José Luis, Nuria & Miquel
Where the mountains meet the Mediterranean lies Estellencs, a paradise preserved by its natural contours. The Hotel Maristel has been a fixture there since 1948, side-stepping mass tourism to become a sanctuary for relaxation and locally sourced cuisine. Today, its bistro is a favourite haunt for foodies and hikers alike, thanks to its honest cuisine that is rooted in the local area yet unafraid to reinvent itself with a contemporary twist. The restaurant offers a range of inclusive options and tasting menus. We spoke to its visionary executive chef, José Luis Adán, his right-hand woman, sous chef Nuria Obrador, and the tireless maître d’ Miquel Vidal Balaguer, a living legend of the house who has been pampering guests for over 40 years.
Maristel is a classic establishment that has reinvented itself over time. You’ve been making history for decades. What is it like to experience this evolution from the inside?
Miquel Vidal Balaguer: I’ve been here since 1985; I left for two years, but I’ve known all the owners and I’ve witnessed all the hotel’s different chapters. From the very beginning, when we had a really basic menu with soups and pasta, to now with José Luis, our current chef, the change has been incredible—it’s a whole new ballgame.
José Luis Adán: For us, it’s a real challenge. Nuria and I arrived three years ago and we became so immersed in the project that it felt like ours. After all, if you don’t put your heart and soul into it, a project like this won’t get anywhere. We had just come form a concept that didn’t quite click, and what we did was make a commitment to a type of unified Mediterranean cuisine featuring local ingredients and our own special twist.
You often talk about ‘honest food’. How would you describe the culinary experience you offer your guests?
José Luis Adán: It’s an immersive, 360-degree experience that brings you closer to nature, sustainability and the Tramuntana’s rural concept. Our project mainly caters towards hiking and cycling tourists, with a focus on local produce and the slow food movement. We’re not looking for a Michelin star; someone who comes to walk the Tramuntana is not looking for extreme sophistication; they want traditional, authentic, honest and unpretentious food.
We made a commitment to a type of unified Mediterranean cuisine featuring local ingredients and our own special twist
And in this honest, traditional cooking, which dishes have become the restaurant’s signature dishes?
Nuria Obrador: Without a doubt, the lamb in any of its different forms, which people always come back for. We now have a spiced Moorish-style lamb cannelloni that is an absolute standout dish.
José Luis Adán: We play around a lot with the presentation to adapt to our foreign customers (mostly Germans). One year we did a rabbit cannelloni; rabbit is the kind of meat that if you serve it simply cooked with garlic to this type of customer, they won’t eat it, but in the form of cannelloni with an onion sauce, it was a real hit. Although our star product is our team, the freshest produce is a close second, such as Mallorcan honey that a beekeeper brings us, freshly extracted.
How do you continue to attract customers to your restaurant despite being in such a remote location?
José Luis Adán: Attracting local customers is tricky because not everyone comes all the way out to Estellencs. To do so, we have a carefully curated lunch menu for just 28 euros. Instead of offering a tasting menu we also focus a lot on our à la carte menu and host a large-scale culinary event once a month. These events feature guest chefs and have a strong focus on wine pairings, something that really appeals to people.
Your passion for craftsmanship reaches unexpected heights... Even your tableware is handmade!
José Luis Adán: Yes! I’ve gotten into making handmade crockery. Making each dish is a creative process based on the dish you have in your mind, even if that takes months. All our work is completely artisanal. From our very first year, we’ve been baking our own bread and making more than ninety per cent of our products ourselves, include sponge cakes, ice cream and tarts.
Nuria Obrador: We place a lot of importance on breakfast, making everything fresh each day with local produce. Our customers are in a remote place in the middle of the Tramuntana mountains and are not looking for a standard breakfast, nor a bowl of açai, what does well here is homemade flavour and a traditional sponge cake.
Maristel is a rarity in the current hospitality sector. Miquel is part of the hotel’s living history and it’s amazing how so many members of the team have been with you for so long.
José Luis Adán: Sixty per cent of the team have been working here for at least twenty years, and you can’t find that anywhere else. That gives us a lot of strength. In the end, what we do is pure craftsmanship in an idyllic cove. Coming down the Tramuntana and suddenly coming face to face with the Mediterranean and a hotel with these views… you wouldn’t expect that or even find that anywhere else.
