Tess de Mar, Campos

For lunch after visiting the Thursday or Saturday market in Mallorca’s southeast town of Campos, check out the adults-only restaurant Tess de Mar, at the 17-room Sa Creu Nova Petit Palais Art & Spa. Tess de Mar is open to the public, has a separate entrance from the street for those not staying in the hotel, and is in the 2024 Michelin Guide.

Since my last visit to Tess de Mar, executive chef José Vicente Tarín has taken over the kitchen, offering Mediterranean and Mallorcan cuisine. A friend recently raved about the tasting menu dinner he’d had, but I went first for lunch.

Opened in 2017, Tess de Mar has a stylish dining room where one wall is dominated by a contemporary painting of Cabrera lighthouse. In fine weather, the peaceful garden terrace beckons. We sat outside, enjoying the sounds of the water feature in the hotel pool and cooing wood pigeons nearby. In this little oasis, we had to remind ourselves we were in the middle of Campos.

Lunch is a three-course set menu for 28€, which includes bread, a bottle of water, and one drink (glass of wine, beer, or soft drink). Choose from six starters, six mains, and five desserts.

We began with a warm roll served with extra virgin olive oil and some tasty, green olives. Our starters were cold, roasted aubergine with romesco sauce and crispy breadcrumbs, and a silky hummus with paprika, anchovies, and the thin, crispy bread slices known as ‘pa de sopes’.

Of the main courses, four are rice-based, one’s a noodle dish, and there’s fish of the day, served with potato and roasted leek. I had the dry rice dish ‘Del Senyoret’, with fish, prawns, and cuttlefish; I needed to add a little salt at the table, but it was a satisfying choice. My companion had dry noodles with Iberian pork, pumpkin, and ‘butifarró’.

Our desserts were mango ice cream with toasted coconut and honey cream, and Tess de Mar’s version of cheesecake.

We both had a glass of Quelías ‘rosado’ wine (from Bodegas Sinforiano in Valladolid), which won a gold medal at the 2023 Concours Mondial in Brussels – so a decent wine to include in the menu price. An Americano coffee to end lunch was 2,50€.

As you’d expect in a five-star hotel restaurant, the service was efficient and friendly. If you visit on a market day, it’s advisable to book a table in advance.

Photos: Jan Edwards

Prices correct at time of writing.