Jacaranda, Montuïri

The rural hotel Finca Serena, near Montuïri, more than lives up to its name, with its tranquil, elevated setting offering surrounding views of the Pla de Mallorca. But you don’t have to be staying in one of this 5-star hotel’s 25 luxurious rooms and suites to spend some time here: Finca Serena’s restaurant, Jacaranda, is also open to the public and nourishes the soul as well as the body.

The 40-hectare estate is home to vineyards producing their own-label wines, and more than 800 olive trees that provide Finca Serena’s delicious extra virgin olive oil. The vegetable gardens here are the source of much of the fresh, seasonal produce used in the kitchen led by chef Jordi Rigo.

In fine weather, you can eat alfresco. Lunch on the front terrace offers views of Randa and the countryside towards Manacor. For dinner, the rear terrace is the place to watch the sun setting behind the Serra de Tramuntana. Either terrace works for me.

When a friend said she was booked for a massage at Finca Serena, Jacaranda seemed the ideal place to meet for lunch afterwards. Sadly, the weather prevented us from eating outdoors, but we had good views from our table in the attractive dining room.

Different menus are offered for lunch and dinner. At lunchtime, the menu is à la carte. We chose to share the starter of grilled avocado with salad, an apricot vinaigrette, and strawberries from Sa Pobla (16€). Before this arrived, our server brought us a warm, split llonguet roll, with smoked butter and a slice of sobrasada and botifarró as a complimentary appetizer.

From the six main course dishes (one of which was the fish of the day), we both chose deboned coquelet chicken, or poussin, in a delicious lemon sauce (25€). Garnishes are extra here, with a choice of three. I was tempted by the Sa Pobla French fries (8€) but went for a guilt-free garden salad instead (11€); my friend had a very generous dish of grilled seasonal vegetables (13€).

Our server suggested we shouldn’t miss dessert as they’re special. I chose grilled pineapple with yuzu ice cream, citronella and lemongrass – a zingy end to lunch (12€). My friend had a vegetable and citrus sorbet, scattered with chopped pistachio nuts. (10€).

Jacaranda’s wine list includes labels from Mallorca, the Peninsula, France, and one from Germany, with a good choice available by the glass. With some 10 hectares of the Finca Serena estate planted as vineyards, I recommend trying one of their own wines. We drank Auba by the glass – their first red wine, made from Callet grapes.

For dinner, Jacaranda offers a three-course menu (with choices) plus appetizers for 70€. This includes a glass of their own wine (white, rosé, or red).  On summer evenings, the restaurant offers Paella Tuesdays and BBQ Thursdays, with live music.

With our souls and stomachs nourished by serenity, good food and wine, we left, resolving to return.

Photos: Jan Edwards

Prices correct at time of writing.