The Wine Industry is a cosy boutique bar/restaurant on Calle Pou in Palma’s very own “Soho” neighbourhood; Santa Catalina. It’s a very cosmopolitan area, buzzing with locals, ex-pats, and tourists, busy year round.
Owned and run by Ivan and Lara, the Wine Industry first opened its doors in November 2014 after months of renovations and careful planning. With Ivan’s passion for fine wines and Lara’s enthusiasm for cooking, they’re a bit of a dream team; after looking at various properties in the city, Santa Catalina’s international feel really caught their attention. Ivan points out, “The people of Santa Catalina support each other; it’s very friendly here and people are generally interested in the local businesses.” It certainly has a village feel at times.
When you enter the bar, there’s a warm friendly vibe and the neutral colours and accent walls, teamed with the industrial lights against the bespoke bar and amazing wine wall create a pretty cool setting. Their vision was to create a wine bar with good sharing food; not a restaurant (well, not yet… maybe in the future!), but a great place to come with friends or as a couple to enjoy some great wines and a platter (or two). What’s not to love? Good food and good wine. Winning combination….
You can sit at the bar or pick one of the many tables; the Wine Industry can accommodate groups large and small, it’s cosy and good for couples, and in the summer you can perch on a high stool outside – a great spot for people watching.
The menu offers a great selection of nibbly bits; lots of tapas are great to start off with, in particular the anchovies with the local bread and tomatoes are a must. And Ivan’s homemade tortilla is just amazing. If you’re a fan of meatballs then you’ll be hard pushed to beat theirs too. Lara’s fresh dips are tasty and light; and the mackerel pate is just the best thing ever. Don’t forget the croquetas either. They source their products locally where possible, and are always striving to improve; changing the menu based on seasons, product availability and seeing what their customers really enjoy.
I’m a huge fan of the platters; I cannot visit the Wine Industry without a Tempranillo platter. If you come to Spain and eat one thing – this has to be it. Top quality jamon, chorizo, sausages, and a range of great Spanish cheeses too. It’s one of those great menus where you can just keep on ordering more… and maybe a bit more…. Wash it down with a bottle of something Ivan will recommend based on your tastes or ask him to match wines to each dish; he’s the expert after all!
So the wines… let’s talk vinos. Ivan is constantly sourcing new wines to try; there’s never a dull moment in there and once he gets to know you he’ll happily recommend his latest finds to you. I love a good red in the winter and have a favourite in there (if you’re interested, ask for the Morecambe and Wise; no that’s not its real name but Ivan will know what you’re on about – and just tell me that’s not Eric Morecambe on the bottle??), my other half is more of a full bodied red fan and enjoys trying the new ones on offer. Apparently there’s a cracking Pinot Noir in there at the mo I need to try. Oh and the cavas; I had no idea cavas could be so different! Yes, bit of a philistine clearly… Ivan got us onto a lovely ecological pink cava recently. He’s always coming up with new things to try as he sources from various suppliers large and small and also directly from vineyards.
Which leads me to… wine tastings. You can ask Ivan and Lara to do a wine tasting session for you and some friends; a great night out if you’re looking for something a bit more civilised. Lara will tailor the menu to the wines too for you. Groups large and small can be accommodated, plus you can hire the whole place out for a private event.
If you’re interested in learning more, Ivan offers daytime wine courses – individually or for groups; plus he can come to the yacht to train crew. And if you like their wines then why not ask them to deliver to the yacht or to your business? Yep they can do that too. It’s a great concept, with wonderful people running it whose dedication and passion shine through. I look forward to keeping it as my local and watching it evolve in the coming years. Why are you still reading this? It’s wine o’clock somewhere – go visit them now!
Opening hours:
Mon: 18:00 – 00:00
Wed-Thurs: 18:00 – 00:00
Fri-Sat: 18:00 – 01:00
Sun: 19:00 – 00:00
