Oliu, Andratx

No parking problems at this stylish roadside restaurant with terrace and garden near Andratx.

2019, July 1st

A restaurant owned by its chef is usually a reliable choice when looking for a place to eat good food. That’s certainly the case with Oliu restaurant – on the road between Andratx and Port d’Andratx – where Mallorcan chef and owner Joan Porcel Balaguer has been offering his creative dishes since 2013.

 
Oliu takes its name from the property’s original use: the building used to be the local ‘tafona’, where farmers took their olives to be pressed. Today, the building is home to this attractive contemporary restaurant, with smart interior of exposed stone walls. Outside, a large shaded dining terrace is beside an attractive garden, with views of the mountain tops in the distance.

 
The garden also has a fountain and the sound of the water running helps to make you feel a little cooler on a sizzling day. A chill-out area, next to the outdoor bar, is ideal for drinks before or after eating. In the busy summer months, it’s good to know that Oliu has its own large car park.

 
Joan’s innovative modern Mediterranean cuisine incorporates a few international touches and uses fresh produce from his family’s vegetable garden. His well-presented dishes are packed with flavour and hot dishes arrive on hot plates.

 
The Oliu menu for lunch and dinner is à la carte and seasonal, although there is also the option of an 8-plate tasting menu (45€). Our lunch was from the à la carte of starters, salads, pastas, fish, meats, and desserts. We shared a generous starter of tasty fat prawns and vegetables in a light tempura (15 €). In the intense heat on the day we chose to visit, we opted for salads: a ‘garden’ of goat’s cheese with avocado cream (18 €), and the unusual mackerel ‘Shimesaba’ with red vermouth and fruits (17€). Both were refreshing, tasty, and attractively presented.

 
The excellent home-made bread is so good it could be your downfall if you want to have room for a dessert. We had an earlier-than-usual lunch and the well-made bread was still warm from the oven. Stick to just one slice and save space for Joan’s signature dessert, named Oliu (9 €). Yes, olive oil is an ingredient in this sublime finale on offer at Oliu in Andratx.

Photos: OLIU / Jan Edwards

Prices correct at time of writing.