26. June 2014: Restaurant El Patio

The evening started with a greeting from the kitchen – “gilthead with seafood foam”. The gilthead had a nicely crispy grilled skin and the mango on which it was served provided it with a nice slight hint of sweetness. The seafood foam was of intense taste but in a very pleasant way.

The first course of the 4 course menu (EUR 64.00) that night was a “sea bass tataki with grilled scallops” which looked very appealing as it was perfectly decorated. The sea bass was tasty and the scallops were quite tender but the crust of sesame in which they were coated was almost a bit too much but to balance that off, the sprouts provided a nice spiciness.

Next in line was a “pork belly confit, with focaccia, mango, and goat cheese Crème Brûlée”. The pork belly was aromatic and fit perfectly well with the sweetness of the mango – and so did the focaccia. What really surprised me in a very positive way was the goat cheese Crème Brûlée – definitely something I have never tried before. It had the consistency of a perfect Crème Brûlée including the slight hint of sweetness but in the end it had a very subtle and fine goat cheese taste – lovely!

Next was a “watermelon, pepper and peppermint sorbet” which was refreshing (but not really a sorbet as it was already liquid).

The “black angus duo (filet and cheek) with chanterelles” did not only look very appealing but it also tasted great. The vegetables were aromatic, the cheek disembled when you touched it with your fork and the filet was supertender – and transported this nice taste of grilled meat which makes your tastebuds in the back of your mouth go wild.

The last course – although the waitress tried to persuade me from the beginning on to try a sweet dish – was a “gorgonzola mousse with medlar and a chocolate brioche”. To be entirely fair, this dish is not for everyone as you must like gorgonzola to enjoy it – but as I love gorgonzola, I must say, I loved the dish. The mousse was of perfect smoothness, perfect consistency and looked like a vanilla mousse – but it tasted like a gorgonzola mousse which was incredible.

To finish the evening, the waiter provided us with a final surprise from the kitchen – a “chocolate something”. It was of a very thick consistency, somehow gluey but was of very intense chocolate taste – the perfect sugar boost. Somehow, we had different waiters throughout the evening and while all did a good job some of them were a bit too jovial for my personal taste. Frankly speaking, absolutely funny and entertaining but not exactly what I would expect. However, besides a few minor flaws (taking the plates from the wrong side, sometimes waiting too long to refill the glasses) the service was almost flawless.

What really makes the place unique besides the dishes is the atmosphere – you are seated in the patio (which is, quite obviously, also why the place is called “El Patio”) where you have an incredible view – especially once the sun is about to go down. The atmosphere is like you are sitting close to the beach in your personal home and the sun is about to go down.

The prices are absolutely reasonable – considering the quality of the dishes, 64 EUR for four, respectively five if you take the amuse bouche into account, courses is almost nothing. The same applies also to the beverages – a bottle (0,75l) of Verán Negre accounts for EUR 44.00, a cup of Cava for EUR 6.50, and last but not least a bottle of water for EUR 6.00. Even the cover charge of EUR 3.00 is reasonable.

Once the evening had ended, I had the chance to talk to the owner, Jens Krumbiegel and his chef, Emmerich Reutter. Jens is a passionate chef and it was an interesting hour I was able to spend with him at the bar – talking about the passion for food. But he is not only a great chef but also a generous one providing me with a few insights into the Majorcan liquor scene (I tried a “Tunel 14” as well as a “Ximenez-Spinola” which were both liquors I haven’t had before and liked very much).

What describes my experience at the “El Patio” best is the following: Dishes prepared on a very high level, having a few taste-wise surprising elements challenging your tastebuds in a very lovely atmosphere with good service and an incredibly fair price performance ratio. Although it is a bit of a drive from Palma de Mallorca, it is absolutely worth going.

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Contact Details:

Restaurant El Patio

Carretera de Palmanova-Puerto de Andratx 26

07157 Andratx (E)

Tel.: +34 971 67 17 03

E-Mail: info@restaurante-elpatio.com

Homepage: http://www.restaurante-elpatio.com

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.