Restaurante Xoriguer – from Palma to the Basque Country

I’ve already been to the Basque Country this year. This autonomous community, established in 1979, is located on the far left tip of northern Spain, where the Pyrenees “kiss” the Atlantic. Many Spaniards say the Basques have the best cuisine in Spain. By the way, Spaniards who don’t live in the Basque Country say that too. In fact, the Basque Country also stands out for its truly bizarre language, whose origins remain unclear to this day. And which has absolutely nothing to do with the Romance languages or even dialects. And that’s where we build the bridge to Restaurante Xoriguer Palma, because Basque is characterised by the feeling that someone bought a whole lot of “X”s and strung them together in a guttural way.

The best wife of all wanted to go out to eat with some of the kids, and as always we would have gone out of habit to where we always go. To be honest – and the confession feels almost a bit embarrassing – we often go to BLOCKHOUSE, simply because it’s somehow always uncomplicated and nice, and the meat quality isn’t outstanding but at least it’s beyond reproach. When I suggested we could try something new for once, I was laconically told that I should hurry up and start looking.

After a stopover at Ca´n Blanc, where you can sit wonderfully at Palma’s marina while still away from the big hustle and bustle, I found Restaurante Xoriguer Palma using my tried-and-tested method.

“Method” is a big word … There aren’t many restaurants that, with a sufficient number of reviews, have an average of at least 4.5 on Google Maps. And that’s exactly what I look for. Exactly as I do on our road trips. This time, in Palma, it was Restaurante Xoriguer on Carrer Fabrica.

Carrer Fabrica is a famous “food street” in Santa Catalina, but it stretches on for quite a while, and where Palma then becomes quieter and more local, Restaurante Xoriguer is tucked away.

We Germans always want to sit outside, and as a rule I feel the same way. After all, we all like the nice weather in Mallorca, and the pandemic hasn’t increased my enthusiasm for enclosed spaces.

But this option doesn’t actually exist at Restaurante Xoriguer, as with many other restaurants in Palma. We reserved at short notice and were given a table immediately; it’s still before 2 pm, and as soon as you enter the long, narrow venue with space for an estimated 70 guests, at the back there’s the open kitchen with its aromatic charcoal fire. Yes, this is not for people who want to smell just as good afterwards as they did before eating. Or only for those who consider charcoal smoke in their clothes as support for the sandalwood and tobacco note of their perfume. So perhaps not the place for a first date? Or perhaps precisely the place?

Have you noticed too that Spaniards are generally much more child-friendly? Children aren’t a nuisance here, but a normal part of everyday life. They get hugged and cuddled. Very likeable—we could learn a thing or two from that!

The kids are allowed into the kitchen. They’re lifted up for the photo. And they chat extensively with everyone. We order—off the menu—following the recommendation of the exceptionally nice proprietor. First, a small bread basket arrives with genuinely tasty little rolls, which I otherwise leave untouched because I already suspect that our order, purely in terms of quantity, is going to be a challenge.

And already the little amuse-bouche from the kitchen arrives. Traditional small Spanish sausages that ooze a wonderful red when you pierce them with your fork. A mix of fat and paprika pigments makes me hope promisingly—and yes, they taste fantastic!

It continues wonderfully! The turbot is of perfect quality. A buttery-soft yet still structured texture. Just a tiny bit translucent. Almost imperceptibly. It’s seasoned beautifully with a hint of lemon that pairs wonderfully with the slightly bitter yet velvety note of olive oil. And then the perfectly judged light roasted aromas of garlic. Not bitter, but savoury. Simply a dream!

If you really wanted to nitpick, it would be the potato halves, which had already cooled slightly and were arranged extremely sparingly around the wonderful fish—their quality lagged noticeably behind. The chef clearly focused on what matters, and he succeeded. But you could almost leave the potatoes out, because they do slightly cloud the excellent overall impression.

After that comes the Herefordshire beef. Exactly where this magnificent piece on our plate comes from, I can’t tell you—I forgot to ask. The name is the breed’s designation of origin. It originally comes from the heart of Great Britain, from the county of Herefordshire, but has spread in international meat production as far as North and South America.

To be honest, I was so full of anticipation that I forgot to photograph the serving platter as it was presented. But I think the picture of my plate speaks for itself. Served in traditional Mallorcan style with homemade French fries and red peppers seared on their skins. That’s it. And as so often, simplicity is not only the art, but—when it’s this successful—the beauty too. A wonderful piece of meat. A true delight on my plate. Delicate roasted and smoky aromas mingle with the slightly nutty intrinsic flavour of this magnificent natural product. I could have sat right down in it! Simply perfect!

An upscale restaurant serving local cuisine with culinary roots in the Basque Country. By local standards, a higher price point. As you can see, we didn’t drink any wine and didn’t have dessert either. We were 5 people, including 2 children. That is—superficially speaking—clearly at the upper end of the price spectrum for restaurants that don’t stand out for their special location.

But: We had outstandingly good products. And they cost money to buy. We—the best wife of all and I—were recently back in Munich at the Goldenen Kalb for the first time in a long while. We also ate outstandingly well there. The operator seems to have changed some time ago and catapulted the quality into a different sphere. There we paid the same price for two people. Which was indeed appropriate. And the products served there cost about the same to buy.

Quality comes at a price. And an excellent piece of beef cannot be had for the same price as beef from the discount supermarket. Which doesn’t have to be bad. But it will never reach this level. The same applies to the turbot. It was simply perfect. Hence my final conclusion:

I would come back here anytime and gladly pay this price. It’s worth every cent! On the contrary, for the quality it’s almost a bargain. And it’s a restaurant for a special occasion. When you want to celebrate the high cuisine of gastronomic culture. And are happy to sit inside for it. And afterwards take home not only the memory of the charcoal smell.

Congratulations to Restaurante Xoriguer! A true delight! I’m looking forward to coming back!

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