November 1, 2021
Assaona Gastrobeach Palma Club
Located in El Portixol, a traditional and historic fishing town which has preserved Mallorca’s authentic history whilst adding touches of 21st century modernism, the seafront promenade ends with Assaona, where you can gaze upon the shinning blue waters of the Mediterranean, as well as the impressive Palma Cathedral and the ending horizon of the city as it blends into the sea.
Open every day of the year, Assaona allows you to enjoy the sea and the beach, on Balinese beds in summer or by the most charming chimney in winter, offering you a front row comfortable seat at the Mediterranean, enjoying craft cocktails, an exclusive wine menu and the most succulent dishes and sushi created by their chefs.
Their name, Assaona, comes from the Mallorcan verb ‘assaona’ (to season). Because that’s who they claim to be. Always looking for the perfect ingredients to ensure that a visit is unforgettable.
We visited Assaona on a sun kissed Saturday afternoon for lunch. Although the place is buzzing, the laid back vibe is noteworthy. Not your regular beach club, this gastrobeach club offers something different and unique: no pumping beats and instagram worthy influencers, but stylish families and people of all ages seemingly having a blast of a time eating, drinking and enjoying the laidback “beachy” background grooves.
Meggy, our charming waitress led us to our table with comfortable front row seats where we could enjoy the cool sea breeze and open views to the Mediterranean. Next to our table we were able to witness the craftsmanship of their Sushi chefs creating the most colourful sushi platters.
We decided to order a 7-course tasting menu to get the full gastronomic experience.
As an aperitif we ordered a Venetian Spritz and a glass of Attis Albariño, accompanied by the most delicious homemade olive bread with dip.
Kicking off our 7-course degustation menu was a threesome of ‘tiraditos’; sea bass “acevichado”, Sea bass with red onion, pomegranate, chilli peppers and tiger’s milk and Label Rouge salmon with mango, sweet and sour sauce, lime and mint.
Next was a most delicious Tuna tartar with dashi-mayonnaise and crispy quell cookie with sesame and seaweed, nominated as best tapa dish 2020!, Gambas in brick pastry with sweet chilli and Japanese mayonnaise, and Black Cod marinated in orange miso and smoked celery mousse, and last but not least, an Anssia Nikkei Roll with flambéed salmon, papaya, guacamole, Ikura and Huancaína sauce.
All dishes were extremely well presented; beautifully plated making optimal use of the volume and size of the different plates. The attention to detail and colour matching in each plate was nothing less than amazing, a feast for the eye!
During the 7-course menu, to rinse our palate, we were offered their own bottled water of excellent quality, freshly micro-filtered for our enjoyment. A sustainable idea that allows them to be more environmentally friendly, taking care of us and our planet.
This degustation menu absolutely showed why Assaona is a gastrobeach club and not just another beach club.
Definitely worth mentioning is that the music at Assaona is another factor that guarantees a multi sensorial experience. The sessions from their resident DJ transport you to a surreal land complementing the flavours of the dishes and the marvellous views from the visual surroundings.
We decided to have our dessert – Assaona’s own take on the traditional apple strudel and ice cream – and coffee on their outside sun covered terrace overlooking the parasols and Balinese beds enjoying the last of the summer sun staring out over the Mediterranean. We must admit, there is absolutely no better way or place to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon at the beach, then the one we’ve experienced here at Assaona.
Nothing less than an oasis in the Balearic Capital where the most modern gastronomy is dressed with traditional touches and the best local produce.
T: +34 971 359 633
E: Reservations
W: Assaona