This was a dual purpose visit. We first had a nosy round the adjacent glass factory & shop (and bought a couple of things). And then it was time for lunch.
Now, I’ve been to Chinese buffets at home. They’re universally vile. And I’ve been to the slightly better Indian ones which are no better than OK, even the good ones like Nawaab in Manchester. And I’ve been to the “meat and salad” places in America which are piled high with indifferent quality food. So it was with some trepidation that we followed up a recommendation to go to Menestralia. What a revelation. What an object lesson in how the buffet can be done. Everything looked fresh and appetising. Things that should be hot were properly hot. Tourists were in a definite minority with the bulk of the customers being elderly Mallorcans in search of a decent lunch at a bargain price.
There’s considerable choice. We started at the salad end of the buffet by way of making up a starter plate. There’s the usual greenery and a rice salad, sitting next to the choice of three soups. And there’s some meats at this end – sausages, steaks, thick bacon. At the far end, there’s local dishes – lomo con col, frito, braised beef, fried fish fillets, whitebait, snails and a paella that my companion in life rated highly – right down to the crusty soccarat at the bottom of the pan. And there’s vey and spuds of course.
Off to one side, there’s another table filled with dessert and fresh fruit. I think between us, we probably tried them all. Wine and water are put on the table as part of your meal and there’s beer and soft drinks on tap, also included in the €9.95 price tag.
It really is easy to be greedy here and there wasn’t a single thing that wasn’t enjoyable. We managed three very, very greedy courses (with seconds) and waddled away in desperate need of a good lie down.
