Los Patos Restaurant Review, Port d'Alcudia

Now, this is how you would imagine a traditional Mallorquin restaurant. The indoor and outdoor areas were both beautiful in their own right, but I was particularly taken with the outdoor terrace. A stunning little undercover area with crisp white table cloths strewn across the tables, immaculately set and ready for its diners for the afternoon. As we were greeted, we learnt that the table we had booked was inside, and a wave of disappointment set in. But upon asking if there was an opportunity to be moved outside they managed to accommodate us.

As we sat down, I took a moment to soak up the atmosphere. It occurred to me at this point that the restaurant was jam-packed full of Spanish families of at least three generations, all coming together to celebrate Easter. It gave a warm fuzzy feeling inside! Like it was home away from home for these people. There was also an outdoor playground area, which is certainly a bonus for families with young children.

Upon being handed the menus by some very friendly staff, I was overwhelmed at how extensive the choice was and scanning over it, there were so many dishes I had never tried. It was without a doubt an authentic culinary venue which included traditional dishes like Mallorquin soup, tumbet, snails, noodles with eels and plenty of other unique dishes. Although we were a little less adventurous we did go out all on a fish fest and boy did we make the right choice!

For starters, we opted to share the Pulpo a la Gallega (15€), Galician Octopus, cooked simply with salt, olive oil and paprika and served with fried potato. My highlight of the whole meal, it was beautifully cooked and tender to perfection, not rubbery at all. We also shared a Mallorcan favourite known as Frito Marinero (11€), a dish that dates back to the 14th century. This is a freestyle masterpiece that peasants conceived because it is filling and uses cheap and readily available ingredients including fried fish, potatoes, rice and a variety of vegetables. My friend told me that, these days, it is a favourite comfort food amongst Mallorcans and one which the island's grandmas know how to cook best.

For the main course, we chose Fideuà de Pescado y Marisco (13,50€ per person), a very popular Catalan dish cooked like paella but made with noodles and seafood instead of rice. The seafood was fresh and tasty and the noodles certainly slithered down easily. It’s worth noting that this dish is somewhat lighter than traditional paella with rice!

Although we were more than satisfied and had even opted to take away the leftovers of our main course in a doggy bag, the incredible choice of desserts combined with our sweet tooth got the better of us. We gave into temptation and were not disappointed as we shared a yummy homemade Banoffee pie (5,50€) which came elegantly presented in a glass. Then, for the finale, a carajillo of course! The waiter brought over our coffees along with a bottle of Baileys to pour into them. The perfect ending to the perfect meal.

Apparently, ‘Caracoles’ (snails) are this restaurant's speciality, so perhaps next time I will be brave enough to try them out. Anyway, I certainly came away feeling content that I had discovered one of the best cultural restaurants in Mallorca and I will be going back.