Temple, Palma
Healthy vegetarian food in a peaceful city oasis
2019, Jan 28th
Palma’s Santa Catalina district has yet another eatery to please vegetarians and flexitarians. Temple is owned and run by charming Parisians in a beautifully restored townhouse, with exposed stone walls, slim iron pillars, and stunning photographic artwork on the walls.
Sit at wooden tables, either on white-painted chairs with rush seating or on wall-side banquettes made comfortable with ample plump cushions. At the rear, doors open onto a small, pretty terrace, with splashes of colour from pots of bougainvillea.
Temple is open only during the daytime and uses seasonal fruit and vegetables from local organic farms or sustainable agriculture. Come for an energy-giving breakfast, snacks, lunch or just drinks. For lunch there is always a soup of the day, a tart of the day with salad, the Temple mixed salad, and vegetarian curry of the day with basmati rice. On the day we visited, the soup was spinach and lentil; the tart was mushroom and goat’s cheese. Our chickpea curry was delicious, with well-proportioned spicing. Dessert was a moist and moreish almond cake. You can have individual items or create a three-course menu for 18 €.
To drink there’s a small list of beers and natural, organic, and biodynamic wines. Soft drinks include naturally flavoured waters and juices. Hot drinks include a Parisian brand of teas as well as Japanese and herbal teas, hot or cold healthy lattes, and some exceptional coffees. If you’ve never tried the much-vaunted bullet-proof coffee, you’ll also find that on the menu.
At the front of the premises a retail area displays organic skincare products, handmade jewellery and crafts, esoteric items, and other temptations. Temple is also a popular venue for events such as workshops and yoga classes.
The place is light, informal, and welcoming: a calming oasis for an escape from work, shopping, or sightseeing. Temple in Santa Catalina is a place to feed the soul as well as the body.
Photos: Temple / Jan Edwards