Marc Fosh's Misa Braseria & Bar is located in the heart of the old city in Palma, a little off the beaten track; it's a great wee find. It's not over populated with tourists, in fact the day we visited bearing in that it was off peak season (December), there were no tourists, the place was full of regulars, all local people. They say the measure of a good restaurant is if you find locals eating there and enjoying it. Well if that is the case, we had certainly hit the jackpot with Misa. This is definitely not your "tourist trap" restaurant.
Marc Fosh is British born and bred; he came to the island over two decades ago, and is certainly making his mark in the island's restaurant trade. He currently owns three restaurants on the island Simply Fosh, a casual restaurant housed in the Refectori of the 17th century Hotel Convent de la Missio in the old town of Palma. Tasca de Blanquerna, a very informal restaurant, serving up the best in regional Spanish cuisine. And of course Misa which takes informal dining to new heights and as we were dining with young children we decided Misa would best suit our needs.
The actual Braseria is situated on the lower ground of a hotel, and also has seating area in the courtyard of the hotel. The atmosphere is lively and the restaurant has a modern-rustic feel to it.
We were greeted into the restaurant by Jaime Caceres the restaurant Director, and front of house man, he made it a very memorable visit. For starters we went with Jaime's recommendation of Langoustine raviolis which are served in a light fennel and anise sauce (13€). J.snr went for the "Moules mariniere", mussels which were served with cream, garlic and parsley (11.50€). I am not a great fan of ravioli, but this was exceptional. The dish is prepared fresh on the premises and the sauce was the perfect accompaniment to the cute little raviolis, which looked too good to eat. Be warned though this is a very filling dish. Both the starters were very big portions, which we shared with the children.
Our mains were presented to us, by the man himself, Marc Fosh. We were super excited to meet him, it was completely unexpected, as we had heard from Jaime that Marc had just returned from a holiday to India. Surely the man would be jetlagged, but no, a true trooper he was back at work.
J.snr opted for Spiced Lamb Tagine, which was served with seasonal vegetables and couscous with coriander yoghurt (22€). For a man who enjoys a spicy dish, he was impressed with the level of spice, and trust me this quite a feat, satisfying his spicy craving.
I had fish of the day with clam-chive risotto and a smoked paprika aioli (price varies daily, depending on the type of fish). This was cooked traditional Mallorcan style with a modern twist. The clam-chive risotto offset the fish perfectly.
The children shared the House Speciality, Misa's classic roasted farmhouse chicken (17.50€) with a side order of fried potatoes "de Luxe" (3.30€). Jaime claimed they would never be able to finish this dish alone, and they would need help from Papa. He was shocked and stunned when he returned to the table and discovered the children had wiped the dish clean, and all that was left was a pile of bones. The children claimed this was the best, most satisfying meal they had had, since arriving on the island.
Despite being too stuffed to breathe, Jaime insisted we try the desserts. At Jaime's recommendation I had the Apple & almond tart with a cinnamon ice cream (7.50€). This dish takes twenty minutes to prepare so be ready to wait a while. But it's worth it, so fresh and filling, I even let J.snr try it! The children opted for good old vanilla ice cream to finish off their meal.
The restaurant has a great atmosphere, reminiscent of a busy London bistro. The sound of chatter and laughter is the background music! The diners are young and old alike, the day we visited the place was full of locals. Despite the fact that there were no other children dining, the staff made the children feel right at home.
www.misabraseria.com
Misa interior
Misa's House Special, Classic Roasted Farmhouse Chicken
