Sa Xarxa, Colònia de Sant Pere

This week’s restaurant is in the category of ‘Mallorca’s best sunset views’, being located on the seafront in Colònia de Sant Pere. From this privileged location, you can watch the sun sink behind the Tramuntana mountains on the far side of the Bay of Alcúdia.

The promenade in Colònia de Sant Pere has several restaurants and bars with these gorgeous views over dinner. Sa Xarxa is one of the two with the longest history (the other is Restaurante Playa) and is at the end of the promenade, in a sand-coloured building facing the sea.

The restaurant’s owner, Sabine Hagström, first opened Sa Xarxa in 2000. Back in the day, we visited one cold February lunchtime after hiking up to the Ermita de Betlem and had a memorable French onion soup.

These days, Sa Xarxa is open for dinner only, and this year, Sabine’s son Tassilo has moved to Mallorca from Germany to run the restaurant – bringing a fresh, youthful energy to the place.

Inside, the restaurant is a quirky, attractive blend of traditional and modern, but most people seem to eat alfresco here. There are tables for two on a raised terrace at the front of the building and larger tables by the sea. The table linen includes napkins embroidered with the restaurant’s logo.

We hadn’t eaten at Sa Xarxa for a few years, but have dined there twice since the restaurant reopened for this season at the beginning of April, having really enjoyed chef Melania Navia’s cooking the first time. On Wednesdays, there’s a DJ sunset session providing a soundtrack to the visual treat.

The menu offers snacks, ten starters, twelve fish, and four meat dishes. On both visits this year, we’ve had the tempura shrimps with wasabi mayo from the snack menu as a starter (5 for 13€) because they’re just so plump and moreish. The wasabi was subtle and didn’t shock the sinuses!

Sa Xarxa specialises in fresh fish, and some, such as the wild-catch Scorpion fish, sea bass, turbot, and wild sole, are at market price. This season, between us, we’ve had the crispy catch of the day in tempura (corvina) (19€), monkfish (28€), and Atlantic cod fish fillet (22€). Prices are for the main item, and sides are extra. We’ve tried the truffled French fries (8€), and market vegetables (7€).  White asparagus from Germany is one of the ten options to accompany your fish or meat. (13€).

Desserts include Mallorcan almond cake and crema Catalan, but we opted for the tonka bean mousse with crushed amarettini, with raspberries and blueberries (8€).

Drinks here include cocktails and a wine list with a few good wines by the glass. We had a French rosé called Hippy Robin (6€) and a glass of Mallorcan Binigrau Nounat (9,50€). Wine enthusiasts will find some fine wines and bubbles, and a good choice of German whites.

Photos: Jan Edwards/Ponderosa Beach

Prices correct at time of writing.