Sa Roqueta Restaurant Review, Portixol

Being a small island the seafood restaurants in Mallorca are worthy of note and I had been told about one in Portixol called Sa Roqueta. On hearing that it was famed for it's lobster the Frenchman's eyes lit up. "I love lobster!" he exclaimed enthusiastically "Whenever I'm in London I always go for Lobster sandwiches at Burger and Lobster." With that we departed tout suite to Potrixol harbour, just along the road from Palma cathedral.

Sa Roqueta is tucked away on the small street between Portixol Hotel and the harbour itself. It is a small unassuming place with a style and decor that were selected a few years ago and have not been updated as the times have changed. The restaurant isn't cool or modern but it does have a sense about it that the important thing to it's owners is the food, not the decor.

There are only a three tables outside on the small patio area, and inside much of the restaurant is taken up by tanks full of lobster and a large bar area that has it's own fish counter full of the various catches of the day.

We were offered a table outside, which looked onto the street and harbour behind it, and a menu by an eccentric looking chap who appeared to be the manager. The menu had most of the Mallorcan favourites for starters and then offered an impressive selection of fish, shrimps and lobsters. I chose small Soller prawns only to be told that they were not available, and then asked about a fish I had not heard of. Sadly it was not available either. I continued my search, wondering whether I should just go for the unknown but presumably fresh fish of the day.

As it turned out I needn't have bothered. The Frenchman decided he wanted lobster but was told that the crustacean that would be his lunch was too big even for his Gallic appetite, and he would be best to share it. Slightly disgruntled at the notion of sharing, the Frenchman went to the tank to select his meal grumbling about how this never happened in London at his beloved Burger and Lobster.

I am not squeamish about meat but this was the first time I had ever chosen a live lobster for my lunch. I am under no illusion that many of my meals were, at one point, minding their own business in a field or the sea but I do prefer it if my mid-day meal doesn't have a face or even more importantly a name. So it was with a hint of of nervousness that I selected Gaston (I couldn't help myself) for the pot. Gaston himself seemed to be a little miffed that he was soon to be lunch and when he was lifted from his tank he flicked his tail at me, splashing water from the tank onto the floor and my shoes. My sympathy waned.

Back outside, the Frenchman and I were brought olives, bread and a slice of home made pizza. The appetizers were very enjoyable especially the pizza which had a thin crispy base. Our entrée of peppers padron was brought out next and, as is ever the case with this Mallorcan classic, didn't disappoint.

Once the salted peppers were finished and the last of the oil was mopped up with our bread rolls, our lobster arrived. Served on a stainless steel platter with a wedge of lemon and a side order of roasted vegetables, I did feel that the presentation was not very interesting but it felt right in this small harbour-side restaurant. This was a fresh catch and there was no need for frills. The lobster was grilled in a garlic oil and with a little coaxing from the various weapons brought to us by our waiter I found plenty to eat. The vegetables, sadly, were disappointing; small, a little greasy and over cooked.

Once the Frenchman and I had made a sufficient mess and cleaned ourselves up we were offered dessert. Again there seemed to be an issue with availability and the Frenchman's selection of the mysteriously titled "The Pot" was not available and he settled for an assortment of miniature pastries. I chose the apricot ensaimada with home made almond ice-cream. My pie and ice-cream were very good although the ice cream was running more towards cream than ice.

Whether someone had mistranslated the menu or we had simply ordered badly, we never found out but the Frenchman's pastries were six small gelatinous mini cakes that were "a bit weird" according to my companion.

Despite there being limited choice on the menu and the service being a little slow we had enjoyed our time at Sa Roqueta. We decided to skip coffee and ask for the bill.

Before I tell you, dear reader, what our lobster had cost us it is only fair to explain that we had not been given a definitive price for Gaston prior to him becoming lunch. The menu simply said that prices were selected depending on the market price that day and then calculated by weight - in our case 1.6kg. In many ways it was our fault for not having checked in advance but even so €90 each for lobster did seem a like something we should have been warned about. The total bill came to €204 with no wine and a shared starter. It was a nice lunch but certainly not worth that much. The Frenchman informed me that his lobster sandwiches in Mayfair came in a brioche bun, with excellent garlic butter and perfect fries all for £20. Gaston, it seemed, had had the last laugh.

So as I now look forward to self imposed austerity measures and a week of eating at home I will finish this cautionary tale by saying this: Sa Roqueta is an option for fans of seafood in the Palma area. The fish, lobster and prawns, when they are available are fresh and cooked simply. If you like seafood then by all means give it a try but ask what the final price will be before you commit to a one and a half kilo crustacean to the pot. Lobster is very tasty but when it costs that much it can leave a bad taste in the mouth.