S’Estació Restaurant & Pizzeria, Sant Llorenç

Looking for somewhere different to eat in the east of Mallorca? How about a disused railway station? S’Estació in Sant Llorenç des Cardassar is on the old railway line that operated between Manacor and Artà from 1921 until 1977. Today, the tracks have gone, and this former station sits alongside what has been one of Spain’s green paths – a Via Verde – for the past eleven years.

You don’t have to be walking, cycling, or riding a horse along this 29-kilometre route to eat and drink at S’Estació, which changed hands earlier this year and now serves excellent pizzas, pastas, and other Italian and Mediterranean dishes, based on quality ingredients and authentic recipes.

This restaurant and pizzeria has an elevated position on the outskirts of Sant Llorenç, with views over the Llevant town. There’s a huge, free car park – another bonus.

S’Estació is also a good place to know if you want to eat out with small children because it has an enclosed children’s play area on site, and a small menu of typically popular kids’ dishes.

The terrace area between the two old station buildings is where you’ll find most of the tables, but there is a dining room for those who prefer to eat indoors.

The menu offers a section of starters and tapas, which includes three types of pizza bread to accompany lunch or dinner. Our portion of tasty pizza bread with cheese (5,90€) would easily have served four people. Starters include vitello tonnato (12,90€), bruschetta (5,90€ for six pieces), and provolone (12,90€). In recent visits, we’ve enjoyed the chipirones (10,90€) and chicken wings in a tasty crumb (8,90€ for six).

The menu offers salads, pasta dishes, pizzas, (with home-made pasta and pizza dough), meats, and fish. A Josper grill adds flavour to the dishes cooked on this. Meat and fish choices are served with roasted vegetables and potato, resulting in a generous plate of food. On our last visit for dinner, I chose lamb chops (21,90€) which, like most lamb chops in Mallorca, were small but tasty and best eaten with fingers. My companion enjoyed the Italian dish saltimbocca a la romana (18,90€).

Desserts here don’t excite me but, to be honest, I’ve been more than satisfied by the time I’ve eaten the first two courses. Children will enjoy the branded ice creams and lollies on offer.

The wine list offers labels from Mallorca and the Peninsula, and prices are fair (the most expensive white and rosado wines cost 23€ a bottle; the most expensive red is 30,50€). We had a glass of Viña Pomal rosado (4,50€) and I had a 50cl bottle of sparkling water (2,65€).

Service is friendly and the team is very welcoming. If you’re looking for a family-friendly restaurant with a different setting, S’Estació Restaurant & Pizzeria in Sant Llorenç could fit the bill.

Photos: Jan Edwards