Kingfisher Restaurant Review, Port de Soller

I walked up to the elevated restaurant which boasted an attractive little undercover terrace overlooking the port. It’s a no-frills kind of place but pleasant nonetheless. My head was quickly turned at the size of crustacean that people had in front of them! Being a fish lover, I was instantly won over although my friend who was allergic to shellfish looked a little worried at the sight of the vibrant pink shrimps. I quickly suggested we skim through the menu’s outside just to double check there was something she would be able to eat. And, without further ado, Kingfisher delivered. There were plenty of non-shellfish fish options but, be aware, this isn’t a place for meat lovers and appears to be a little pricier than some of the other restaurants along the port. Although this didn’t surprise me having spied the exceptional food people were eating.  

We hadn’t made a reservation and were all rather desperate to sit on the terrace to enjoy the views over the port. I am not sure if this was written all over our faces but a gentleman greeted us with a big smile and directed us to the last table available outdoors which had previously had a reserved sign on it. We didn’t argue and just assumed someone had cancelled a booking.

It was an extremely warm day and we were feeling a little parched so were pleased to be asked if we would like some water as we were handed our menus. This is my kind of service, I thought to myself! I then skimmed the drinks menu to find a white wine, knowing we would be having fish made this task a little easier. The wine menu seemed to be Spanish dominated, with a heavy emphasis on Mallorcan wines in particular. By the time the waiter returned with a bottle of still water, I was ready to order a glass of the Mallorcan Son Calo Prensal Blanc (4,50€).

Now for a closer look at the food menu, everything sounded delicious but one saving grace was there weren’t too many dishes to choose from. Appetisers like grilled jumbo tiger prawns (14€) brushed with garlic and parsley butter, and the world famous Sóller Shrimps (22€ - 4 pieces) certainly caught my attention. Other starters in the running were grilled octopus served with Romesco sauce and grilled onions (14€), whilst the famous Iberian ham on rustic toast with aged cheese from Menorca (14€) would tempt the more carnivorous individuals. After much speculation, especially after seeing the generous portion sizes, we decided to opt for main courses only, agreeing to the offering of olives, aioli & warm bread selection (2,5€ per person). We were delighted with the choice of two different types of olives, a selection of fresh warm bread and homemade aioli (a must for garlic fans). Between the three of us, we managed to make it disappear almost like magic before any sign of our main courses.

My friend ordered the fish of the day, which was 'dorada' (sea bream) served with mixed salad and chips (22€). Being a Friday I was feeling naughty and opted for battered cod fillet, fresh cut chips, mushy peas, gherkins and tartare sauce (19€). Upon making the order, the waiter warned me that the mushy peas were different to what we might expect and explained that it would be the restaurant's own rendition of the green mush. Well, I wasn’t disappointed upon delivery of the most beautifully presented fish and chips I have ever seen. The batter was light and the whole dish looked and tasted fresh, and almost (but not quite) healthy. The mushy peas were more of a puree but strong in pea flavour and complimented the fish and chips perfectly. A highlight for me was the homemade tartare sauce which was just the right level of acidity and flavour, and definitely added a bit of oomph to the dish.

I had a little taste of my friend’s catch of the day and it was out of this world too! The freshness was no surprise, cooked simply, relying on its natural flavours and the lemon zest, sliding off the bone for easy eating.

We were delivered a platter of three different salts to choose from. The white from Essex, the pink from Alicante and the black from the Himalayas. You wouldn’t know salt could taste so different unless trying them all within one meal, each was delicious in its own right.

I was full to the brim after completely clearing my plate, so I didn’t opt for the dessert! But my companion gave in at the sight of the organic almond cake with caramel sauce, crunchy almonds and fresh whipped cream (7€). The Spanish are masters of almond cake and this one in particular was heaven on a plate. I sometimes find almond cake a little dry, but this was moist and moreish. Especially with the caramel sauce addition! After lunch, we went for a much-needed stroll along the beautiful port to enjoy the afternoon sun.