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Santanyí - The cave of the good life at "Sa Cova" since 2017

Mallorca, February, 20 2024
Santanyí's market square has a new meeting place. In the Sa Cova restaurant, actor Uwe Ochsenknecht and architect Hans-Peter Oehm offer food, drink and good music from early until late.
TEXT   isla editorial office (bk)
PHOTO  Anna Brauns

TAGS   Germans on Mallorca Life and style Local Music & Concerts Celebrities on Mallorca Restaurant Restaurants in Mallorca Santanyí Actors

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Sa Cova Santanyí

He was recently seen in the TV comedies "Verdammt verliebt auf Mallorca" and "Von Erholung war nie die Rede Rede". Filming on Mallorca last year was a home game for Uwe Ochsenknecht, as the 61-year-old actor has lived in the south-east for many years. Now he has forged even closer ties with his favorite island.
Together with Cologne-based architect Hans-Peter Oehm, who has lived on Mallorca for many years, he took over Sa Cova on Santanyí's market square in 2017:

Right next to the imposing church, there is now food, drinks and good music from early in the morning until late at night. Ochsenknecht himself is responsible for this. The passionate musician not only puts together the background music but also wants to perform regularly at Sa Cova.
A beautiful old piano next to the entrance is waiting to be played, and in the spacious vaulted room next to the long, narrow main room you can easily imagine a music stage.

There, photos of pop stars such as Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Amy Winehouse already point to the destination. The duo met many years ago while filming on the Property of the Oehm family a beautiful, unspoiled estate on the coast, where TV and film crews love to work.

Uwe Ochsenknecht and Hans-Peter Oehm in their Sa Cova in Santanyí

The friends Oehm and Ochsenknecht

"We said to ourselves, we're not getting any younger," says Oehm, "what else do we want in life?" That's when the idea of a music bar and restaurant came about.

The contract was not awarded until March 2017, the restaurant opened in June and the friendship lasted. Hans-Peter Oehm and Uwe Ochsenknecht joined the ranks of landlords.

The cave in Sa Cova
Culinary delights at Sa Cova
The interior design at Sa Cova Santanyí
Chef at Sa Cova: Manfred Schweiger
Sa Cova - Santanyí - Stone
Part of the rampart at Sa Cova Santanyí

"Breathing life into the bar together ..."

Sa Cova, two connected rooms with two entrance doors and many design options, was for lease. The two knew that the restaurant used to be a popular meeting place for locals as a music bar. Oehm and Ochsenknecht are very much focused on the Mallorcans, even if the menu is initially international, with currywurst, hamburgers, quiche and a long breakfast menu for the German public. And of course tapas are on the menu.

In the evenings in particular, the two expect locals when local bands play live music and a relaxed club atmosphere spreads.

It wasn't until March that the lease was granted and then it was time to get to work. "That was a stress test for our friendship," says Ochsenknecht with a grin, "and it survived." Hans-Peter Oehm, who has many years of experience in renovating, furnishing and designing old Mallorcan sandstone houses with his company "Piedra de Santanyí", set to work with relish.
You can see this in "the cave", as the store is called in Mallorcan. The namesake is a small bulge on a side wall.
Cave painting in Sa Cova
Inside, Oehm has set up a Stone Age-style seating area with low stools and brick benches covered in furs. The wall painting is also reminiscent of prehistoric art, with stylized cattle, horses and deer. Otherwise, a mix of styles with original individual pieces amuses visitors. A squeaky green cuckoo clock hangs above the piano, while a colorful chandelier in the vaulted ceiling catches the eye. The long bar counter is made from a single piece and painted with caramel-colored synthetic resin. The bar stools have velvet covers reminiscent of miniskirts.

Chillout, fun,
Dance & Music
at Sa Cova

Set up as a feel-good place

Despite all the variety, the overall impression of the interior is very harmonious: warm colors, high-quality materials, lots of wood, lots of stone, good ventilation and, above all, the sophisticated lighting make Sa Cova a feel-good place. You can make yourself comfortable here in winter, while in summer, the market square in front of the double façade beckons with comfortable wicker chairs under large parasols. And if it gets too hot for lunch, you can hide away in the cool cave.
Chill out in the cave

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