Canela, Palma

Canela is the Spanish name for one of my favourite spices, cinnamon. It also happens to be the name of one of the cosiest, tucked-away places to eat in Palma. This restaurant took its name from the building’s original purpose as a gourmet deli.

I’d known, enjoyed, and reviewed Canela under its previous ownership but hadn’t tried it since the hospitality group Five Senses Collection took over in the summer of 2023, some sixteen months after the tragic death of the previous chef/patron. My visit was long overdue.

You’ll find Canela opposite the parish church of Sant Jaume in the atmospheric Carrer Sant Jaume. The frontage of the restaurant is narrow and opens into a dining space with tables on either side and the feel of an intimate Parisian bistro. Five Senses Collection has sensitively preserved much of the late Fabián Fuster’s legacy in terms of the décor, with some enhancements, such as the table lights.

Pass the bar and you’ll find an area with a large table for groups adjoining another attractive dining space. There’s also an open kitchen, where Five Senses Collection’s executive chef Fernando Coradazzi’s dishes are expertly prepared in front of diners at the Chef’s Table.

The cuisine is a blend of Mediterranean and Asian influences, with a choice of the tasting menu or à la carte menu of light bites, small plates from the farm (starring vegetables), raw and cured, and large plates from the land and sea. It’s a tapas-style dining concept, with the sharing of dishes encouraged.

Canela opens from 18:00h, making it ideal for those who like or need to eat earlier than is possible in many Palma restaurants. After a long day of appointments in Palma, we were pleased to be able to eat dinner earlier than usual.

We decided to try the tempting tasting menu on a future occasion, giving us an excuse to return soon, and spent time deciding what to choose from the á la carte menu. It’s all very appealing. We started with fat, juicy gordal olives stuffed with vermouth gel – so good I think that even those who don’t care for olives would enjoy them.

Then we had two dishes from the ‘Light Bites’ section: beetroot ‘ravioli’ (14€) and red prawn tacos (2 for 22€). Both were real pleasers and Canela’s friendly Swedish manager, Camilla, told us the beetroot dish is one of their most popular. Despite its name, there was no pasta in the beetroot dish, which included creamy, soft cheese, raspberries, and pistachio. The flavours and contrasting textures make this a must-order dish.

The prawn tacos included avocado two ways, smoked vanilla oil, and a slice of lime. Another delicious and appealingly presented dish.

From the large plates section, I had tender confit suckling pig with pineapple two ways (puréed and roasted in the Kamado oven) and pak choi with notes of orange and chilli (28€). My companion chose fried seabass, with enoki mushrooms, bimi, and peanut sauce (32€). Both the main plate dishes were served on warmed plates – a bonus point from me.

Canela has a good list of interesting-sounding signature and classic cocktails, but we opted for Mallorcan wine by the glass. By the bottle, there are well-chosen wines from Mallorca, the Peninsula, France, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, and the US – including some wines that connoisseurs will appreciate.

Dessert fans shouldn’t miss Canela’s take on deconstructed lemon pie (12€) or their choc-n-cherries treat, black forest (12€). Both were delicious but for me, the citrusy dessert was the perfect end to our dinner at cosy Canela. An experience I’m delighted to recommend.

Photos: Jan Edwards

Prices correct at time of writing.