Page 154 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Mallorca, Menorca & Ibiza

152  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS WHERE T O EA T AND DRINK  153

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK consisting of vegetables such are the bars and small restau- Most restaurants welcome
as artichokes, broad beans,
rants situated along seaside
credit cards, though American
aubergines, peppers, tomatoes promenades, with outside tables. Express is less common. Some
The resorts and large town centres found rather than the food, good-quality local or tortilla española (Spanish bars take Visa, but small sums
in the Balearic Islands offer a good cuisine is always available. Restaurants omelette). One of the simplest are normally paid in cash. Some
selection of restaurants, able to satisfy serving local specialities can be easily vegetarian dishes is tumbet (a small restaurants, especially
tomato-rich vegetable stew).
those not geared up for
even the most demanding of palates. spotted (not having an “international” Local vegetarian cuisine worth tourists, may not accept
While the resorts do, of course, cater to or photo menu is a good rule of thumb) recommending includes eggs credit cards at all – so it is
visitors who have come for the beaches and many are open all year. al modo de Sóller and Mahón- best to check in advance.
style beans. Most restaurants
offer some vegetarian dishes.
closed during the other If there are none on the menu Recommended
months of the year open. In you can always ask for a salad Restaurants
the cheaper bars it is worth (specify that you don’t want The nueva cocina food
trying tapas or raciónes (small meat or fish in it) or a phenomenon that has swept
plates), as these are most likely macedonia (fruit salad), Catalonia is making headway
to be freshly prepared (a ración or even a gazpacho (the trad- in the Balearics. Mostly it is
is often enough for two). itional Spanish cold tomato found in owner-run estab-
When venturing into a bar soup). Local cheeses are also lishments, where the chef
that is popular with the locals, great. Try the creamy, nutty takes time-honoured recipes,
you should try the set price queso mallorquín and the Traditional paella is served throughout the finest local ingredients
menú del día (menu of the day). cured cheese from Maó. the region and gives them a contem-
This is a full three-course meal, porary, personal twist, both
accompanied by a drink. Often in taste and presentation. At
Stay (see p159) restaurant in Port de Pollença, Mallorca these menus are very good Prices and Tipping the other end of the spectrum,
value and may cost as little In beachside restaurants, prices home-cooked meals prepared
Local Cuisine Dinner on the islands usually as €10. are reasonable. A lunch will in family-run restaurants
A number of the Balearic dishes starts after 8pm, when the Many visitors prefer to use cost around €20 to €25. The can provide an equally
are Catalan in origin. Ensaimadas, temperature drops. This is their hotel’s restaurant for menú del día may be even memorable meal.
delicious spiral pastries that when the restaurants, cafés, breakfast and dinner, and cheaper. The sky is the limit Both these categories, and
are dusted with icing sugar, are gardens and bars fill up. For take their lunch in bars and on prices charged by some of more, have been considered
commonplace. So, too, are the Spaniards this is a time to restaurants close to the beach. the top restaurants. Some reg- when choosing the restaurants
spicy pork pâtés (sobrasadas). meet with friends. Restaurants Some hotels have wonderful ional dishes and seafood may featured in this guide. They
Rustic “one-pot” dishes and soups also tend to fill up for Sunday restaurants; others are merely be expensive. The price of the span a wide choice of budget
are also popular. The best lunch and booking is recom- adequate. One point in hotel latter will depend on the weight ranges and tastes, and cover
known of these is caldereta mended at this time. restaurants’ favour is that they of the ordered lobster or fish. something for everyone. For
de llagosta (see 105). can offer a wide selection of Mallorca and Ibiza tend to the “best of the best”, we’ve
With the exception of food, low prices, fast service The elegant interiors of Fosh have the highest prices. The marked recommended
cheaper varieties such as Places to Eat and a friendly atmosphere. (see p158), Palma final bill includes service charges restaurants as DK Choice.
sardines, the price paid for There is a boundless choice Most of them serve a safe, and tax and is, therefore, higher These are the island’s most
local fish and seafood is the of places to eat in the Balearic international cuisine and you Booking than the sum of the menu outstanding establishments,
same as elsewhere in Spain, Islands. This is especially true are likely to see paella, pizza, There are a large number of items. Normally, the tip does offering singular experiences
though you’ll always find a during the high season, when fish and chips, roast chicken restaurants on the Balearic not exceed 10 per cent; it is that are unrivalled by anything
cheaper daily special. many restaurants that are and curry all on the same Islands and there should not be usual to round up the bill. on the mainland.
menu. These restaurants any problem in finding a table.
successfully compete Nevertheless, it is worthwhile
When to Eat
with the popular fast- booking a table in advance
As with the rest of Spain, food chains. Restaurants to avoid disappoint ment,
lunchtime in the Balearic that are near or on less particularly when you want
Islands is usually between crowded beaches tend to dine in reputable rural
1:30pm and 3pm. It may be to offer much better restaurants such as those
that restaurants are full and food, but the choice attached to hotels, or
you may have to wait a long may be limited. those in a remote location.
time to be served. Outside
traditional mealtimes, the Vegetarians Disabled Persons
menu selection can be limited.
Some restaurant kitchens may The food of these islands New restaurants are obliged to
be closed after 3pm. As an tends to be on the heavy have disabled access, but many
alternative, bars can provide side and is based mainly older establishments remain
a good variety of food and on pork and fish, but it inaccessible; they may not have
snacks while beachside also has a lot to offer wheelchair ramps and the
restaurants are good for vegetarians. It is easy tables tend to be placed close
snacks at any time of the day. A modest restaurant in Estellencs to make a meal of tapas together. The most accessible Juan y Andrea (see p163) in Formentera, Platja Illetes

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