Eating out in Mallorca: NU Market, Santa Ponsa

Healthy lunch at a zero waste café

| Santa Ponsa |

If you find yourself in Santa Ponsa, and looking for somewhere healthy to grab a bite between matches, I suggest NU Market. This health food shop/café first opened in Palma's Plaza Progreso and then in Santa Ponsa a few years ago. They sell fruit, vegetables, grains, pulses, pasta and a lot more, including household cleaning and personal hygiene products, by weight. Their mission is to “produce zero waste”. NU Market also serves some of the best coffee on the island, made with Mistral Coffee House beans. But the reason that I am here today is lunch. I had another place in mind; they were closed, so I came to NU Market absolutely starving. Or, to be precise, as hungry as one can be in the Western World where we continuously overeat. Anyway, I digress…

I started with a Tropical Smothie made with banana, pineapple, blue spirulina coconut milk and peppermint. It came in about 3dl glass, beautifully decorated with edible flower petals and tasted delicious, although I might have preferred it to be slightly thicker, less “watery”.

For my main meal I chose Falafel Hummus Plate. This was more substantial than I expected and again looked beautiful. Five 50-cents-sized bites of falafel were served with a generous dollop of chickpea hummus, a big portion of mixed salad and a couple of slices of warm pita bread. The salad included the usual greens, tomato, cucumber, shredded carrots, but also goji berries, and pumpkin and sesame seeds for an added crunch. It was tossed in some lovely, creamy dressing giving its flavour some extra depth.

As I recently joined the gym for the first time in my life (thanks everyone at FitCub who keeps cheering me on day after day!), I became more mindful of what I am eating even when I go out. And this was definitely a great choice! In fact, the salad was so filling that I asked to take away what I could not finish. That was my dinner sorted as well then.

Meanwhile, I still left some space for a dessert... This time it was all in the name of research, of course! Looking at several choices in NU Market’s glass cabinet, I opted for Vegan Banana Bread topped with almond cream and sliced berries. It was another great choice, generously sprinkled with bananas and walnuts, soft, moist and absolutely divine. We “non-vegans” often have certain prejudices against vegan food, but if I did not see the sign for this banana bread I would have genuinely not known it was vegan. There was no perceived difference in either taste or texture.

I finished my meal with a perfect little Cortado with oat milk, while watching the world go by on the busy main road in Santa Ponsa… It will, no doubt, get a lot busier with all the tennis fans descending upon the area, by the time you will be reading this. You might even spot some players in search of good, healthy food between matches!?

The verdict: Simple, delicious vegan food, that makes you feel good. A one stop shop for healthy groceries and useful household products. I come here regularly for great coffee, but will definitely be returning to NU Market more often for breakfast and lunch as well, both in Santa Ponsa and Palma.

The place: NU market & coffee - Avinguda del Rei Jaume I, 117, Santa Ponsa | Tel. 871 66 06 48

Instagram: @nu_market_

Opening times: Monday to Friday: 9am to 6pm - Saturday 9am to 2pm - Sunday closed

The bill: Smoothie 6.90€ - Hummus falafel plate 10.80€ - Banana bread 5.50€ - Cortado 1.80€

Most Viewed