Forn de Sant Joan Restaurant Lunch Review, Palma

If you have never been then you should certainly make a dinner reservation as soon as possible and if you are coming to Mallorca on holiday put this restaurant on your to-do list.

The decor is simple but cool and the waiting staff are attentive, friendly and very professional. Dining at Forn has always been an enjoyable experience and although it is not cheap it always feels like good value for money.

If you want to enjoy a meal at Forn but you are on a budget then I'd recommend visiting the restaurant for lunch and making the most of their lunch time menu of three courses, water and coffee all for just €15.

I visited Forn on Friday as an end of the week treat and was greeted at the door by one of the waiters who showed me to the dining area down stairs. It is a little darker here than the area upstairs but it is easier for the waiters and I imagine this is why this dining area is prefered when the restaurant is running on a smaller number of staff. There were already two other tables enjoying lunch and throughout my meal another two arrived but the dining room still had plenty of space and it is probably not necessary to book if you want to make the most of the day-time menu. If it does get busier you may get to enjoy the window seats upstairs.

The lunch menu offers three choices for starter, main and dessert and the menu changes on a weekly basis. On the day I went I was offered;

Pea soup with citronella and smoked cod
Greek salad
Salmon tartar with shallot confit and rocket

Grilled sea bass with roasted peppers and saffron potatoes
Cheeks of Iberian pork with mashed carrots and rosemary sauce
Vegetable risotto with shavings of Mahon cheese

Lemon creme brule
Yoghurt spiced with red fruits
Almond cake with brown glace ice cream

I opted for the Greek salad, the sea bass and the creme brule.

The starter was simple and fresh with feta and halved cherry tomatoes and black olives under a bed of rocket with a balsamic reduction. My main course had a number of competing flavours and I enjoyed trying the various different combinations available. My fish was beautifully cooked and the peppers and potatoes, combined with another balsamic reduction made a perfect accompaniment. The dessert was, to be honest, not very elegantly presented but it was very tasty. Thick and creamy with a citrus tang and a crunchy topping it was a very welcome sweet finish to lunch.

Although Forn make some of the best mojitos in Palma and they have an extensive cocktail menu, I stuck to water with my lunch but there is the option of a glass of wine for just €2.50 with your meal.

With water, bread, coffee and three courses all for €15 lunch at Forn de Sant Joan is surely one of the best value meals in Palma and the dining experience is easily one of my favourites. The lunch menu is available from Monday to Saturday and as I mentioned earlier it changes every week. The lunch time portions are not a big as the meals in the evening but they are excellent and although the price is low a visit to Forn still feels like a treat.