Dinner with Friends: Casa Maruka

Casa Maruka is one of those restaurants that have been around for a long time and yet have lost none of their appeal. The menu reads like a best-of traditional Spanish cuisine complemented by dishes with a surprising twist. María José Calabria and Alberto Serrano had been working many years in prestigious restaurants before they opened their own place in Palma.

When we last met there with friends, we shared a couple of mouthwatering dishes. Among them sardines with herbs that were about the best I ever tasted. Our culinary journey continued with creamy cannelloni. Now, the arroz with deer and mushrooms combined all the flavors and spices of winter on Mallorca. Topped off by warm apple pie, one of the signature dishes at Casa Maruka. And the teja, a wafer-thin crisp something in the shape of a roof tile.

The restaurant is located on a quiet side street just a few steps off Plaça d’Espanya. But the atmosphere is filled with the chatter and laughter of friends and families who love eating, drinking and celebrating together. Casa Maruka is the place to enjoy the present, the quality of food prepared to please the palate in the first place, rather than your social media account.