Bella Verde Jardín Gastronómico

Food Olympics in the Garden

With a 100% plant-based culinary offer, advocating for local produce, a world of possibilities – and again, color – opens up right before our hungry eyes.

Author: Aina Coll

Photographer: Jaume Oliver

Just two streets from the sea that hugs the coastline of Port de Pollença you can find an unexpected garden. It is sheltered by magical and majestic fig trees which fill the air with their sweet aroma. That is Bella Verde, a restaurant in full color thanks to its leafy nature, the blue Mallorcan shutters and for their gastronomic offer.

Attracted by their plant-based philosophy and a terrace that dazzles anyone who passes by, we’re struck by the huge leaves that provide shade throughout the patio as soon as we cross the entrance. Once settled, we ordered two glasses of white wine from a local bodega pollencina –our experience is local through and through- Can Axartell and we give into to the charm that surrounds us, we let ourselves go. Something tells us that here today we’ll take part in a kind of gastronomic Olympics.

'Nothing like a pica pica (taste a bit of everything) if it's your first time here', one of the attentive waiters of the place tells us, so we do as we’re told and open the menu ready to explore: in a one hundred percent vegetable culinary offer that advocates local produce, a world of possibilities -and again, of color- opens up before our hungry eyes: seasoned chips, crispy mushrooms with sage and chipotle mayo, pea hummus, potatoes with yellow pepper, avocado and chickpeas; roasted sweet potato with cashew cream, shredded jackfruit  tacos and leek toast and semi-cured cashew are the dishes of the option to picar y compartir - snack and share.

In addition, the Bella Verde menu has suggestions that fuse ingredients and flavors from different gastronomic cultures such as vegetable tiradito, roasted eggplant, Thai curry or mushroom cannelloni, among other appetizing recipes that we are not going to try today because we throw ourselves into pica pica, eager to taste as many dishes, the more, the better.

Almost by chance, we chose four dishes: crispy mushrooms, roasted sweet potato, tacos and toasts, which begin to arrive at our table in a colorful explosion that deserves us to surrender to the moment and enjoy it with all of our senses. The games, after all, have only just begun.

The crispy mushrooms turn out to be, in fact, a crunchy bomb thanks to a spectacular batter topped with a delicious sage mayonnaise and chipotle mayo which is a taste explosion in our mouth. A dish worthy of a place at the top of the podium.

Wanting more, we went for the roasted sweet potato which, accompanied by cashew cream, vegetable parmesan and mashed herbs, turns out to be a hearty dish that assembles, in balance, the sweetness of sweet potato and cashew through two different textures that combine perfectly. A brilliant triple somersault that deserves our dedicated applause.

Jackfruit is the star protagonist – as Simone Biles is and will be forever of artistic gymnastics – of  Bella Verde's tacos, crowned with the traditional Venezuelan guasacaca sauce and pickled onion. A dish that surprises us in terms of texture, as it is reminiscent of meat, but combined with onion and sauce - somewhat spicy - it is very fresh and vibrant.

The extra time that we grant ourselves gives us a joy that tastes like triple in the last second: a toast of pan de cristal with semi-cured cashews and pepper jam -which changes according to season- and fresh figs. Well played!

We declared ourselves fans of Bella Verde's pica pica and, given over to the enjoyment, we decided to round off our first -but, most certainly, not last- visit with a passion fruit parfait, a passion fruit cream with an acidic and very refreshing touch, accompanied by crumble and burnt meringue. A round finish. Chapeau. Game, set, match.