Soul Kitchen: Neni Mallorca

Imagine a sprawling rooftop terrace. Casually set up with a charming mishmash of vintage and modern furniture. Draped over and over with lushly planted hanging baskets. And as you’re led to your table your gaze sweeps across the bay of Port de Sóller at your feet. Neni Mallorca, the restaurant on the roof of the Bikini Hotel, is a project of the Molcho family. Deeply inspired by their home Israel Neni’s kitchen introduces a best-of the Levantine cuisine.

Israeli-oriental food is best enjoyed in Balagan style. A Hebrew expression that loosely translates into beautiful chaos, according to Neni. We had to celebrate a special day so we chose the Balagan menu. And embarked on a long journey of oriental flavors that took us into the very heart of a bustling Middle Eastern medina.

Starting with a choice of delicious mezze, from creamy aromatic hummus, to spicy Maghreb lamb and beef kebap, to a zesty ceviche. The mains were extraordinary, too. The stone oven baked fish was served with capers, olives, fennel, tomatoes and chili in a hot pan. And the chicken shawarma was simply mouthwatering.

Our table was always filled with freshly baked or fried dishes, and rounded up by a selection of desserts. You should try the heavenly knafeh, an Arabic sweet made of mozzarella, ricotta, orange blossom, yoghurt ice cream and pistachio.

Haya Molcho made a name for herself as a chef and restaurateur. In addition to Neni Mallorca the wife of Samy Molcho opened restaurants in cities like Vienna, Tel Aviv, Berlin, and Paris. Neni is an acronym made from the names of their sons, Nuriel, Elior, Nadiv, and Ilan. And it reflects Haya’s philosophy: It’s all about eating and sharing with family and friends.