Les Artistes, Palma
If a trip to Paris for some traditional French cuisine is out of the question, a visit to Mallorca’s Les Artistes could be the next best thing. This cosy French bistro in Palma has the ambience and cuisine of the ‘city of light’ itself.
Les Artistes is in the heart of Palma, right opposite the access to the underground car park at Mercat de l’Olivar. This French bistro is small and very popular, so I recommend booking a table in advance – several people were turned away disappointed when we were last there for lunch, when every table had a reserved sign on it.
There’s a definite French feel to the décor, with red-and-white checked tablecloths and napkins, and framed posters on the walls. The authentic feel continues with the cuisine and wine.
Parisian chef Alain Azelart serves classic savoury and sweet dishes from the French culinary canon, prepared with great care.
This year’s autumn/winter menu starters includes snails from Burgundy, sausage from Lyon, and the ever-popular onion soup with grilled Emmental and French bread.
Main courses include boeuf bourguignon (made over three days and from three cuts of beef) served in a Le Creuset pot (18,90€), confit of duck (19,50€), hanger steak (‘onglet de boeuf’ (18,70 €), and pike quenelle with a sauce of Norwegian lobster and shrimp bisque, and pilaf rice (17,30€). A few vegetarian dishes are available – including a vegetarian main course.
Don’t miss the indulgent desserts, which include profiteroles bathed in warm chocolate and Chantilly cream (7,90 €), apple tarte tatin (7,80 €), crépes Suzette (8,90 €), and îsles flottantes (6,50 €). The assortment of French cheeses with fig jam (8,50 €) comes highly recommended.
We started with a marinated fillet of herring with potatoes, onions, and carrots (7,20 €), and fried Camembert with salad and fig jam (7,80 €) which was accompanied by slices of toasted baguette to mop up all the delicious oozing cheese. Both starters were generous in size and very tasty.
My companion’s main course was pike ‘quenelle de brochet avec sauce Nantua’ – a typical dish from Lyon and the perfect winter warmer with its rich sauce and puff pastry garnish (17,30 €). A friend had recommended the beef dish, ‘onglet de boeuf, sauce aux échalots’ and although I don’t eat much red meat usually, I chose this dish with its oven-baked new potatoes and shallot sauce (18,70 €). Our waitress asked me how I’d like the hanger steak cooked and the tender meat arrived just as requested.
Our desserts were tarte tatin and crème brûlée with pistachios (7,50 €).
Wines are French and reasonably priced too. We had wine by the glass at 4 € each.
For a restaurant in the heart of Palma, prices at Les Artistes are attractive. And service is friendly and efficient.
As they say in France, ‘bon appétit’.
Photos: Jan Edwards
Prices correct at time of writing.