Restaurant Roland, Porto Cristo

One of Porto Cristo’s best restaurants has moved to a new home in the port town. First opened by chef/patron Roland Schulte in 2011, Restaurant Roland now has the bonus of an appealing outdoor space for dining in the warmer months.

Roland Schulte has been on Mallorca’s restaurant scene for more than 20 years, working at La Reserva Rotana and Cap Vermell before opening his restaurant in Porto Cristo.

Restaurant Roland’s lack of an attractive terrace didn’t deter loyal diners, who came instead for his international market cuisine based on seasonal produce. The new location – the former Osteria Dolores premises – has a courtyard garden for al fresco dining.

For my visit to Roland’s new home, I’d booked an early table – expecting to find few diners at seven o’clock on a February Monday. Instead, the cosy dining room gently hummed with mainly German conversation. Almost half the tables were already occupied; German diners eat early, hence the 18:30 h opening time.

The renovated restaurant has an elegant décor and although the log burner from the previous eatery has been removed to reinstate the front entrance, the dining room was pleasantly warm.

We began with a class of Veritas ´rosado´cava (5,10 €), while considering the menu and that day’s specials. A basket of three types of bread arrived with green olives and a fresh cheese spread – a pleasant change from aioli (3,50 € per person). After ordering, we sipped a complimentary appetizer of turnip soup.

From the interesting variety of starters, I chose the goat’s cheese crotin generously wrapped in kataifi on a bed of baby spinach leaves with pear chutney (15,50 €). This tasty, multi-textural dish would be enough for two to share. Across the table, the Iberico pork samosas with an Asian salad were a hit (17,50 €).

Our main course dishes were fillet of sea bass with black risotto and a lobster sauce (24,50 €), and coq au vin made with quail rather than the traditional rooster or chicken. (24,50 €). Both dishes were delicious and well presented, with flavourful sauces.

With barely any space for dessert, we gamely ventured into a semifreddo of chocolate and caramel with an orange salad to counter the richness (11,50 €) and crème brûlée of passion fruit with tonka bean ice cream and strawberries (11,50 €).

Wines are Mallorcan and international; we had a Spanish wine by the glass at 5,10 €.

With elegant décor, delicious cuisine, pleasant service, and the allure of summer al fresco dining, Restaurant Roland is one to add to your list of smart restaurants on Mallorca’s east coast.

Restaurant Roland is on a residential side street, with street parking available in the vicinity.

Photos: Jan Edwards