Review 1 - Restaurant Satafona de Son Fong
This was a spontaneous stop as we were STARVING! It's located outside the beautiful town of Arta (I recommend visiting for the boutique hotels and shops, quirky cafes and views from Castillo san Salvador) along a dead end road which takes you up a very small windy road to the little monastery of Ermita de Betlem and its spectacular views out to sea. Time was running out and there were no other options, so we popped in.
When we arrived it was a bit frantic. It turned out that there had been a sudden rush guests, but we were welcome to stay if we didn't mind waiting half an hour before we could be served. This was no problem for us as we were having a quiet day pottering around exploring the island and had no agenda. Although everyone else was sitting on the patio outside the entrance, we asked if we could go up to the mezzanine area at the back of the restaurant which turned out to have a lovely balcony overlooking the castillo.
The sun was beating down, there were no other people near us, the view was spectacular.... what more could we want?
After a relaxing wait we ordered and received our food. Satafona specialises in grilled food, with a large open flame grill on which the food is cooked. It is also linked to a local vineyard.
I can't tell you the joy when I tasted by quail.... I never would normally order quail as they're small and fiddly and often dry.... but I felt I should have something to equal the rustic, local nature of the restaurant. And what a great choice! It was juicy with wonderfully seasoned and crispy skin. And the glass of crisp white wine balanced the salty woody flavours perfectly. I left no scrap of meat on the bones - sucking them till I had to give up, covering my fingers and face in oil!
Ken chose lamb chops which he said were equally beautifully cooked and seasoned.
After eating we sat back and enjoyed the space some more, browsing the various architecture books and magazines on the window sill - including some collectors' issues of A+U form the 1980s.
Bliss.... it was hard to move on.
Review 2 - Restaurant S'Illot
Ken had read about a Mal Pas Bonnaire outside Alcuidia as a place where the wealthy have traditionally had their holiday villas and recognised for its nice sandy beaches with clear blue water and small marina. So off we trundled...
We didn't seem to find Mal Pas Bonnaire (I think we drove through it but it wasn't obvious) but we did find Restaurant S'Illot up a narrow road that climbs up the hill, hugging the coast. I didn't want to continue on the road - its was getting late and I wanted to get back to Porta Pollensa as there was a restaurant I wanted to try.
Restaurant S'Illot is famous for its views. It is essentially a beach shack and has the relaxed air you'd expect to find in a surf town off the West Coast of Canada or even on a beach in Thailand. The clientele were mixed and included a single woman with her dog, a group of 8 women having a celebratory meal together, a stiff wealthy couple, some German hikers and everything else in between - quite something for a small beach shack!
Initially we were just planning to stay for a drink and admire the view, but then a nearby table was served the house paella.... and the smell was intoxicating! Realising we had not had any paella and our holiday was coming to an end soon, we quickly agreed to stay and placed our order - settling down to watch the sun set and the guests come alive as the wine began to make its magic.
The paella did not disappoint!
The only disappointment came when the sun finally went down behind the Cap Formentor on the opposite side of the large Pollensa bay (which I had cycled up a few days earlier and declared one of the best short rides ever!) and it was time to leave as we had to drive back to our hotel.
As we were leaving, a group of older guests moved into the small room off the main restaurant area, lit a fire in the corner with herb branches and pine cones, settling in for the evening....
