Jacaranda, Montuïri

2019, July 29th

You don’t have stay overnight at the 5-star rural Finca Serena to eat at this hotel’s Restaurant Jacaranda – where chef Celia Martín has the benefit of a well-stocked organic produce garden.

Restaurant Jacaranda takes its name from the beautiful trees near the main house at Finca Serena. The 5-star adults-only hotel is just a few minutes’ drive from the Ma15 Palma-Manacor road, in open countryside to the west of Montuïri.

 
Once you’re through the gates of Finca Serena, you understand the choice of name. You’re in a world of tranquillity – an escape from the bustle and routine of daily life for a while.

 
Lunch is served on the front terrace, where venerable olive trees offer shade for those who want it and birdsong is the soundtrack. Give your eyes a break from the strain of reading mobile devices, to take in the spectacular views that stretch way into the distance; your optician would approve. The lunch menu changes daily, offering a choice of dishes for three courses (40 €) or, for lighter appetites, main course and dessert (30 €).

 
Jacaranda’s dining room – like the whole hotel – is elegant but unfussy; the décor incorporates restful muted colours and natural materials. The restaurant is at the hotel’s rear, where there’s another large terrace, used for dinner. From the well-spaced tables, you can watch the sun setting through the trees and may hear water playing in the nearby fountain. It feels romantic and hidden away from Mallorca’s summer crowds.

 
Chef Celia Martín is from Toledo but has worked in Mallorca since 2011; she moved here from her role as head chef at Font Santa Hotel. Celia takes inspiration for her daily menus from the organic vegetables and fruit she collects every morning from the estate’s bountiful produce gardens. The dinner menu changes every night, with a choice of three starters, three mains, and two desserts, at 55 €.

 
Celia will also create vegan dishes on request. All her dishes are healthy, delicious, and creative.
Jacaranda Restaurant serves organic extra virgin olive oil produced from the estate’s 830 olive trees; vineyards have been planted for future wine.

 
The wine card offers good wines from Mallorca and the Peninsula and has a sommelier’s special selection for wine connoisseurs, which includes Italian, French, and South African labels.

 
If you need a serving of serenity with your lunch or dinner, Jacaranda Restaurant at Finca Serena is the place to find it. If you’re not staying overnight at the hotel, be sure to book your lunch or dinner table in advance.

Photos: JAN EDWARDS / FINCA SERENA

Prices correct at time of writing.