With the “start the year as you mean to go on” attitude still on my mind, I began the second week of 2024 with a tailored, one-to-one Spanish lesson, focusing on specific areas of the language that I still wanted to improve. My first lesson was at a Café Restaurante Sibil·la.
I was curious about the name of the place. Apparently, Sibil·la is a “prophetess” in Greek. I also remembered hearing of Sibil·la singing during Christmas time, and found that “Cant de la Sibil·la” (Song of the Sibyl) was introduced in Europe during the Middle Ages and came to Mallorca with the Christian conquest in 1229”. It is performed in many churches on the island, with the knowledge being passed from generation to generation. Since 2010 Sibil·la is listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage event. But enough of history and culture, and back to our restaurant of the day…
I intended to have a pot of tea only, but was intrigued by the board at the door displaying their menu del día and decided to stay on after my lesson to try it.
There were a couple options for each of the three courses. To start with, I opted for crema de garbanzo y romero, a thick, creamy chickpea and rosemary soup, garnished with a splash of olive oil and a couple of croutons. Even though it was 12 degrees outside, so not terribly cold for this time of the year, I felt a little bit chilly all day. A generous portion of this flavourful soup definitely warmed me up.
Next up, I chose arroz meloso con calamari, pulpo y alioli de miel, a creamy seafood risotto with honey alioli. While I was not too keen on alioli, which I scraped off and pushed to one side, the rest of the risotto was absolutely delicious. I was surprised with the substantial amount of seafood incorporated into the dish and loved the sprinkle of spicy paprika on top. Honey was an interesting touch that I have not had in a risotto before, but it added depth to its flavour and so it got a definite “thumbs up” from me.
For dessert I went with yogurt, honey and crushed pistachio. This was nicely refreshing after that rich main meal. I loved the mix of cold yogurt with sweet honey and crunchy nuts.
Overall, this was a great little lunch, full of good flavours and with generous portions for each course. Plus, at just 13.80 euros it was a steal, even though no bread or water was included in the deal!
As I dined alone, I had time for a detailed observation of the place. It had kind of a 60s and 70s vibe, with cream and brown colour scheme and comfy chairs typical of that era. The crowd seemed to be a mixture of students and working people on their lunch breaks, with no obvious tourists in sight.
As I was walking to my meeting here I was thinking that I don’t come to the area of Blanquerna often enough. It is only slightly outside of the “Avenidas”, so often overlooked by most foreigners, but there are more and more cool restaurants and cafes popping up all over this pedestrian street. As for Sibil·la, I have heard that they are also offering some pretty great breakfast and brunch options, so I will definitely be back!
Location
- Café Restaurante Sibil·la
- C. de Blanquerna 7, Palma
- 971 20 10 03
Instagram: @caferestaurantesibil.la
The bill
- Menu del día 13.80 euros
- Pot of herbal tea 2.80 euros
Opening hours
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