David, Álex & Tito. Gran Folies
Surviving success can be tricky, and reinventing is an art form. Far from resting on its laurels after more than twenty years in business, Gran Folies has once again embraced reinvention. Chef Álex Arquero and his team have stirred things up at Cala Llamp, revamping seventy per cent of their culinary offerings. The goal? To seduce the most discerning palates with precise cooking and absolute respect for the sea. In the meantime, the pool area and boat service have become bolder than ever.
If paradise on earth had to choose a postcode, its would most likely be Cala Llamp. There, embraced by the mountains and overlooking magnetic blue waters, stands Gran Folies. Gone is the image of the typical beach bar. What began more than two decades ago as the bold dream of a young woman who swapped textbooks on hospitality for hands-on management by the sea has now established itself as one of the most exciting beach clubs in the country. A giant of hedonism, it continues to set the pace for the dolce vita in Mallorca.
However, far from resting on its laurels, the culinary team at Gran Folies has decided to shake things up. ‘Normally, David and I change twenty-five per cent of the menu and keep seventy-five per cent. This year, we’ve changed seventy per cent of the menu’, says chef Álex Arquero.
Usually, we change twenty-five per cent of the menu and keep seventy-five per cent. This year, we’ve changed seventy per cent of the menu
This season’s concept is a resounding call for honest food, based on a premise to return to the origins of flavour. To this end, the kitchen at Gran Folies focuses on precise cooking techniques and absolute respect for ingredients, reducing sauces to the bare minimum so as not to mask the purity of the local produce.
However, this year’s real innovation lies in interactivity. Gran Folies is unveiling an impressive display case where customers can view the catch of the day. ‘They’ll be able to see and choose from our full selection of fish and seafood”, explains Arquero. This visual transparency gives diners complete confidence, as they can now watch everything from lobster to the freshest catch right in front of them. The dining room also takes centre stage, with attractive dishes prepared live and a strong focus on raw foods. These include sophisticated tartares made from a wide range of meats, which complement the establishment’s famous seafood repertoire perfectly.
‘Rock and roll’ sandwiches by the pool
Whilst the main restaurant at Gran Folies evokes the grandeur of the sea, the pool area embraces the purest and most carefree form of hedonism. It is here that the team’s creativity shines through in what the chef himself describes as ‘rock-and-roll sandwiches’. Subtlety gives way to boldness with the Peking duck brioche, the magnificent truffle-stuffed croque monsieur, and the dish that promises to steal the show this summer: the grilled ensaimada bikini filled with black pig sobrasada and truffle honey. This street-food theme also extends to ‘backpacker-style’ dishes, in the form of the Cuban-style ceviche bathed in rocoto leche de tigre with mojito jelly beans.
Gran Folies has also perfected its dinghy service for boats and yachts anchored in the cove. The team understand that there is no room for error or wilted textures on the high seas, which is why they have invested heavily in state-of-the-art coolers to ensure freshness and optimal temperatures during the journey. The new nautical menu has been painstakingly designed to ensure that everything arrives in perfect condition.
As Álex Arquero aptly puts it, the Gran Folies culinary experience is all about ‘the setting, the produce, the execution, the service and the experience’. Key figures such as Francis, whose infectious charisma wins over high-profile clients to the extent that they ask for fully customised menus for them, and Patricia Ripoll, who seamlessly manages events, are truly the heart and soul of the project.
The excitement of Gran Folies extends beyond the dining table with a dazzling line-up of themed nights that transform the beach club throughout the season. Each event offers a sensory immersion with its own dress code, whether its celebrating the arrival of summer in style, delving into the fluorescent fantasy of ‘Lost in Paradise’, embracing the boho and exotic spirit of ‘Ethnic’ nights, or travelling to a futuristic and technological universe in ‘Elysium’. Not to mention the season’s most iconic evening, ‘La Vie en Rose’, where elegance and the colour pink envelop absolutely everything as diners toast in style with views of the Mediterranean.
At Cala Llamp, complacency and boredom are strictly forbidden. Surviving for more than two decades at the top is a triumph, but reinventing oneself to rule the next ones is a true display of power. Gran Folies has banished nostalgia to serve up the purest and most irreverent side of the sea on a silver platter. Pure hedonism that confirms why this corner of Mallorca remains the undisputed king of summer.
