Contrabando, Llucmajor

Have you ever read about somewhere in a novel and been inspired to visit the place? That was the case for me with Contrabando, a tapas and wine bar in Llucmajor. This business is mentioned in each of the four Mallorca-based action crime novels in The 3R International Series by former police officer, Pete Davies.

Tapas bar Contrabando is in the heart of Llucmajor and we were able to park on the street just around the corner. I liked the place immediately we went in, because of the warm welcome – and they didn’t know I was going to review the experience.

Owner Miquel opened Contrabando in 2016 and it’s safe to say his business has a legion of fans in addition to author Pete Davies. Miquel is highly professional but friendly, is hands-on, and seems to have hosting in his DNA, as there’s a great ambience here.

The décor has a good ‘mallorquín’ character, with sunshine-yellow walls, patterned floor tiles reminiscent of traditional local tiles, displays of wines, attractive lighting, mismatched chairs, and a bicycle strung with lights hanging on a wall. At the heart of Contrabando is the open kitchen. For those who like to be outdoors, there’s a small pavement terrace at the front.

The menu includes tartares and marinated fish and meats, platters of cold cuts and cheeses, salads, broken egg dishes, as well as classic and signature tapas. Order a day in advance and you can have a paella here.

We shared a few dishes, starting with bread and very tasty, marinated olives. I can recommend the carpaccio of red prawns Contrabanda-style (25€). Then we turned to their signature tapas: gratinated queen scallops with a spicy sauce (3,50€ each), two skewers of chicken with a tasty and different ‘satay’ sauce made from Mallorcan almonds (10,50€), and medallions of tender pork fillet topped with grilled sobrasada and artisan honey (13,50€). For dessert, we had tiramisu and banoffee.

Miquel has some good Mallorcan wines on his list and is a supporter of local drinks producers. Our complimentary ‘chupito’ was almond liqueur from Ca’n Vidal, and the gin-and-tonic combinations are made from the excellent Gin Eva – both of which are locally produced. Llucmajor’s Bodega Maruccia was the source of the wine La Esperanza, which we drank by the glass. We resolved to stay one night in a nearby hotel so we can return to Contrabando to take advantage of the appealing choice of wines.

After we’d paid our dinner bill and were heading for the door, Miquel came to say goodbye but first wanted to show me something: he took me to a shelf displaying his collection of Pete Davis’s four novels in which the characters visit Contrabando. It may be fiction, but the fact is that this tapas and wine bar in Llucmajor is worth a visit.

Photos: Jan Edwards

Prices correct at time of writing.