Cafè Es Pes de sa Palla, Palma

Like Café Inca – a Restaurant of the Week earlier this year – Cafè Es Pes de sa Palla in Palma is part of Esment, the organization founded in 1962 to provide professional catering apprenticeships and meaningful work opportunities for people with mental health issues.

Es Pes de sa Palla opened in 1996 in a quiet part of Palma’s Old Town, near the Basilica of Sant Francesc and the Moorish fortification, Torres Gumara, also known as El Temple (currently being restored).

This may be a quieter part of Palma, but you’ll often find Es Pes de sa Palla very busy with locals who come perhaps to support Esment’s work but also because the Mediterranean food served here is honest, simple, and made from good produce – some of which is grown on Casa Esment’s organic garden near Son Ferriol. 

Eat indoors or at a table on the large, elevated terrace in front of the sandstone-coloured building. Indoors feels buzzy and cosy, with attractive lighting, wooden ceiling beams, and a colourful display of ensaïmada box covers on one wall. Organic, artisan breads and baked goods from Esment’s bakery, Can Pa, can also be bought to take away. 

Es Pes de sa Palla opens for breakfast, snacks, tapas, and drinks here during the day – as well as lunch.

The seasonal menu is à la carte, and there’s a separate list of the week’s suggested dishes.               

Starters include gildas, three types of ‘croquetas’, coca, and decent battered squid with lemon aioli (15€), which a friend and I shared on our last visit.   

After starters, there are rice and fideuà specialities (18€-22€), ember-roasted dishes, other mains, sides, and combination dishes – for example, a quarter of roast chicken, Russian salad, and French fries (18€).     

On our last visit, we chose from the week’s suggestions: a hearty lentil and vegetable stew (14€) for my friend and a tasty chicken and vegetable cannelloni for me (16€). Both were satisfying and ticked the ‘comfort food’ box.

During a previous lunch with friends, we tried turbot with a side dish of grilled vegetables (24€) and squid with ‘trempó’ (22€) from the ember-roasted dishes section. 

Eight desserts (1,25€-6€) from Can Pa include artisan ice creams and sorbets, cheesecake, the almond cake known as ‘gató’, and grilled ensaïmade with ice cream. 

Last week, my friend and I were both driving, so we drank alcohol-free beer, but wine drinkers will find four reasonably priced organic ones from Gallinas & Focas, a collaboration between 4 Kilos Vinícola and Esment.

The Esment Foundation has made a difference to the lives of many people who might otherwise not easily have gained hospitality training and employment, so it’s not only the food that will give you a good feeling when visiting Café Es Pes de sa Palla in Palma.

Prices correct at time of writing.