Breakfast, lunch, dinner and dancing – Why go anywhere else?
You may have noticed the bright lights of Palma’s latest venue along the Paseo Maritimo. Situated opposite the Club de Mar with retro-style bulbs surrounding the words “Garaje Café”, it’s hard to miss and I’m very glad that I didn’t miss this new kid on the block as it’s a real gem! With a cool and simply-styled interior, it hits all the right notes to provide the feeling of being in a trendy eatery in London’s Shoreditch or a cool Manhattan bar accompanied by a splash of traditional British pub! Not only does Garaje Café have style, but it also has substance. I wanted to speak with Juanan Gomis, Manager to find out more about the man behind the concept:
Are you a local Mallorquin or from elsewhere in Spain?
I am actually from Valencia but moved to Mallorca when I was 4 years old. I am more or less Mallorquin with Valencian parents, so a bit of a mix.
What is your history in the hospitality industry and how long has Garaje Café been here?
The Garaje Café opened just 3 months ago but it was something I had in my head for quite a long time. I used to have Café Amarres next door for 26 years but it was two separate premises with one serving pa amb oli and cold tapas, with the other part for music, drinking and dancing. This meant that the customers had to move from one place to another so I thought it would be a great idea to move into these new premises and combine the two spaces to create the Garaje Café.
What was your inspiration for the Garaje Café concept?
I noticed in the last few years that the demographic was changing from people in their 20s to more of a mixture of people in their 30s and 40s and so I thought I would change things to suit the latest clientele. My thinking behind this concept was that people should be able to come and eat, drink and dance without having to go to another venue. As we are open from 8:30am through to 1am Mon-Thurs, and Fri & Sat from 8.30am to 5am we can provide great food from breakfast, lunch through to dinner and then relaxed drinks with music and dancing until the early hours. So it’s not necessary to go elsewhere which may have previously meant having to drive or get a taxi – we provide everything here.
Even our lighting themes change to suit the time of day and to take the venue from a nice relaxed place to eat breakfast and lunch, enjoy afternoon drinks with music, and in the night-time we create a nightclub feel with lighting and a dancefloor as well as a few tables and stools inside so you feel like you are in a different venue. Outside we have a fantastic terrace and our glass frontage opens like a large garage with windows and doors that fold upwards to create a really cool and large open space.
What kind of food is on offer at Garaje Café?
We have a great Chef, Alejandro Graziosi, who has trained under some of the best chefs in Asturias and Basque Country, and he creates some really wonderful flavours with his take on popular classic dishes from a wonderfully tasty Cesar Salad, Ceviche, and Basque Crab Salad, to a succulent Hamburger of Truffled Beef Cheek and a Basque-style “Txogitxu” Entrecot Steak, and of course, the traditional Spanish offerings of hand-cut Jamon Iberico and Mallorca’s very own wonderfully simple but super-tasty pa amb oli. We make sure we use only the very best ingredients and source all of our beef from an excellent butcher in San Sebastian and our pork comes from Joselito in the Salamanca / Extremadura region of Spain which is renowned for producing the highest quality Jamon Iberico in the world and has been doing so since 1868! All of our sauces such as the Cesar dressing, pesto, etc. are homemade and you really can taste the difference. We also have a great menu del dia from Mon-Fri.
What days do you have live music?
The live music we have on Fridays and Saturdays between 5.30-7.30pm with various artists and styles of music. Then after dinner, we have a DJ so you can dance the night away until 5am at weekends. We are looking to open on Sunday afternoons with some live music in the near future so be sure to look out for that.
Can people hire the Garaje Café for events/parties?
Yes, they can and as we have an internal capacity of 97 and outside our terrace is approx. 120m², we can easily hold a party for 150 people. If people require food at their event we can make a special menu which we do as a buffet. We also do bespoke menus for smaller groups such as birthdays, etc, where we can offer a special-rate menu according to the customer’s request. We are also providing a bar for Sirena Yachts (stand D9, Amarres 103-104) at the Palma Boat Show this year so drop by to meet us.
Do you have a signature cocktail or craft beer?
We have a great cocktail bar with a super cocktail maker, Adam Mason who can expertly mix you any of the classic cocktails. We also sell Aguila beer which is a really nice unfiltered beer with a slightly cloudy appearance and a great flavour. You don’t see it in many places but it’s definitely worth a try.
I really liked the feel of this venue and with the regeneration and gentrification of this part of the Paseo Maritimo, the Garaje Café is destined to be a big hit with both the locals and the yachting community, as well as tourists and those just looking for a really cool, comfortable vibe. This is a place without pretentiousness and with a warm welcoming atmosphere where you can easily while away the morning, afternoon or evening…..or even all three, so be sure to check it out!
Garaje Café
Avenida de Gabriel Roca 45
07015 Palma de Mallorca
Written by Lisa Thompson
textperfect@outlook.com
