OMBU Santa Catalina — Restaurant in Palma

I wish I could write a review about how delicious the sangria & tapas were, but I wouldn't know. Because they wouldn't serve us!!! These people are xenophobic and just plain rude.

Firstly, my boyfriend and I arrived, well-dressed. We politely asked the waitress outside (in English) if they had space for two for dinner (this was around 20:00). She very aggressively answered "I don't know!? Go ask someone inside!". My boyfriend and I were stunned at her disgusting response, but nevertheless went inside to enquire because the restaurant seemed vibey and we liked the menu. The manager then also told us, "sorry we're full". My boyfriend and I just looked at each other confused and disappointed, because we had seen free tables outside that were not reserved. As we were walking away, a random guy approaches her, having just stepped in off the street and asked for a table in Spanish. She replied "Of course!" And gave him a table. My boyfriend then went back to the lady and asked why he can have a table and not us. Then she awkwardly said, "oh...um, okay. If you want to sit at one of the outdoor tables, you can". We thanked her and went and seated ourselves at an available table, between two pretty busy tables. We then saw inside that the waitress from earlier went in and started a conversation with the manager, looking back and pointing to us (obviously talking about us). We just tried to be positive and looked through the menu and decided on all of our tapas and drinks. In that time, the waitress past our table about 3 or 4 times, checking on the other tables, while we weren't being offered so much as a glass of water or a starter. After a good 25-30 minutes of deliberately being ignored, we gave up and left. Still in awe at their behaviour and don't understand why we were treated that way.

Thanks...

Located in the heart of Palma with many different restaurants, cafes and a lovely park area. We went here for a nice authentic tapas but was let down by the size and presentation styles.

The service and overall venue is lovely and it was really busy. It may be beneficial to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

On our visit, we had some disappointment as for the price you pay for your meal, we left hungry. The portion sizes are very small - I totally understand tapas are usually small portions but these were very small.

I got a tuna dish which was serves in a small cornetto cone, prawn taco which was served in a tiny wrap, 2 little prawns and a bit of chopped lettuce. We also got the Patatas Bravas which is usually a favourite but we got 3 to 4 wedges each as it was recommended to share by the waitress.

Overall it was dissappointing considering the prices for each dish. The cheapest dish is €7 - you can imagine the prices of the other dishes.

Pros: friendly staff nice venue and environment busy

Cons: tiny portion sizes costly for what you get Bao Bun was bland

We did not even venture into the desserts as from looking at the menu - the selection was not appealing.

Wouldn't recommend on...

We got recommended this restaurant by our hotel waiter Daniel. It was a short walk from our hotel by the marina. Wow what a find! All the staff were really welcoming, a lovely atmosphere and it’s super clean. Our waiter explained how many dishes to have and we could always add more. I didn’t get his name but he was super professional and really friendly. He told me all about the tree decoration and art work - it’s all very cool and well thought out.

The food! You can see it all being cooked in a spotless kitchen, all the chefs in elegant outfits, hair covered and wearing gloves to prepare.

The tapas was the best I’ve ever tasted and that’s saying something. Mouth watering dishes of a Michelin star standard on small plates. The pork just fell off the bone and the chicken wings were just gorgeous. Had a really tasty dressing but not over powering.

I didn’t take any photos of the food as it’s not what I do - but honestly if you’re in the area then this place is a must to visit. We only booked on the day and feel very lucky we got a table.

A real gem of a place, gorgeous food and a lovely atmosphere for a great...