Ca's Xorc Restaurant Review, near Soller

Ca’s Xorc Boutique Hotel is a hideaway mountain retreat and the journey was a mini adventure in itself. We travelled from Palma in the direction of Sóller before getting a taster of some of the Serra de Tramuntana's legendary hairpin, twist and turn roads. Within 40 minutes, we had parked the car in the hotel car park and were climbing the steps up to the main house whilst admiring the beautiful gardens.

As we entered the hotel, we were met by Katrin who offered to give us a guided tour of the gardens where she explained that the menu is seasonal as the chef uses only the freshest produce. He also tries to incorporate as many ingredients as possible from the land surrounding the hotel, which embodies olive and lemon groves and an exquisite little herb garden.

The restored finca was utterly charming, rustic and intimate. With only 15 rooms in the hotel, there was a home-from-home ambience with a luxurious touch! The views over the mountains from the hotel were exhilarating, I was finding it hard to look at anything else. The infinity pool had the most incredible backdrop I had ever seen too!

Now for the restaurant, after all, that’s why we were there! There’s the option to dine inside the former oil mill, a cosy yet refined experience amongst a whole host of relics representing the history of the building. However, we chose to dine al fresco style so we could sit and admire the epic views over the mountains! As we sat down, we embraced our tranquil setting. The peace and quiet was the first thing I noticed, we could hear absolutely nothing except the clatter of bells worn by mountain goats in the distance.

Scanning the menu, it was clear the food was Mediterranean inspired but served with a contemporary twist thanks to a creative chef. Along with the sparkling mineral water we had ordered to quench our thirst, some fresh olive bread arrived with a flavoursome olive oil which we had previously been informed is made from the olives in the hotel's own groves.

Normally, whilst eating a three-course meal, there is an element of guilt that occupies my mind as me and my partner tend to overindulge when eating out. However, on this occasion, both myself and my counterpart ate our starters without feeling a shred of guilt and they were in many ways a highlight of our dining experience. Being foodies who like to get the most out of our dining experiences we tend to share our food so we get to try everything. To start I had the ‘beetroot carpaccio with goat’s cheese, horseradish, walnuts and fresh herbs (15€)’. With each mouthful, there was a tantalizing release of flavours starting with the sweet beetroot followed by a contrast in the sour, bitter and creamy cheese and then the fresh herbs and dressing just brought it all together harmoniously! I couldn’t fault anything from the presentation to the taste.

The second starter appeared at first glance to be a whole bunch of modern-day clean-eating food heroes all in one dish. The ‘salad of 'bimi, kale, figs, and nuts with a citrus seasoning of Ca’s Xorc lemons (14€)’ is a vegan starter and might not at first appeal to lovers of meat. However, my partner was extremely surprised at how much he enjoyed his vegan experience! Following in his footsteps, I couldn’t believe my taste buds when it was my turn. The use of a herbs, lemon and honey dressing was the perfect companion to the vegetables. Who knew healthy eating could be so delicious? Upon recommendation, we enjoyed our starters with a glass of Mallorcan white wine, the 'Ses Nines Tianna Negre 2016 Limited Edition' wine which was light, fresh and perfectly complemented our starters.

As the sun started to disappear, the air felt a little cooler and I was thrilled when my next course arrived and looked like it would warm my cockles. The ‘marinated chicken, pak choi, plum and chilli sauce' (21€) served on a bed of sweet potato and maple syrup was not only a vibrantly colourful dish but it was heart-warming and tasty! The fusion of European ingredients with Asian flavours was a really tasty combination.

Once again, we had decided to share our main courses. So, next up was the 'Mallorcan style Corvina (sea bass) with Parmentier, spinach, tomato, raisins, pine nuts and marinated lemon' (21€), the most Mediterranean dish of our meal. The fish was light and fresh with a deliciously crispy skin and the vegetables provided mouth-watering Mediterranean flavours. With our main course, we moved onto red wine and were again guided in the direction of a local bottle. This time 'Susana (sempre…) roble 2015' was our accompaniment, a wine I had not seen on the island before but a good discovery. Like many of Mallorca’s red wines, it is complex, full-bodied and very drinkable.

By dessert, our impressive mountain backdrop was fading into the darkness and all that was left were the twinkling lights of Port de Sóller in the distance. We were served ‘cottage cheese pudding, meringue and lime zest (9€)’ which, according to the chef is a modern twist on a typical Balearic dessert called Greixonera. It was a dessert quite like no other, a bit like a combination of cheesecake, meringue and pie!

Our other dessert was a ‘cube of chocolate, 72% cocoa with mint, almond, passionfruit and basil sorbet (9€)’. Definitely a dessert for the chocoholics out there! The cubes were as rich and chocolatey as they looked and the passionfruit and basil sorbet came to the rescue before I hit a chocolate coma.

Unfortunately, the hotel and restaurant close in November for the winter period so do try and visit before it does. Otherwise, you will have to wait until it re-opens in spring. We will definitely be back to try out the evening 6-course tasting menu next year.

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