As I mentioned in my blog post about Mallorca last week Nick and I were trying to be as frugal as possible on this trip, we have a lot of travel plans coming up in the next year so we definitely need to focus on reigning in our spending both at home and abroad. This definitely meant less eating out than usual but we couldn't stay in Puerto Pollensa without visiting one of the restaurants we'd enjoyed on our last trip, Bellaverde.
Bellaverde is situated in a side street just off of the main seafront drag and behind the gates lies the most beautiful garden I've ever had the pleasure of dining in. It's shaded by hundred year old fig trees and full of some of the most amazingly bright flowers I've ever seen. It's the perfect spot to sit, relax and enjoy a meal
We started dinner with a jug of freshly made lemonade and some mineral water because we're wild and crazy like that.
We also couldn't say no to the offer of bread and olives and as she poured the olive oil the owner told us about her friend who makes the it from trees that are at least one hundred years old.
As soon as we tasted the oil we could tell that it was something special. It was zesty and fruity and it made us want to spend all of our money on fancy oil when we got home.
The last time we visited Bellaverde was back in 2011 and whilst we did eat a delicious vegan meal then I remember having to use my terrible Spanish to explain what we would and wouldn't eat and them modifying a couple of dishes on the menu for us as nothing was vegan as written. This meant that this time around when we saw the menu and noticed that there were not only plenty of vegan options clearly marked but some raw vegan dishes too we were ecstatic. It's so awesome to see a restaurant moving with the times even in a small town on a small island. I think a lot of restaurants around the world could take some tips from these guys!
After much discussion and deliberation I ordered the Fake Plate which was essentially a gyro plate with peppery seitan, tzatziki, salad and perfectly cooked french fries. It was fantastic.
Nick went for the Vegetarian Hamburger which also came with fries and the burger itself was full of veggies and topped with an amazing raspberry ketchup which Nick said elevated this burger to the next level.
Obviously we weren't going to skip dessert once we'd seen that over half of that menu was vegan too, dishes ranged from Panna Cotta to Elderflower Sorbet with Hibiscus Gazpacho. I couldn't resist the Chocolate Cake with Rhubarb Puree.
I apologise for the terrible photo, my phone went a little strange in the heat (it's like me!) and every picture I took that night had a strange blue tinged blur to it, if you can believe it these have actually been fixed up in iPhoto already! Anyway, you get the idea. Delicious, rich, moist chocolate cake not only served with rhubarb puree but also with a thick dark chocolate sauce and topped off with pieces of fresh orange. Delightful.
Nick ordered the gingerbread mousse with cherry coulis.
I have to admit to not being a huge ginger fan so this one wasn't for me but the texture was spot on and I enjoyed the tangy berry coulis.
After such an amazing meal on our last night we decided that we couldn't bear to go home not knowing when we'd get to enjoy Bellaverde's food again. Basically both the food and the setting combined to make us break into our savings to enjoy one more meal on our last day. As it was super warm again, even in the shade, so I decided to go for cooling foods and started with the Green Gazpacho. Nick went for the delicious veggie burger and chips he'd eaten the previous evening and as you can see the plate was overflowing with fries.
The green gazpacho was beautifully thick and garlicy and I detected coriander which I love. I followed my refreshing soup with the raw Vegetable Lasagne with Spinach Cream which was gorgeous but hard to photograph despite me carrying it around the place looking for the perfect lighting to highlight it's beauty!
The spinach cream was like a pesto in taste and texture and the lasagne itself was made up of slices of courgette, mushroom and tomato. I can honestly say that this is the first time I've ever enjoyed raw mushroom, the key seems to be super thin slices. I'm going to give mushies sliced like that another whirl at home soon.
Of course I wasn't going to skip dessert, if we're eating out we're doing it right and the Carrot Cake sounded too good to pass up.
The cake was succulent and covered with what appeared to be fruity yoghurt with pieces of peach inside. However strange that sounds it totally worked, it wasn't too sweet meaning that it complimented the flavours of the cake perfectly. I adored it.
This meal was such a wonderful end to our trip and I would recommend both Puerto Pollensa and Bellaverde to anyone considering a trip to Mallorca. The beaches in the area are gorgeous and as you've seen from this post and my previous one your stomach will be well taken care of.