Yara, Puerto Portals

If you’re looking for a glamorous location for dinner, it’s hard to beat Yara in Puerto Portals. But there’s a lot more to this restaurant than the waterfront setting and views of dreamy motor yachts. It’s also where you’ll find the impeccable Japanese-Mediterranean cuisine of Simon Petutschnig, the executive chef and co-owner of Yara.

I’ve followed with interest this Austrian chef’s gastronomic career since he arrived in Mallorca. He’s hardworking, modest, passionate about his craft, and one of the chef scene’s nice guys.

Yara opened in June 2023 as a sister restaurant to Fera in Palma. Yara has a privileged location on the harbour office tower side of the prestigious marina. It’s close to a public parking area but doesn’t have a road in front of the restaurant to impede the views of the boats moored just a few metres away.

The chic décor is the best I’ve seen in these Puerto Portals premises, which previously housed the Michelin-starred Tristán, then Baiben. Individual table lights create a romantic ambience overall but provide good lighting for eating. From Thursday to Sunday, there’s a DJ playing music at a level low enough not to interfere with conversation.

The charming restaurant manager, Katrin, greeted us on arrival and showed us to our window table.

As you’d expect in Mallorca’s most upscale marina, Yara’s kitchen boasts some luxurious ingredients, such as caviar, white truffle, and wagyu beef. The large kitchen also has a Robata grill and sushi counter, and Sebastian Real as Simon’s head chef here.

We chose the autumn chef’s menu (125€), noting there are also à la carte, vegetarian, and wagyu menus. After a complimentary welcome dashi – a real hit of appetite-stimulating umami – we had three tapas: a wild mushroom consommé; wagyu tartar with caviar (topped with a little edible gold), and truffle and Brie brioche. Every element was perfect. Next came the sushi section of the menu, accompanied by fresh wasabi and pickled ginger. This part of the menu came with a theatrical presentation.

Our starters ‘proper’ were salmon tataki with avocado, ponzu, and yuzu, and steak tartar with truffle. Both were delicious.

Then we had two dishes from the Robata: grilled scallop with shiitake and char siu, and beef fillet with sweet potato and maitake (also known as hen-of-the-wood, a mushroom that benefits the immune system), with a side of extremely moreish truffle fries, that were fluffy inside but with a light-as-air crispy coating. Wagyu fans can upgrade this meat dish for a supplementary price.

Our dessert of hazelnut praline with creamy miso-caramel and vanilla ice cream was followed by a petit four of a one-bite version of canelé, a French pastry typical of the Bordeaux area.

Every dish at Yara warrants decent wine, and you’ll find plenty to appeal in the 28-page list, including wines by the glass and some superb wines from around the world, including five sakes, the sommelier’s selection, and Simon’s selection.

When I told the knowledgeable sommelier, Boris, that I was driving, he suggested just a small taste of three Mallorcan wines offered by the glass: Montesion Wine Estate’s viognier, Son Naava rosé, and Montesion’s Selección Privada – all of which are made from biodynamically grown grapes and have Demeter certification. After a sip of each one, my companion was more than happy to finish each glass.

The cuisine, wines, décor, and the high level of professional service at Yara impressed me so much that it’s now on my list of restaurants for special occasions.

Photos: Jan Edwards

Prices were correct at time of writing