Aromata, Palma
Inca-born chef Andreu Genestra is having a moment. In the news for moving his eponymous Michelin-star restaurant to the rural Zoetry Mallorca Wellness & Spa Hotel near Llucmajor, the dynamic chef also designed the Mediterranean menu for the dinner show at the new Lío in Palma.
Less has been written about some subtle but notable changes to Andreu’s Palma restaurant, Aromata. This year it’s had a new logo and an upgrade to the interior. Small stools are now provided for handbags – something usually found in high-level restaurants. It feels more upmarket but still offers great value and delicious cuisine for a lunch in Mallorca’s capital – making haute cuisine accessible to more people.
The lunch menu offers a choice of three starters, mains, and desserts and costs 35€. It includes a ‘snack’ and petits fours, as well as water, bread, and oil. A glass of Andreu Genestra’s house wine is 6 €.
Over 200 wines are on offer here, presented by the friendly and knowledgeable new sommelier, Giorgia Scaramelli. We found all the staff in the restaurant – overseen by Marta Pellicer – pleasant and efficient.
Our snack was a small ‘tostada’ of beetroot, confit cherries, and cottage cheese on a coca base. Good, warm bread arrived with olive oil in separate dishes for each of us.
My starter of pumpkin ravioli with pesto was a tasty combination of contrasting flavours. My companion chose clam tartare and cava pickles with Mediterranean ‘aguachile’. His main was grilled octopus with its marinade, salt potatoes, and dried fruits. I opted for a sirloin steak with ‘Café Paris’ sauce, Jerusalem artichoke, and a port reduction. The steak was exactly as I’d requested and oh-so tender.
Both desserts we tried were creative and enjoyed. Our leisurely lunch ended with a glass of orange Suau liqueur, and we resolved to return soon for the tasting menu dinner.
Andreu Genestra’s chef here is Gabriel Ferrio, who leads a team of eight in the kitchen. He was previously the second chef at the Michelin-starred El Bohío near Toledo.
Aromata is in a quiet street just off Jaime III, at the front of the Sa Nostra Cultural Center, and is housed in the central courtyard of a 17th-century mansion. The traditional stone staircase, marble pillars, and handsome arches add to its appeal.
Aromata is one of only 800 restaurants across Spain and Portugal to be listed in the two countries’ 2023 Michelin Guide. It also has a coveted Repsol ‘Sol’.
Photos: Jan Edwards
Prices correct at time of writing.