I have to report some sad news coming from Palma de Mallorca, the island capital.

The outstanding Restaurante Koldo Royo in Paseo Marítimo closed its doors for good, yesterday, after having operated successfully for 19 years. Koldo Royo is one of the best known chefs in Spain. He hails from the País Vasco. Having named the restaurant after himself, he won a Michelin star recognition almost immediately. Now he bids farewell to a sizeable number of happy food lovers. La crisis, apparently.

One wonders how the other Michelin starred restaurants in Palma, and in Mallorca as a whole, will be faring in this economic downturn. There is, in Palma, the Restaurante Tristán, in Puerto Portals (two Michelin stars), and the Restaurante Plat d’Or, at the Hotel Arabella Sheraton, in Son Vida (one star). Outside Palma, there is the Restaurante Es Molí d’en Bou, in Sant Llorenç (one star), the Restaurante Es Racó des Teix, in Deià (one star), and the Restaurante Bacchus, at the Read’s Hotel & Spa, in Santa María (one star).

Luckily, there are a number of other restaurants recommended by Guide Michelin, but without any star decorum, such as the Restaurante L’Escargot, in Santa Eugènia (shown in my photo). Some of them are worth a little detour.

The photo was taken in Santa Eugènia, Mallorca, Spain. The date: November 23rd, 2008. The time was 15:01:25.