Ponderosa Beach Club Review, Alcudia - Playa de Muro

On a sunny yet windy Sunday lunchtime, we arrived in the neighbourhood of Can Picafort. Due to an event taking place in the neighbouring area, we had to park a little way away from the beach club but I was grateful we did. As we walked up a sandy track, we passed some idyllic pretty little beach hut houses, covered in foliage and Bougainvillea. The beautiful terraces were overflowing with families gathering for a Sunday lunch celebration. It was an area of the island I had never explored before and it was absolutely stunning!

A couple of minutes later, just before 13:00, we were walking down some wooden planks towards the maître d of Ponderosa Beach Club. As we walked through the outdoor restaurant area, we could see the tables were already filling up. Before long, we were escorted to our table under the white canape, right on the beach with the sand beneath our feet. As I sat down, I thought that this place could be compared to some of the hottest beach clubs in the South of France and Ibiza. There is something deeply charismatic about Ponderosa Beach Club. The setting was spacious but styled like a beach house with a chic twist.

The wall behind our table was covered in colourful shutters while above us whitewashed bamboo provided shelter from the sun. The colour scheme was definitely white with a hint of teal, almost an extension of the waves crashing onto the long stretch of beach just outside. Thousands of holiday makers had set up camp on the beach for the day although here, we felt a million miles away from the chaos outside.

To begin with, the waiter took our drinks orders. We opted for a bottle of cava (15€) and a bottle of Sangria (15€). Both were equally delicious and quenched the thirst we had worked up on our stroll to the beach club. The menu caters for all but there is definitely an eclectic mix of fish dishes on offer. The restaurant prides itself on using locally sourced ingredients, which normally means good things in Mallorca, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Scanning the menu, I spotted exotic and fiery aromas in many of the dishes which are right up my street. Starters like ‘mussels and coconut cooked in coconut milk with ginger, shallots and coriander’ certainly caught my eye but more traditional Spanish tapas style dishes like ‘croquettes made with cuttlefish, Iberian ham and a light sauce of paprika’ also featured on the menu.

For a light and refreshing start to my gastronomic experience, I opted for the ‘citric salad, homemade macerated mackerel, radicchio, fennel, carrot and onion in a citrus dressing with a bit of spice’ (14€) and boy was my mouth treated to an explosion of colourful flavours. It was absolutely delicious.

One of my counterparts ordered the ‘squid, orange and almonds’ (15€). I loved the Mallorcan inspired twist on traditional squid with the use of orange and almonds which also tasted truly sublime.

Sticking to the fishy theme, I then indulged in the ‘yellow octopus curry', a creamy turmeric curry with coconut milk, octopus, vegetables, pineapple and coriander. Served with full grain jasmine rice (16€). Another winner! The octopus was perfectly cooked and not too chewy, and the sauce was lively and extremely moreish. Having let my friends try my dish, they kept on coming back for more.

My friend ordered the “La Ponde, 100% marinated “Cebón” burger, with matured sheep cheese and onion confit. Served with “de luxe” potatoes and homemade ketchup (16€), it was a large portion and equally tasty with first class meat and fragrant aromas.

Our other friends ordered the ‘free-range chicken skewers', marinated in sweet-and-sour sauce and glazed with sugarcane honey and tamari, served with apple acid vinaigrette (14€). This slightly lighter option definitely appeared to be another hit within our party. The chicken was superb quality and the homemade coleslaw a real highlight.

When I thought it couldn’t get any better, we ordered the ‘lemon pie (give back dessert), lemon cream, walnuts, cookie, dry meringue rock and moringa ice-cream’ for dessert (8€). It was served in a jar with a mish mash of the ingredients. Everything you want from a dessert, it was refreshing but creamy with crunchy surprises in every mouthful. It was also guilt-free because, with every dessert sold, part of the profit goes to the moringa cultivation and the sustainable ecological production by local producers in Ghana.

At the end of the meal, on a trip to the bathroom, it became apparent that no detail had been forgotten. The beach shack theme extended through into this little corridor area where there lay stone wash basins, wooden benches, more colourful shutters and vibrant flowers garnishing the area. On my way back to the table I noticed that there was a small area at one end of the bar where people from the beach could queue up for delicious cocktails freshly prepared by the trendy looking mixologist. The most popular concoction appeared to be Mojitos served in a plastic bag.

Open from April until October, this should be on your bucket list on a summer visit to Mallorca. In the evenings, you will find fantastic events taking place with live DJ sets, Flamenco night’s, disco night and so much more. I highly recommend booking well in advance to avoid disappointment!

Ponderosa Beach Club is just one of the many exclusive beach clubs dotted along the coast of Mallorca offering contemporary cuisine with international touches.