it is so popular.
Restaurant news in Ciutadella
Lots of favourite restaurants in the Ciutadella area are now open again, such as the lovely Bahía, overlooking the beautiful cove of Cala Santandría. This Swiss restaurant is owned and run by Eric and offers superb cuisine, served on the wide terraces or inside the elegant dining rooms with their enormous windows affording peaceful views of the cove. There is usually a set menu but plenty of variety on the menu a la carte, which invariably contains the freshest fish, much of it caught by Eric’s own fishing boats.
Es Caliu, the renowned Grill restaurant situated just before the Cala Blanca turn off the main road south of Ciutadella, is now open for the season. It specialises in grilled and roast meat and the quality of the food is always superb, the service excellent and the setting delightful. The style is a long country barn and eating either inside the cosy dining room or outside in summer on the long, wide terrace, which is fronted by lush gardens, is an experience for all nationalities and tastes, the local people being particularly fond of it, which is high praise in itself. There is an enormous car park.
A wander along the port and the backstreets of the old town affords many a pleasant surprise, little restaurants in hidden corners and narrow streets, offering anything from pizzas and interesting local cuisine to sophisticated international cooking, as well as a wide variety of tapas of all descriptions, many of which can be enjoyed on sunny terraces.