Placeta Garden, Pollença

Here’s a restaurant that may appeal to those who like a family-run, kid-friendly, rural restaurant with a garden and, bonus point, its own car park. Placeta Garden fits these criteria and is a short drive from both Pollença and Port de Pollença.

The Argentinian family that also owns the restaurant Placeta in the town of Pollença opened Placeta Garden restaurant and ‘asador’ some nine years ago. It’s seasonal but attracts both visitors and locals.

The restaurant is on a finca that produces its own olives and has a large garden, with a children’s play area. A unique feature of Placeta Garden is its collection of antique carriages.

Sit at a table in the open air, under a covered porch, or in the traditional-style dining room, with its wooden ceiling beams and textiles from the famous cloth-of-tongues fabrics factory, Teixits Vicens. Sunshine had turned to rain for our lunch visit, so we ate indoors.

A notable feature of Placeta Garden is the friendliness of the staff. Josefina – one of the owner’s daughters  –  was our server and made us feel immediately welcome, although she didn’t know I was reviewing the place.  She has what the Spanish call ‘don de gente’ – people skills. Her sister, Sofia, is the chef, making everything from scratch.

As an Argentinian-owned restaurant, the culinary focus is on meats, with Galician beef cooked on the Holm oak wood grill and served with French fries and Padrón peppers. The menu includes three traditional Mallorcan main-course dishes:  low-temperature-cooked suckling pig with a beer and lemon sauce; baked lamb with rosemary, white wine, and a little mint, and pork tenderloin with cabbage.

There are also fish, artisan pasta, rice, children’s, and some vegetarian main-course dishes, as well as the cold and hot starters, soups, and salads.

Josefina brought us a complimentary appetizer of four small pieces of coca accompanied by olives from the finca.  We then had toasted bread rubbed with tomato, served with black garlic aioli, Solivellas olive oil, and a tasting of sobrasada. (6,50€ per portion and Josefina advised that it’s enough for two people). Sofia’s bread was excellent. We also shared a portion (five) of chicken ‘croquetas’. (9€).

We chose Mallorcan main courses. My suckling pig was excellent and fall-apart tender (29,90€). My husband enjoyed his flavourful and tender lamb (29,90€). Both came with home-cut skinny fries, but some of them lost their from-the-fryer crispness sitting in the meat juices. It’s my personal taste, but I’d have preferred the fries on a separate plate. If you’re like me, you could try requesting this if you order the suckling pig or lamb.

Desserts include a few island specialities, including Cardenal de Lloseta. We were so full that we could only share a dark chocolate mousse (7€).

Wines on the list are mostly from Mallorca, with only four available by the glass (5€ each).

We’ll return to Placeta Garden for its charm, tasty meats, and the friendliness of this Argentinian-family-run place.

Photos: Jan Edwards

Prices correct at time of writing.