Reserva Rotana. Golf sits down to eat

He has a Michelin Star, a Green Star, a “mountain club with the best sunset in the Mediterranean” and central Palma in his pocket. But Andreu Genestra had yet to conquer eastern Mallorca. Since he arrived at Reserva Rotana along with chef Irene Lluch, this historic possessió in Manacor has become the gastronomic destination that the island’s hinterland was waiting for.

Reserva Rotana has reopened and it is raring to go. In Manacor, surrounded by vineyards, the historic possessió (a country estate which has been converted into a luxury hotel with its own private nine-hole golf course) includes Andreu Genestra in its gastronomic management team, with Irene Lluch heading up the kitchen. For years, this was an almost secret bastion for a Central European clientele that was well aware of its attractions. “This place has been in business for about 30 years, and it has been a haven for German and Swiss customers”, explains Genestra. Now it is opening its doors to Mallorcan society in general with an offer that speaks several languages — all of them well.

Reserva Rotana is steeped in history, built in Mallorcan stone that seems to have a memory of its own, and set among vineyards, olive groves and fields of lavender to mark the changing seasons. A setting that demands the very finest cuisine, and that now, without the shadow of a doubt, has found it. “This is a very strategic spot en route to the coves of Mallorca and Cala d’Or, and we wanted to reach customers from Manacor and around”, explains Genestra. No sooner said than done.

Rotana’s gastronomic offer is available in two distinct areas, each with its own character. There is the restaurant, offering signature cooking with local and zero-kilometre products, where every dish pays homage to the Mediterranean’s most authentic flavours, though always at a highly sophisticated level. Genestra’s philosophy can be detected in every last detail: “I want guests to find haute cuisine within simple cooking traditions”. The emphasis is on Mediterranean, and specifically Mallorcan, classic dishes, focusing on local ingredients, and with every dish bearing the unique stamp of Andreu Genestra. Excellence disguised as simple, common fare.

Then there’s La Terraza, where the chargrill rules supreme and where rice dishes have a starring role — honest cuisine, free of embellishments. Where flavour is the common thread, and the pleasure of sharing takes centre stage. More informal and laid-back, but with the same self-imposed standard of excellence from each and every ingredient.

In the kitchen: Irene Lluch

Heading up the kitchen at Reserva Rotana is Irene Lluch, whose career has been one of the most remarkable in the history of Mallorcan gastronomy. She began her career as a pastry cook (she was acknowledged to be one of the best in Spain), and she took the leap into savoury cooking with striking ease. She has been part of Genestra’s empire for four years, and it is she who, day by day, translates Rotana’s philosophy of quality ingredients and honest cooking into dishes for the table. “Irene embodies our spirit”, says Andreu, confident that the project is in good hands. Irene Lluch’s history is marked by her understanding of flavour from its most technical roots, which she brings into her dishes with a precision that is evident in every mouthful.

And, just below but part of the same complex, the Es Mayolet finca completes Rotana’s ecosystem with a 28-hectare agrotourism enterprise which has its own kitchen garden and vineyards, ensuring that the chef’s gastronomic offering is authentically Mallorcan. “Country-style cooking, but of the finest quality”, as Genestra puts it. From the kitchen garden to the table, with nothing in between.

Manacor is a non-negotiable transit point on the journey to the beaches of the south and the island’s inland heart. A strategic enclave that for many years had no interest in haute cuisine. With its reopening, Reserva Rotana has become the definitive argument for stopping off. “With this undertaking, we now have a presence in the four main points of the island”, says Genestra. The map is complete at last.