El Baúl Restaurant

El Baúl stands in Portocolom on Mallorca's east coast, on Carrer del Corb Marí, a few steps from the water. Guests describe the position plainly as “justo al lado de la playa” — right beside the beach — and from the terrace the view runs sideways to the sea and out across the cove. The house itself places its address by Cala Marçal. Behind it are three friends: Ania, Yasen and Mariusz. “Somos un grupo de tres amigos”, they write about themselves, adding that all three have worked in hospitality for as long as they can remember. The wish for a restaurant of their own came with that, and at some point they opened the door to it — their own phrasing. The roles are clearly divided: Mariusz cooks, Ania and Yasen run the front of house. They describe their aim as joining their own passion for food with Mariusz's skill at the stove, while the other two make sure guests feel at home the moment they come through the door. In a small room that is not a platitude but a division of labour you notice at the table. What happens in El Baúl's kitchen The menu is organised in four blocks: CARNES, WOKS, PESCADO and ENSALADAS — meat, wok dishes, fish and salads. The grill is the centre of it; the house calls itself the ideal place for “la mejor carne a la brasa”, meat over charcoal. Guests in Portocolom name a “Steak El Baul” and a T-bone steak, a sharing board of meat, cheese, bread and olives, plus ceviche and chicken skewers. Its own signature the kitchen names without hesitation: “Debemos destacar nuestras espadas de pulpo!” — the octopus skewers, described as an original and elaborate dish by their chef. If you are sitting here for the first time, that is the sensible place to start. Where the ingredients come from is worth noting. The dishes are built for the most part from the produce of local businesses — fruit, vegetables and meat from the area, as the house itself puts it. Vegetarian options belong to the picture explicitly and are not parked at the edge of the menu as an alibi. For the end the house keeps desserts of its own: brownie, blondie and apple crumble. Guests add a homemade cheesecake to that list — and report that the desserts come generously sized. If you ordered boldly beforehand, share. The room and booking a table El Baúl is a small place, and the most important planning note follows from that: book. Guests recommend it explicitly, because the number of seats is limited; walking in works sometimes, but it is not reliable. The interior is built from ecological and recycled materials — that shapes the room more than any decorating scheme. Outside you sit on the terrace with a side view of the sea. Practical for families: there is a baby changing table as well. A second point belongs in the planning. The house runs on a season and closes over the winter months. If you are heading for the east coast outside the warm part of the year, ask ahead. Two houses: Portocolom and Porto Petro There are two El Baúls. The shared website names both locations — “Con ubicaciones en PortoColom y PortoPetro” — and the booking route asks first which of the two you mean. For you that means naming Portocolom explicitly when you book, or the table may end up at the sibling house. Both belong to the same three owners and carry the same signature. The octopus skewers, the charcoal grill and the position right on the cove belong to the house in Portocolom.