Inside man: DINS Santi Taura

**** Santi Taura closed DINS in Lloseta – only to reopen again in Palma in July 2019. ****

Lloseta, the small town at the foot of the Tramuntana, has always been one of my favorite stops on our cycling trips. Because of the delicious empanadas con guisantes at Bar Bestard, the local bar at the central plaça. And sure, no question, because of Santi Taura, famed and charming chef, and his fabulous restaurant. It’s hard to believe but this year, Santi reinvented his culinary skills once more: He opened another restaurant within his restaurant and simply named it DINS, Mallorqui for ‚inside‘.

Friends had already told me about it – you enter DINS via the kitchen of Santi’s regular restaurant. That alone feels pretty special, like taking part in a fancy conspiratorial meeting. A sliding door opens and reveals a completely separate room with two long tables and an open kitchen where you can watch the chef and Celia Martin preparing the food. Santi shakes hands and shows you to your seat, and before you even had a bite to eat you are part of this wonderful, almost intimate atmosphere. Welcome inside!

There is but one menu every night and without exception, Santi Taura uses local and seasonal produce. That even goes for the fish, like Raor or Llampuga. He well remembers traditional recipes and ingredients from his mother and grandmother, refining them to a modern taste. While serving us our plates, he introduced each dish and passionately told us the story that went along with it. It always intrigues me to meet people who really love what they do.

We happily followed the recommendation of sommelier Nico Crispino and shared a bottle of Lo Cortinel.lo, that went perfectly well with our menu. If I started to specify the courses, I wouldn’t know where to stop: From raor to red moules empanada, mini sobrasssada burger to pango – you will be just as enthusiastic as we were. Our menu consisted of 18 different dishes, I didn’t know that I could eat that much. But most of them were rather small, sometimes just a spoonful of something. And each single one a true culinary sensation, carefully arranged, a feast for our taste buds and for our eyes, too.

The last course was followed by a glass of chilled hierbas that Santi mixed with fresh ingredients and that looked like a small Margarita. Wonderful! This evening might have been one of the most unique journeys across the island I ever took. Be careful to make a reservation in time – meaning in good time.