Culinary hideaway: Béns d’Avall

If I had to scout a location for a romantic dinner under the stars, including sunset and ocean view, Béns d’Avall would surely be among the first. The restaurant’s magnificent terrace overlooking the Tramuntana’s rocky cliffs and the countless shades of Mediterranean blue is simply overwhelming. The menu looks just as good so friends suggested to celebrate our birthdays with a lunch at Béns d’Avall.

On an early spring day we spent hours in the warm sun, enjoying the extraordinary place and the local food. I started with a Sóller prawn carpaccio with shoots of rocket, cured Mahón cheese, slices of radish and tiny pink blossoms. The fish I chose as a main came with a tasty mejadra, an old hispano-arabic recipe based on lentils, fresh pasta, yoghurt and hazelnuts. The spicy scent from the pine trees and the salty breeze of the sea added an extra dash to my meal.

Béns d’Avall has been family owned for more than 40 years, meanwhile taken over by the younger generation. While Catalina Cifre manages the restaurant, her husband Benet Vicens and their son Jaume further refine traditional recipes with culinary passion and an eye for the modern taste. Most of the vegetables are grown in the family’s own garden and the oli comes from their olive grove.

Located at the end of a narrow winding road on Mallorca’s northern coast between Sóller and Deià Béns d’Avall would make for a great stop on a hiking or cycling trip. But besides budgetary constraints you might be tempted to prolong your break endlessly.