Tired of the bocadillos and fries-with-everything on all the cheap and cheerful menus in Palma?

Then you can take a trip to northern Spain at downtown Palma’s La Vasca! In fact the name means The Basque.

You should choose the terrace across the mostly pedestrian street, because the restaurant itself, a hole in the wall type corridor, is very dark and crowded.

The service is super quick with perhaps more efficiency than warmth, but at 1pm the place is already filling up fast.

The starter, one of a choice of four, is delicious and a meal in itself: macaroni smothered in a cheese, bacon and mushroom sauce with a big dash of grated parmesan.

“Guiso sukaldi” looks very mysterious but turns out to be a beef stew with fried cubed potatoes. A mild and subtle sauce spreads warmth all over the body and you can feel the nutrients cursing through your blood. The beef is melt-in-the-mouth and the potatoes firm.

A big minus is the presentation– see-through, worn-out glass plates looking like they came from a garage sale in 1983. Brown stew, brown plate and brown table – not a tempting looking combination.

Apart from that, a tasty and reasonably priced solution for those who are in a hurry … and who aren’t too demanding about aesthetics.

SERVICE: Fast 

FRIENDLINESS: Perfunctory to none

PRESENTATION: Just get some white plates, why don’t you!

VALUE FOR MONEY: (14.95€) Okay

USP: Supposed to be Basque – would have liked to see something more regional. Even the paper napkins had a Mallorquin pattern.

LOCATION: Excellent