Restaurante Jardin

RESTAURANTE JARDIN IN THE PORT OF ALCUDIA HAS EXPANDED FOR 2008 WITH A FINE STYLISH DINING ROOM TO COMPLEMENT THE ART OF THE TALENTED YOUNG CHEF

Since the Castro family opened Restaurante Jardin in spring 1996, many people have enjoyed dining in the restaurant or by the beautifully-landscaped garden. Now, there is a new and interesting dimension to the restaurant with an elegant upstairs dining room with unique paintings and an eye-catching design.

The Castro family sums it up perfectly by saying, "Many people and many recipes have passed through this beautiful enclave in Puerto de Alcudia. This is what usually happens when things are done well, with patience and care, with respect and real professionalism. There are no secrets, just attention to detail, the right choice of ingredients and skill in recommending the wines."

Quality with innovation

The restaurant was established by Daniel de Castro 12 years ago, who now has his sister Macarena as head chef. Before taking over, she gained experience in kitchens under chefs with two Michelin stars, in Spain, France and New York.

Daniel invited us to try a few dishes, all well presented, with different textures and tastes. The home-made bread was far better than any I have tried in Mallorca so far. It is served with individual dishes of golden olive oil and four flavoured salts, including hibiscus and spices.

First we were brought two scallops on top of a bed of black pasta served in a pristine white bowl. The scallops were beautifully sweet and married well with the pasta.

This was followed by warm cream-coloured goats' cheese with brilliant red tomato marmalade. The dish was a feast for the senses with the colours catching the eye, the contrasting flavours and texture of the robust cheese with the sweet tomato.

The next dish was described as Mallorquin-style hake with prawns and port sauce. This did not do justice to the way the fish had been prepared, which took the traditional Mallorquin recipe and added a touch of class. The fish was perfectly cooked and topped with a variety of colourful vegetables with a drizzle of port sauce. The fork slid through the vivid white fillet, which had a lovely sweet flavour. Again it contrasted perfectly with the more robust vegetables. In the wrong hands, fish is so easy to overcook (I've often had hake that is the texture of a well-done steak) but this was perfect, with tender flakes which tasted so fresh with juicy prawns and a tasty sauce.

However, for me, Macarena excelled herself with the veal cheeks and creamed potato. The rich dark meat melted in the mouth and the potato was like velvet in texture.

I have never tasted veal cooked in this way and it was sublime. Likewise, the potato was best eaten with a spoon because it was so smooth and creamy.

We finished our meal with a light French toast and vanilla cream polished off with a very good coffee.

The dishes on offer are extensive and all sound tempting such as starters including gazpacho of cherries with bogavante, which is a type of lobster or carpaccio of large prawns with apple ice-cream, fish dishes including bacalao and tuna, meat dishes from solomillo to young pigeon, and sweets as succulent as strawberries with mascarpone cream and coconut ice-cream.

Macarena is an up-and-coming chef with a talent for turning the finest fresh ingredients into a work of art. She has taken traditional Mallorcan or Mediterranean produce and dishes to which she has added her own individual signature.

Daniel showed us a large hardback book he had specially printed showing off Macarena's culinary creations. Each page had a photograph of a dish, which evidently had been created with a lot of care and much love.

Stylish surroundings

On the ground floor is a fine dining area with terracotta floors and an arched terrace overlooking the beautifully-kept gardens which provide a fine place to dine during the warmer Mallorca months.

From this year, Daniel has opened a new dining area upstairs with an interesting and unique décor. The attention to detail is second to none with trendy brown flooring, interesting blue glass decorations like flutes adorning one wall, which were crafted on the island, along with table decorations specially designed for Restaurante Jardin.

The huge and impressive abstract original paintings are by Daniel's talented uncle Antonio de Castro.

The tables are nicely spaced out so there is plenty of room between guests. Each round table has crisp white linen cloths, stylish cutlery, lovely chunky water glasses, elegant wine glasses and minimalist blue glass decorations which complement the glass ‘flutes'.

There is an impressive temperature-controlled wine cellar with quality bottles from around the world, including the finest that Mallorca and mainland Spain have to offer. The sommelier is happy to recommend particular wines to go with the dishes you have chosen.

Unobtrusive jazz music was playing in the background during our visit.

Restaurante Jardin also offers outside catering and is already booked for many summer weddings in Mallorca, including one fiesta with more than 250 guests.

Restaurante Jardin
C/Tritones s/n, Puerto de Alcudia, Mallorca

Tel: 971 892 391
Website:www.restaurantejardin.com