Miceli Restaurant Review, Selva

The restaurant is a roll down the hill from the small square in town. As we entered the restaurant we were a little unsure if we had turned up at the right place. With a piano in the corner and small bench at the side it looked a little as if we’d stumbled into someone’s house. We passed through a small courtyard to find the restaurant in the back had a rather modern style with an antique twist.

The restaurant is infact the dining room of a 19th Century Mallorcan house. Traditional wooden beams on the ceilings and single glazed glass doors were still prominent features throughout and myself and my comapnin liked the overall aesthetic.

The table decorations were rather quirky and the menu that explains there was no menu was a nice touch. Shortly after we arrived the chef, Marga Coll, explained to us that each day she will go to the local market in the towns nearby to source the freshest produce available and that each day they prepare something new and different.

We chose the standard tasting menu. To begin we were served a Kilner jar of olives along with crusty homemade bread, a rather good start in my books. Following that were two fish dishes, firstly panga served cold with cold steamed vegetables and a zingy vinaigrette and secondly a cod fillet coated in a thin batter with slices of onion, all on top of carrot puree. The final of the main dishes was lamb chops and although they were small and there was not a great deal of eating in them they were very tender and flavourful. Desert, usually my most anticipated course, was white chocolate mouse with meringue and dark chocolate sauce. The meal was really very good. As we weren’t staying nearby we opted not to have wine with our food and many visitors will probably make a similar choice.

The inside dining area is fairly small with only around fives tables, two of which were for four people and as the restaurant cannot seat that many booking is recommended here. During the summer there is an outdoor terrace with views of the countryside during the day and the lights at night. I think it is a nice touch for the chef to explain all the dishes and inspirations for the meal, however, as I was there with a local the explanation for the dishes was in Mallorquí so even to this day I'm guessing what the second fish was.

The tasting menu we had cost €27 and the Miceli menu which comes with a cheese board is €36. You can have starter, main and desserts separately for €6, €9 and €14 respectively but they are still from the same menu that Marga Coll concocts that day. So although there is not a great deal in terms of choice the food is all fresh and local and the setting friendly and intimate.