De Tokio a Lima, Palma
If you enjoy food that’s a creative fusion of Japanese and Peruvian with Mediterranean influences, a restaurant in the heart of Palma’s prestigious shopping area should be on your list.
De Tokio a Lima is the restaurant of Can Alomar, a former 19th-century palace and 5-star boutique hotel described as an ‘urban luxury retreat’ – an accurate description. Access is via the elevator from the foyer of the hotel, which takes you to the restaurant entrance.
De Tokio a Lima has two fine terraces – one for drinks, the other for alfresco eating – located over the Passeig del Born, home to some of Palma’s most exclusive stores and boutiques. Sitting on one of these outdoor spaces, on a level with the leafy canopy of the trees lining the Born, feels like an encounter with nature in Mallorca’s busy capital.
Our visit coincided with a forecast for rain, so lunch that day was served only in De Tokio a Lima’s attractive dining room. Although there were plenty of diners there, the place had an aura of calm – unlike some of the other eateries we’d passed on our way.
If you’ve eaten at De Tokio a Lima at the Hotel Valldemossa, the menu is the same in Palma (which was home to the first of these two restaurants) and uses high-quality produce. The à la carte menu includes ‘Caviar Corner’, starters, a vegetarian section, raw and marinated, and dishes from the stove, from chef Germán de Bernardi. Vegan and gluten-free dishes are on the menu too.
We started by sharing shrimp fritters with orange dressing, rocoto (a chilli pepper native to Peru), and lime (26€) – a dish we’d enjoyed in Valldemossa, and I recommend. Our server told us it was his favourite starter.
My companion chose and devoured his prettily presented grilled scallops with seasonal vegetables and an aji amarillo sauce (30€). I chose the grilled market white fish (corvina) with extra virgin olive oil, cashew purée, bimi, and a watercress emulsion (34€). The fish was perfectly cooked and complemented by the accompaniments.
We shared a dessert: a strawberry and yogurt bonbon with wild-strawberry sorbet strawberry gelée, and chia and beetroot coulis (14€), which countered the sweetness of the rest of the dish.
To accompany our lunch, we started with a glass of Rovellats Gran Reserva cava (9€) and then had a glass each of Can Axartell rosado (8€).
On a day in Palma, when you want to escape from the crowded streets, rise above them and enjoy the refined dining experience at De Tokio a Lima.
Photos: Jan Edwards
Prices correct at time of writing.