Hospitality in its purest form is what springs to mind when I think back over our evening at La Pescaderia de Andi. From the moment we stepped foot through the light and airy doors nothing was too much trouble for our wonderful host and business partner in the restaurant, Keren. Her effervescent and fun nature was infectious from the outset and as we settled down at our table I instantly knew this was going to be a good night and I wasn’t wrong.
Before we have even had time to take our jackets off three delicious cocktails turn up at our table made by the extremely talented mixologist. As we each try a bit of each other’s I can’t say which I love more, the Andi’s Mule, the Old Fashioned or the Red Berry Mojito. All of them are beautiful and light and fruity and the presentation is impeccable.
So as we sit and take in the atmosphere Keren joins us and explains the idea behind Pescaderia de Andi. Essentially it a concept hailing from the Middle East. Keren grew up in Israel and always loved the restaurants down at the marina where tables were crammed full of meze and fresh fish and the sound of laughter rolled across the water. After a chance meeting at her husband’s birthday party led her into conversation with Andreas Stulz, owner and namesake of Andi’s they began to discuss different restaurant concepts. They looked at what is currently on offer here on the island and while there are several excellent seafood and fish restaurants, there are none quite like the idea behind Pescaderia de Andi.
So what, I ask, makes it so different. Keren explains that it is actually very simple. There are no starters to choose from, instead each table of guests is presented with a plethora of fresh, colourful salads, home-made breads and dips to accompany every main course. For the mains guests can choose from the grill menu, where they have the pick of the freshest fish, to be chosen from the fish cabinet. There’s also the catch of the day, the mixed fish platter, the mixed seafood platter and the towers. We’ll come back to the towers. Keren does however say that if fish isn’t your thing then they have plenty of meat and vegetarian options to satisfy all tastes. I have it on good authority that the pork tacos are to die for.
As if by magic, as Keren is talking us through the variety of dishes we’ll be experiencing they begin to materialise on the table. In fact there is not an inch of space left once the ‘Andi’pasti has arrived. There are olives and hummus, juicy padron peppers, smoky black garlic aioli, a sweet and sticky tomato jam with lime, spicy Moroccan carrots, delicious Tabbouleh…the list goes on. And we haven’t even got to the bread yet. For the bread was pretty much the star of the show in my opinion. Handmade from scratch at their deli daily, the plait of light fluffy dough is intertwined with a delicious homemade green pesto, the combination of which is literally divine.
As we are digging in, each mouthful tastier than the next, in a riot of colours and flavours Keren explains to us what is coming up – the Tower. We can barely conceal our excitement as she tells us that we will be experiencing. Literally a mountain of fresh fish and seafood. Salmon and tuna, delicate line caught hake that only four hours ago was still in the sea. And as for the crustaceans there were langoustines and huge prawns, mussels and razor clams. All of this topped off by some of the tastiest roast potatoes cooked in a rich butter that were crunchy on the outside and perfectly creamy on the inside. We were quite literally in taste sensation heaven.
And not only was the food delicious and fresh so were the accompanying wines that went with it. We gradually worked our way through the wine list, which Keren will happily talk any customer through, sampling delights from Mallorca, France and Australia. Each wine was paired perfectly to match the dish we were eating. We finally finished off with a deliciously mixed hierbas to help us wash down the day’s excesses.
The space itself is delightful and the large terrace is a great spot for starting the evening off. In the summer they will also be opening the huge roof terrace where guests will be able to enjoy live music from local artists which only adds to the convivial atmosphere of the whole place. And if you are lucky Keren may even get the karaoke machine out!
It is clear to see that a lot of love and passion goes into everything that is prepared at Pescaderia de Andi and that all of the staff are equally invested in making it work. Keren says that most of the customers who come have been once before and so are repeat business and in the summer they are queuing around the block, so it’s important to ensure that you book well in advance. If clients are driving they can park in Cala Nova carpark and the restaurant will take three euros off the bill so that essentially you get free parking.
As we finally leave the restaurant at nearly midnight, our cheeks are aching from all of the laughing that my fabulous photographer Anouska and I, along with Helen and new friend Keren, have done. Keren says that she says to everyone to turn up hungry and she isn’t exaggerating. We have eaten so much delicious food that we cannot wait to return for round two. Thanks again to La Pescaderia de Andi and her fabulous crew for showing us such a lovely time.
The Pescaderia de Andi
Avenida Joan Miro 322
San Agustin, Palma de Mallorca
(+34) 871 77 97 51
By Victoria Pearce
Photos by Anouska Stelmach
