Restaurant Montimar, Estellencs

Did you know that the small mountain village of Estellencs holds an annual autumn gastronomic fair? It happened at the weekend, but if you missed it, Restaurant Montimar is another reason for foodies to visit this achingly picturesque part of Mallorca.

Restaurant Montimar is easy to find in the centre of the village, almost opposite the church. Steps and a slope take you up to the stone building, which first opened as a restaurant and bar in 1976. When the owners decided to close their restaurant after almost 40 years, Jamil Yassine, born in Berlin with Lebanese heritage, bought it.

At the end of May this year, Jamil – together with Brazilian head chef Fernanda Verges reopened Restaurant Montimar, offering modern Mallorcan cuisine.

We visited at lunchtime on what was a quiet day in the restaurant. The interior bar/dining area is traditional in style, but we opted for a table on one of the two terrace areas, overlooking the street below.

Montimar offers a tasting menu (three courses, no choice) for 36€ and à la carte dishes. This was one of those restaurants where I struggled to choose because several dishes sounded very appealing.

The starters are to share and include a charcuterie plate (19€), escalivada with bread (8€), and home-made mushroom croquetas with saffron aioli (12€). We shared the latter, which were full of flavour and pieces of mushroom. There are also salads and a soup (gazpacho) as an alternative starter.

The main course dishes were so tempting: would it be deboned slow-roasted leg of lamb with a herb crust (28€), chicken tagine with plums, apricots, and almonds (21€), or rabbit cannelloni (28€)? I never buy or cook rabbit at home, so I chose the latter. Noticeably flavoured with tarragon and orange and gratinated with cured Mahón cheese, it was delicious.

My companion chose corvina with home-made romesco sauce served with attractively presented tumbet and fried potatoes (25€).

Desserts include affogato – vanilla ice cream topped with expresso (5€), various flavours of ice cream and sorbet (3€ per scoop), home-made crema Catalana (6€), and the delicate French cake known as a financier, served with roasted almond ice cream (8€). I had blackberry sorbet, which was a bit icy in texture but well-flavoured; my companion enjoyed his crema Catalana.

There’s also the option of a cheese plate with fig jam (16€).

My companion had two glasses of the house rosé at 4,50€ a glass, and I had a Free Damm alcohol-free beer (3€). We paid 2,50€ for an Americano coffee. Soft drinks include home-made lemonade. The wine choice is limited, six of which are available by the glass.

Picturesque Estellencs is a long drive from our home in the northeast of Mallorca, but we’d certainly make the journey again to return to eat at Montimar.

Prices correct at time of writing.