Mar de Nudos Mediterranean & Japanese cuisine — Restaurant in Palma

Been here before a couple of years ago, and we only went here because Pesquero (where locals would go) was full.

Typical tourist trap. Great location in the harbour, and the place looks really nice. Service staff is a mixed bag, from typical normal and nice, to arrogant and less service-minded.

We had lunch here on Friday 6 Jan 2023. I don’t mind paying €60 for 24 pieces of decent sushi/sashimi, but whereas the fish was quite ok, for that kind of price you don’t expect rice that is both under-cooked and under-seasoned. And squeezing some cream cheese on many pieces doesn’t make anything better (see picture).

One of the most annoying things about this kind of places is also where they serve everyone bread and then charge €3.50 per person without mentioning the price neither in the menu (could be wrong, but in such case I missed it), or during the ordering/serving process.

I would avoid this place, which is a shame since the location is really nice, but it is a place where tourists come once (shame on us for coming twice, but we don’t recall the first time back in the summer of 2021 being as bad), and don’t come back.

[Update 2023-01-09 after reading the response from the owner ("Thank you for your visit, fortunately most of our vistors don´t think in the same way, check reviews. However, there are exceptions to every rule. Service with bread 3,50€ is usual for this level of restaurant, may be it´s not a location for your budget.")]:

My review is primarily about your service level and the quality of your food, not whether we can afford €7 for bread we didn't order. I would suggest you use customer reviews as a learning opportunity, but that is of course your prerogative. However, with regard to budget, I can just mention that earlier in the week we enjoyed a very nice tasting menu with wine pairing at Marc Fosh (*). A lot more expensive than your sushi, but the value for money was on a totally...

👎🏻 If you want to have horrible service, come here.

My friend and I arrived here for a 2PM lunch and requested a seat outside as it was a super hot day and we are still living in COVID times. The waitress told us only for drinks can people sit outside. So why are there plates on those tables if it’s only for drinks? 🤔 Not to mention, a couple later on were seated outside and were eating meals.

We were offered a seat between two groups of people, less than 6 feet apart. To give you a picture of how close the tables were: one of the guests in a wheelchair had to ask another guest to stand from his seat and push the table back in order for him to move through. The restaurant is massive and they have guests packed like a tin of sardines IN A PANDEMIC, when people should be spaced out as much as possible.

When we were seated, no one gave us a menu. One of the guests sitting near us had to explain that the QR codes was on the coaster in between us. The hostess didn’t find it important to tell us that when we were seated. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thoughts on the food… The Samurai drink was pretty decent, had the right amount of spice though they could have eased up on the yuzu (too much, too sweet/tart). The sushi was nothing spectacular.

The service was very pretentious and superficial. It’s as if we were looked down on because we didn’t walk out of a yacht. It didn’t help that one of the girls was on her phone and our bill came 30 mins after we requested it.

In summary, the service and food doesn’t justify the bill. For a place that is in a posh location, I expected a lot more. Will add one star for the location and views of the marina.

Many more places in Palma are...

Mar de Nudos food was disappointing. The most expensive restaurant we went to in Palma but it wasn't worth it. The restaurant is decorated to look very fancy and sets the mood with the lights and fireplace. Once you walk in, you could tell that it was an upscale restaurant from the decor. The restaurant was right by the water so it is a pleasant view for guests. The staff was nice and helpful. I wouldn't recommend going with a child. The restaurant turns into a party fest I believe on some night and the audience are adults so it may not be the most comfortable place to eat with a child. Also, it is a place where you want to dress up to fit in with the crowd.

For our table, we ordered the following: Tagliatella a la Trufa, Rodaballo en costra de patata, Ravioli de lubina and chocolate coulant. The staff put the pasta in the cheese wheel for entertainment before serving the tagliatella with a touch of truffle. The presentation was great but the taste was basic. I have had better for a cheaper price so I wasn't particularly impressed. The ravioli was a nice idea with the seabass but the flavor were basic, nothing memorable or unique about it. The rodaballo was a good portion size and served with a fancy presentation. Still, it was not well seasoned and the flavors weren't there.

The restaurant doesn't deliver on the taste of the food, especially when looking at the price point. It is not worth it and there are better and cheaper restaurants in Palma. It seems the restaurant charges extra for the food because of its closeness to the water and the decoration but neglected the taste of the food. I wouldn't go back or recommend...