Es Raco des Teix

To understand the charm of Es Racó d'es Teix, you need to first reflect upon the location. It is an idyllic village of green-shuttered, ochre coloured houses in the shadow of the Teix Mountain that has become a millionaires' hideaway.

The hamlet could have remained another pretty Mallorcan parish had Robert Graves, the famous English poet, not made it his home. Ever since, Deia has established a reputation as a foreign artists' colony. Climb the Carrer es Puig, the settlement?s only real street, passing ceramic Stations of the Cross, to reach the parish church and the small cemetery where Graves is buried. You can also scramble down to Cala de Deia, a small shingle beach set in an attractive cove, where local artists continue the tradition of naked swimming and long parties at weekends.

Then there is the building that houses the small, cosy family run business. It is a stone structure at the base of the mountain with a pleasant terrace overlooking the scenery and a well laid out two-level lounge.

The passion for cooking displayed by Chef Josef Sauerschell, and the talent that makes him a celebrity favourite, is the third reason that makes this restaurant click. It is said that he knew right from his early years that his calling was cooking and he started by helping his mother in the kitchen. From there on he worked at some of Europe?s leading restaurants before starting his own along with his wife who was employed in the same industry and whom he met during his tenure earlier at El Olivo.

The menu changes once in two weeks and is driven by creativity and commitment towards using local produce. Expect carpaccio of tuna with sesame, honey, coriander, and mango and parfait of foie gras with apricots, brioche and mange-tout among the starters.

Main dishes reflect culinary imagination, especially Mediterranean fish soup or the John Dory with a ragout of squid and sautéed vegetables. The specials include Mallorcan suckling pig with foie gras served with cabbage and a truffle sauce and the rack of lamb for two in an olive crust and potatoes gratin accompanied by ratatouille. For dessert, few dishes could be finer than the white-and-black chocolate mousse with fresh mango.