Restaurante Son Cardaix, Artà

As much as I enjoy summer eating out by the sea in Mallorca, I’m also a fan of dining in rural restaurants for a more relaxing ambience. And, yes, easier parking!

My chosen restaurant is only a short drive from Artà, but it feels a world away from everywhere because of its tranquil countryside location. Restaurante Son Cardaix is part of the centuries-old Agroturisme Son Cardaix and is also open to the public. The sundial over the hotel’s front entrance is inscribed with the year 1648, but the estate is even older.

Its land is also the source of much that’s used in the kitchen, which is led by the 30-year-old chef, Joan Bauçà from Petra, who seems in his element with so much of the estate’s bounty to spark his culinary creativity. The produce not obtained from the estate’s vegetable garden, olive and fruit trees, comes from trusted local farmers, fishermen, livestock breeders, and small producers.

Restaurante Son Cardaix offers an à la carte menu and a weekly tasting menu, named Binicoraix – the Arabic name for the estate. The latter is a 5-course menu costing 55€ (excluding drinks). We opted for the tasting menu and shall return to try the à la carte, which evolves with the seasonal availability.

Our basket of bread came with extra virgin olive oil and preserved olives from the estate. The appetizer from the kitchen was a small spoon holding a spherified olive, a molecular gastronomy technique.

The first course of the Binicoraix menu was ‘trempó mallorquin’ – a refreshing dish full of flavour. Before our server poured the gazpacho element over the vegetables and olive oil caviar, I noted that the tomato segment had been peeled, an example of the detail that Chef Bauçà applies to his work.

Our next dish was a carpaccio of Mallorcan black pig with a cured cheese from Son Garrova in Sant Llorenç, cherry tomatoes, crushed toasted almonds, and a small centrepiece of olive oil ice cream.

I was pleased that the next two hot dishes were served on heated tableware, ticking an important box for me.

We had sardine with a ‘ramallet’ tomato sauce and smooth parsnip purée – very tasty. The meat course was rabbit, something I haven’t spotted on many restaurant menus. The meat was deboned, rolled, and served with caramelised onions and a buttery potato purée – chef’s contemporary interpretation of a classic Mallorcan dish.

The combination of chocolate, figs, and almonds brought our delicious and attractively presented dinner to a close, as the terrace’s festoon lights came on to create a romantic ambience.

Wines are all Mallorcan, in keeping with the restaurant’s admirable ethos, and are listed by grape variety. Service was efficient and friendly.

Restaurante Son Cardaix is a hideaway gem for flavourful 0km cuisine, prepared with love and respect for the land’s bounty by a young but experienced chef who’s one to watch.

If you love a BBQ, Son Cardaix offers one on Thursday evenings in summer (19 – 22 h), accompanied by relaxing live music. The cost is 38€, excluding drinks.

Photos: Jan Edwards / Son Cardaix