Nola Restaurant Review

As we walked through the doors at 19:30 on the dot as the restaurant opened, the first thing that hit me was how big the place was! From the outside, you would never know. Although it certainly seemed like it was a popular spot because we were joined by a number of other people keen to get to their seats and start their feast. The second thing that struck me was the true soul music playing through the speakers, which was an instant addition to the atmosphere and the décor. The southern soul of this place shines through as soon as you walk in thanks to its emblematic furniture including a piano, leather seating, copper lights, high wooden tables and chairs and fairy lights. Everything is in pristine condition so there is definitely a modern twist which creates the perfect setting, whether it be for a relaxed evening as a couple or a social gathering with friends or family.

We were greeted and sat down by a rather edgy looking waiter who came to our table and explained the concept for the evening. He gave us our menus and we trawled through the extensive and impressive drinks menu before eventually choosing the Rib Night Wednesday Cocktail (6€) which I must say sounded absolutely delicious: Beetroot, lime, lemon, apple, ginger ale and Captain Morgan’s garnished with basil and a lemon twist.

Well, we weren’t disappointed! The cocktail was fabulous. Each was served in one of the jar-like cocktail glasses and were as delish as they sounded, the rum and ginger ale were complimented by the very fresh citrusy flavours. A promising start to the evening!

At this point we decided to order some sides to accompany our meat feast and opted for all three sides that were on offer, ‘Maple Caramelized Sweet Potatoes (3.20€)’, ‘Corn on the Cob with Dijon Butter (3.20€) and ‘Corn Bread with Jalapeño and Pimiento Cheddar Sauce (4.20€). Soon we were presented with some meaty looking ribs covered in the usual dark marinade on some rather magnificent wooden boards. Who knew you could make all you can eat ribs look so good?! The corn on the cob and sweet potato were also served in some cute looking frying pans whilst the bread accompanied in its own bowl.

Ok, so let’s start with the ribs. They were succulent, with meat falling off the bone and the BBQ marinade was an absolute treat! We all managed to wolf down the first batch that came out which was soon followed by a second, thanks to the waiter who appeared to be ‘on it’ with keeping the tables full of meat.

When it came to the sides, the sweet potato had the wow factor! I am biased because I am a huge fan of sweet potato anyway but they were cooked to perfection and the sweet flavour, which had obviously been enhanced by maple syrup, paired well with the meat.

The cornbread, well, this was a completely unique experience for me! It was almost like a cake with jalapeños instead of fruit. The sweet and spicy flavours coming through were rather strange but extremely moreish at the same time. I am not sure whether I would put this with the ribs but it seemed to work!

The corn on the cob wasn’t so easy to share as a group but it was a welcome treat to have some veg on the plate during an otherwise dense meal. In retrospect, I would have ordered one of these per person rather than sharing as a side.

This place is definitely one to add to the list if in need of a meat fix on the island! I look forward to returning to try some of the other treats, which involve an array of different dishes ranging from mussels, crab and seabream through to a terrine of crispy suckling pig and mushroom and truffle oil jambalaya.

It’s worth noting that their Rib Night Wednesdays don’t happen every week, so be sure to check out their website for their calendar of events!

Palma is a Mediterranean foodie-favourite destination. Many interesting restaurants are popping up all around town, especially in the trendy Santa Catalina neighbourhood. Take a look at some of our top picks.