D C.
Yelp
I don't want to be that person, but here I am. We dined at Marc Fosh on a recent trip to Mallorca and although FH was impressed, I was underwhelmed by this Michelin starred eatery.
FH was wowed by the service and the fact that many of the dishes were things he wouldn't normally try, let alone enjoy. I was glad he made the effort to expand his palate, but I think he was more wowed by the overall pretense of the place vs the food being served.
Don't get me wrong, the service here is good, but don't expect anything personalized, warm or exceptional. After hearing the restaurant manager (Mike?) recite the exact same explanations, make the same jokes, and initiate the same conversations with every table within earshot, I felt like an audience member sitting through 4 performances of the same play. While I do understand having to recite information for the same dishes over and over can only be done in so many ways, there was essentially no variation. Each recommendation was an attempt to sound as though it was a personalized recommendation, but after hearing the same lines for each table, I almost felt like asking him to skip the schtick so that I wouldn't have to feign interest.
To make matters worse, we were the only couple who was forced to sit across the table from one another. As I looked around, literally every single other couple was seated on an adjoining corner so that they were, as much as possible, "next" to each other at a square table. In order to share anything or even touch hands, we had to stretch our arms all the way across the table. Considering we were there to celebrate my birthday, I was a bit sad about the whole arrangement. I don't know why we were seated this way, as there were plenty of other tables we could have been seated at, but neither of us felt comfortable to ask to be moved to another table, so we just awkwardly sat apart, while everyone else enjoying their couples dinners sat together.
So, beyond all of that, the stuff everyone really wants to know about is the food. The food. While some of the dishes were quite tasty, many were also quite uninspired. This, coupled with the fact that there was very little balance between courses, made for a less than stellar meal. Most every course was savory and rich without much on the plate to offset the richness. I found myself searching for some acid or brightness to break up each heavy bite, but there was little to be found. By the end of the meal, all I wanted was some citrus fruit to cleanse my palate, but out came more richness in the form of desserts. It all felt like someone had stopped trying to make good food and was coasting on name and status alone.
Overall, the whole experience was fine, but I expect more out of a Michelin establishment in terms of service, forethought about the dining experience, and execution of food. There are SO many places in Palma offering elevated cuisine without all the pretense and definitely without the expense. We could've had 4 incredible meals for the price of one very mediocre meal. At least now we know where NOT to go next time we're in town.