
© Jose Rains

© Jose Rains

© Jose Rains

© Jose Rains

© Jose Rains

© Jose Rains

© Jose Rains

© Jose Rains

© Jose Rains

© Jose Rains

© Jose Rains
BBQ night at Ca’s Xorc Boutique Hotel & Restaurant
Juicy grilled meat, fresh salads and a stunning setting
The BBQ Nights on Thursdays in the summer are a popular event at Ca’s Xorc Boutique Hotel & Restaurant. For €59 per person, you get all the food you could possibly want to eat, including half a bottle of wine, water, dessert and coffee! So, on a particularly balmy evening, we decided to take on their flaming feast.
I was pleased to return to this charmingly executed hotel after reviewing its restaurant last year. For me, the gardens and the dining terrace are the best bit. It can only be described as a tropical fantasy - you will be enchanted even before you set eyes on the breathtaking views of the valley down into Soller and out to sea. On this occasion, we had chased the scent of the BBQ from the car to the large grill by the main entrance of the hotel before making our way to the restaurant.

The restaurant's terrace is full of character. As you sit amongst the trees overlooking the valley, you can’t help but admire the old olive tree at the centre of it all, which is elegantly fringed by an outdoor bar area. The blonde stone boutique hotel fits in with the surroundings perfectly and acts as the perfect backdrop. Anyway, enough of me gushing about the setting and let’s get on with the review.

The waitress was very attentive, giving us the option between still and sparkling water and offering us the choice of red, rosé and white wine (all included in the set price). We received a large bottle of sparkling water and, whilst my dining companion opted for the white wine, I had signalled I wouldn’t be drinking alcohol that evening, so the waitress offered a non-alcoholic cava which provided a lovely alternative in case any readers are looking for an alcohol-free evening.

The BBQ officially starts at 19:30 and the tables around us began to fill up around this time. Most of the patrons appeared to be hotel guests but it seemed like there were a few locals getting involved too. We were instructed by the waitress to help ourselves to the salad bar first. So we sauntered into the main building of the hotel to a bright and airy dining room with a large window overlooking the grill where the chef was hard at work.

In here, we could help ourselves to a range of internationally inspired salad dishes including trendy nosh like seabass ceviche and staple favourites like the Caesar salad. One particular colourful concoction caught my eye, the prawn, octopus and mango salad. There was also a lovely cucumber salad with yoghurt, dill and mint, a homemade gazpacho, and a selection of fresh crusty bread included in the spread. After trying to retrain myself from overloading my plate - after all, this was just the beginning of our BBQ extravaganza -, I returned with a plate full of goodies from the salad bar.

At the BBQ, the chef received our undivided attention as he harmoniously sliced the perfectly pink Angus steak and served it to the person before us. I was salivating at the thought of it. Just seconds later, it was our turn. There was a good selection of quality meat to choose from including Angus steak, pork tenderloin, marinated chicken fillet, chorizo sausages and salmon. I decided to try a bit of everything and he served it to us straight from the BBQ so it was still piping hot.

On the table next to the BBQ there was a selection of side dishes including fried potatoes with garlic and herbs, grilled zucchini with fresh tomato vinaigrette and basil and, of course, it wouldn’t be a BBQ without grilled corn with herb butter. I ended up needing two plates to accommodate all the food! Then there were the condiments, an absolute necessity at any BBQ, and we were in for a treat as gourmet sauces like Chimchurri, All I Oli, Mahonesa Habanero and Crema Agria all featured.

Returning to the table, we had created our own little banquet. Highlights for me were the homemade gazpacho, which was absolutely delicious. The prawn, octopus and mango salad was equally stunning, the prawns were big and meaty and the sweet mango flavour really complimented the fishy flavours.

When it came to the meat, the steak certainly lived up to expectation. The chicken was also juicy and full of flavour, whatever they had used for the marinade was absolutely divine. Whilst I was adequately satisfied after just one trip to the grill, many patrons revisited for seconds and even thirds.

After finally devouring what we could, the waitress cleared our plates and asked us what we would like for dessert. We could each choose from ‘Chocolate mousse with raspberry sorbet’, ‘Caramel pannacotta with chocolate ganache’, or ‘Baileys Tiramisu’. The latter claimed the crown, it was homemade, light and creamy, so much so that I managed to devour the whole thing. Trying my counterpart’s chocolate mousse, it was also extremely tasty and the sorbet provided the perfect accompaniment to cut through the richness of the chocolate. All in all, the perfect end to the evening.

BBQ nights take place every Thursday between 19:30 and 22:30 during the summer months at Ca’s Xorc Boutique Hotel & Restaurant.