Truly understated: Basic

Everybody knows Corte Inglese, the grand magatzem at the Avenidas, which enclose the historic city center in a semicircle. But only few people transcend the Avenidas when looking for an extraordinary restaurant. That’s a mistake, because they will miss Basic.

For lunch, the small restaurant is already well frequented by those who work in one of the offices or shops nearby. But the menú is even more exciting at night: As a starter, courtesy of many Palmesan restaurants, do not miss to dip a piece of fresh bread into native olive oil and sprinkle it with some flor de sal. Slow food at its best! And the tapas, a lovely choice of traditional as well as fancy creations, are full of taste and texture.

However, I would recommend to go for the real Basic-experience, the full seven-course-menue: the plates are reasonable in size, so you can manage the quantity – but they are ever so delicious! Plus a great value for money. If you just prefer to snack on that occasion, you may also order half portions – and try different dishes instead of just one or two.

My favorites include the salmon tatar with avocado (rico!), the beef carpaccio with tomatoes (you get tomatoes like these only in the mediterranean region), and the filete de merluza, accompanied by a bottle of Ses Nines from Binissalem (white or red). Make sure to leave some space for dessert – and take the passion fruit creme brulée with chocolate ice cream. The most desert!

The kitchen is an open space behind the bar, so If you want to say hi and thank you to the chef de cuisine, Gerhard Berktold, and his co-chef Patrick Gernsbeck, go ahead – they will most certainly greet you back.