(Menorca) Pampa ★★★★

Carrer de Sant Sebastià, 2, 07760 Ciutadella de Menorca, Illes Balears, Spain 

• Lovely atmosphere with small tables in a narrow alley. Friendly staff, great white wine and sangria. The menu felt limited, despite tapas usually being all about variety.

2025-05-03 SAT

Tapas with Sangria in a small alley of Menorca.

Even though there's a party later, I felt like finishing Menorca in a calm vibe.

This Tapas restaurant is very next to our hotel, so I've always wanted to check it out.

I still coould gimpse the main road a bit.

Copa de Sangria 4.5

The staff kindly informed me that the kitched would open at 7, so I just began with Sangria. 

Simple menu. 

I wondered what Spanish Omelet is like. It seems to be good for meal but not with wine to me.

Empanadas also sound interesting but seemd too heavy especially when the minimum order is 2.

Ensaladilla 5.9
Russian Salad

So this is my choise. It tasted good but no much special, similiar to Korean potato salad, which must have been imported from other countries anyway. The English menu said it's 'Russian Salad' but blogs I've found said it's Spanish. So I asked ChatGPT.

is Ensaladilla Spainish or Russian?

Great question — because it’s actually both in a way! 🙂

🥗 Origins

• The dish comes from Russia, where it’s called Olivier salad (named after the Belgian chef Lucien Olivier, who created it in Moscow in the 1860s).

• Traditional Russian versions included luxury ingredients like game, crayfish, and caviar.

🇪🇸 In Spain (Ensaladilla Rusa)

• Brought to Spain in the late 19th / early 20th century, adapted to local tastes.

• The Spanish version usually includes:

  • Potatoes, carrots, peas

  • Mayonnaise

  • Tuna or chicken (sometimes)

  • Boiled eggs, pickles, olives for garnish

• Served chilled, often as a tapa in bars.

🌍 Key Point

• Russian in origin → invented as Olivier salad.

• Spanish in identity today → “ensaladilla rusa” is so common in Spain that most people consider it a Spanish tapa.

👉 So, you could say:

• Historically Russian

• Culturally Spanish (at least in the way it’s eaten now).

So this seems to be the orginal Russian version.

Boquerones 6.5
Picked Anchovies

The food was just ok but I loved the atmosphere. 

Copa Albarino Eido 3.2

So I've ordered another glass, white wine this time. It was just my style, dry and neat. 

On the way to shop for dancing: water.

Menorca (2025.4)