Terragust, Manacor
One of my favourite seasonal eating-out places isn’t a bricks-and-mortar restaurant, but out in the countryside around Manacor. Terragust is a farm-to-table dining experience and a gastronomic success story in Mallorca.
Matias Adrover Sitger launched the Terragust experiences in 2019, and I was fortunate enough to be invited to one of their first tasting-menu lunches; I could tell that this concept would become popular, but didn’t imagine that six years later – despite the rude interruption of Covid – getting a table booking at short notice would be impossible.
This summer, Terragust has hosted some 50 people, six nights a week for dinner. As I write this, they’re fully booked until Saturday, 13th September – after which they revert to serving lunch only from Monday to Saturday, and it’s easier to get a table. We reminded ourselves to book in advance and secured our Terragust tasting menu dinner last week.
Our venue was a farm just outside Manacor, off the road to Petra, where one of the Terragust team greeted us in the parking area. A short walk took us to a long line of tables, between tall grapevines and underneath a string of lights.
Dinner began with their own delicious, artisan bread made from a recovered, old variety of wheat known as ‘xeixa’, and accompanied by local extra virgin olive oil and olives. These and a sharing plate of ‘ramallet’ tomatoes, pickled sea fennel, and local cheeses and sausages enabled us to compose our own ‘pa amb oli’. We also had delicious, mini Mallorcan cocas topped with caramelised onion and a slice of fig.
We next enjoyed a refreshing melon soup, containing confit cherry tomato, melon balls, mint, almonds, and crisped ham. A touch of cream added a luxurious element to this perfect summer evening soup.
Our main course was a generous piece of tender, low-temperature-cooked beef, with new potatoes, leek, and almonds in a tasty sauce.
Our final course was a pannacotta with sautéed fig, topped with a crumble.
Coffee roasted on the island and Terragust’s own ‘hierbas’ ended our enjoyable dinner, which cost us 56,50€ each. Wines from Manacor bodega Pere Seda are available to accompany the meal but are not included in the price of lunch or dinner; two glasses cost 7,50€, or there’s an option to buy a bottle. There’s a children’s menu at 15€.
The food is prepared and served from the mobile Terragust kitchen, and on the night we were there, chef Aina was in charge.
Kim, Terragust’s delightful Dutch host, explained each dish at the table and impressed the international and local diners with her language skills.
With its combination of warm hospitality, authentic rural setting, and wholesome, seasonal food made only from Mallorcan produce, Terragust is a Mallorcan experience not to miss.
Bookings must be made through the Terragust website.
Photos: Jan Edwards
Prices correct at time of writing.