Picture the scene, it’s a chilly Thursday evening. The clocks have gone back and it’s now blacker than the ace of spades come 6pm. Prising me off the sofa and out of my pyjamas is no mean feat. However, when I spotted the ‘Nouveau Night’ menu at Mercat Tramantuna, I stepped away from the Netflix, got myself dressed and was in the car quicker than you can ‘cosy supper’. In all honesty, I don’t have enough superlatives to describe just how good the food was.
Mercat Tramuntana is truly the full package. Part deli/part restaurant/part community hub/part ‘feels like you’re in a cosy little gastro pub’, it’s corned a gap in the market and found a niche little spot in Puig Puigpunyent. Last week saw their ‘nouveau night’ where they celebrated this years new vintages with comforting french classics – I’m not exaggerating when I say that we walked in, saw the menu and ordered one of each. With chef Diego Silva at the helm, guests are in for food that is lip smackingly good.
In no particular order, we devoured boeuf bourguignon, french onion soup, burnt pumpkin with sage butter (this in particular rendered me speechless, it was flawless), steak and frites and we rounded off with a chocolate mousse so sublime, that I almost licked the bowl. Essentially, it was my food nirvana. Nourishing yet indulgent, with seasonal ingredients skillfully cooked, but even more importantly with love.
Before leaving we chatted with Diego about forthcoming events, of which there are many. Like I said, they really becoming a lynchpin within the village (and beyond) when it comes to your social calendar. This month alone, they have a Friday night happy hour – with 6 euro cocktails. Saturday afternoons offer up a BBQ, and as soon as I saw brisket rolls up for grabs, it was added to my diary. Last but not least, a classic for all millenials and beyond, there’s Sunday brunch with Bloody Mary’s that pack a punch.
Aside from eating in, there’s the deli area which stocks a whole host of local products. They’d make excellent gifts, or if your pantry is looking bare, you can find Marmite to Gochujnag and everything in between. If coffee is your jam, you’ll find a perfectly crafted coffee that’s locally roasted by Mistral, an excellent coffee spot in the centre of Palma. It’s also impossible to talk about Mercat Tramuntana without mentioning their glorious (and usually) sun soaked terraza, where you can settle in with a caña, a blanket and enjoy drinks around the firepit surrounded by nature. See what I mean, it’s cosy core at its best. Whether your based elsewhere on the island, just visiting, or indeed a village local, I urge you to put this place on your itinerary – it’s what the island needs more of. Intimate, family run businesses, who pour passion into every pour and portion.
Text by Cat Powell
Instagram @mercattramuntana
Address: Carrer de Ciutat, 6, Puigpunyent, 07194
Photo: estilopalma, Cat Powell
