Arume, Palma

I last reviewed the Palma restaurant Arume in 2019, so a follow-up review was well overdue, especially as it’s one of my favourite places to eat in Mallorca’s capital. Its amiable Mallorcan owner and chef, Tomeu Martí, won the title of Spain’s best young chef in the year 2000 and seven years later opened Arume. He had gained experience in Tokyo and worked at the Japanese restaurant Tahini in Puerto Portals.

One of the reasons I love Arume is that Tomeu has been present every time I’ve visited, creating his culinary works of art in the open kitchen at the front of the restaurant. Many of his regular diners keep a personal set of chopsticks stored in a wall rack just inside the restaurant.

Arume’s décor is elegantly minimalist. On entering, there are counter seats on two sides of the open kitchen, which are ideal for diners eating alone or those who like a side order of culinary theatre. Conventional tables fill the rest of Arume, with some on the upper floor. Booking is recommended as there’s capacity for only around 40 diners.

Arume offers delicious and attractively presented Asian cuisine with Mediterranean touches (and local produce).

Lunch and dinner are both à la carte, and at night Tomeu also offers an omakase menu. Omakase means the chef chooses what dishes to present. It’s considered an act of trust and respect between chef and diner. The omakase menu costs 105€ per person and must be booked 48 hours in advance. Trying this experience is one of my gastro goals for 2026.

For our latest lunch, we shared Thai salmon dim sum (18,60€ for four pieces) after a complimentary appetizer.

Our main courses were crispy prawns, curry, and ‘mojo picón’ – a Canarian sauce (24€), and a generous bowl of creamy udon wok with scallops and shrimps (24€). My panko-covered prawns were perfectly cooked and flavourful, and I’m salivating as I write this, remembering how delicious they were.

I almost didn’t want to lose the residual taste of these plump prawns by eating anything else, but I have a weakness for the chocolate, fresh cheese, and orange dessert (9€), so we shared one portion.

We drank wine by the glass: a Verdejo for 5€ and the Mallorcan red, Supernova from Ca’n Verdura for 7€.

Good to know extra points: the menu and prices on the website are up to date, and for anyone travelling into Palma to eat, the restaurant is close to the Intermodal Station and several underground car parks on the Avenidas. What’s not to love about Tomeu Martí’s Arume?

Photos: ARUME / JAN EDWARDS

Prices correct at time of writing.