by Jan Edwards
Spanish cuisine’s most famous dish is undoubtedly paella, and it’s one that visitors to Spain are often keen to try. Although paella originated in Valencia, it’s possible to enjoy a good one in Mallorca if you know where to go.
If watching recent TV travel documentaries about Italy has made you long for a taste of ‘la dolce vita’, set your GPS for the town of Son Servera in the Llevant area of Mallorca. In the heart of the town, Restaurante Peperoncino offers tempting Italian cuisine and warm Italian hospitality that’ll transport you – at least in spirit – to ‘la bella Italia’.
For a high-quality restaurant to survive in Mallorca for 35 years, it must be something special. The smart Port Petit in Cala d’Or is such a restaurant. Not only does it have a great location and gorgeous views over the marina from its dining room and terrace, but also a well-deserved fine-dining reputation. It’s recommended in the Michelin Guide for 2023.
A short drive from the east coast or the town of Sant Llorenç takes you to the small village of Son Carrió, where innovative cuisine features on this restaurant’s monthly changing tasting menu.
Weather is warming up and we were in a mood to sit outside and enjoy a good glass of wine with a bite or two. Some friends had told us about this very authentic Spanish tapas bar in Ciudad Jardín.
You don’t have to be a Vall d’Or Golf Club member to visit the clubhouse upper-floor Restaurante mÁxime. This restaurant is independently owned-and-run by chef/patron Máxime Deymier, whose international culinary career has influenced his cuisine. He’s worked in London, Paris, San Sebastian, and St Martin, but settled some years ago back on Mallorca – where he’d been born to a Canadian mother and French father.
On a rather chilly and windy Monday evening in Palma, the area of Santa Catalina was eerily quiet. Until we entered The Duke – a cosy nook of a restaurant in a side street near Santa Catalina market. This was where everyone was, creating the buzzy warm ambience that’s evidence of an eatery that knows how to please its punters.
Porto Cristo has a new place to eat out and, unlike most eateries in the port, Osteria Dolores – which serves authentic Italian food – is open during the winter months.
It’s a scientific fact that being in the countryside is good for our mental wellbeing – but that’s only one reason to head for the 5-star hotel Castell Son Claret, in the stunning countryside outside the village of Es Capdellà.
Like several other chefs who have opened their own successful restaurants, Adrián Quetglas used to work for British chef Marc Fosh. After a decade working in Russia, in 2015, Adrián opened his own restaurant, which has a Michelin star. He also has the neighbouring D’Gustar tapas bar.
Plaça Raimundo Clar has become quite the foodie destination in the regenerated quarter known as Sa Gerreria, in Palma de Mallorca. Bars and restaurants border the attractive large square and, since last September, Japanese cuisine has expanded the variety of international flavours on offer here.
Toothsome isn’t a word I use very often, but it sprang to mind as I was eating a delicious lunch at Bi Bap restaurant in Palma de Mallorca last week. If I hadn’t been eating alone, I’d have used that word in conversation with my lunch companion. Instead, I’ve saved it for this review.
Watching a chef at work has always fascinated me, which is one of the reasons I enjoy eating at Tomeu Caldentey Cuiner in Sa Coma. Here, you sit at one of the gleaming counters that border a modern, well-equipped kitchen. It’s your ringside seat for the culinary action of Mallorcan chef Tomeu Caldentey.
Whatever the time of year, Portocolom is always worth a visit. Although the port never really feels crowded, on a sunny winter’s day there’s a tranquillity here that’s like a balm for the soul.
I’m always excited when I find a good restaurant by the sea that’s open in the winter – especially on one of those calm days when the sun shines from a clear blue sky.
Stay first opened in Port de Pollença in 1972; its present owner acquired the place in 1989 and in 2005, closed the restaurant to undertake a total reconstruction. The Mallorcan architect Luis García Ruiz created the contemporary design of the building that catches the eye on approaching the port along the coast road.
Joan’s cocina de autor is offered in an à la carte menu that’s available at both lunchtime and in the evenings.
The central plaza in Llucmajor is lined with eateries, which could make it hard to choose where to eat out. My recommendation is Tomates Verdes – co-owned by Jorge Escrivá de Romani, originally from Madrid, and chef Carlos Sierra Galán.
Sandra may not sound like a Chinese name, but it’s how customers of Restaurante Made in China know its owner Weifan Wang. Sandra is from Canton, southern China, but Spain has been her home for some thirty years. She had a restaurant in Madrid before opening Made in China a few years ago.
Lume & Co is in what were once the stables of the 15th-century Son Berga castle, just outside Genova. The restaurant is in gated premises, with a large private car park. With the convenience of only a short drive from the centre of Palma, it has a rural feel – and this is appreciated when eating al fresco on the terrace or having a drink in the outdoor chill-out area.
You’re unlikely to stumble across Basic Bar Restaurante on a wander around Palma de Mallorca. This restaurant is tucked away in a side street, off Carrer Aragón, close to the rear of El Corte Inglés on the Avenidas.
Canarian cuisine with creative modern touches awaits you at La Vieja de Jonay Hernández – located in the increasingly trendy Plaça de Raimundo Clar, in the regenerated area of Sa Gerreria, in Palma.
Opened in July, Avocado Club is an independent restaurant in Palma’s Passeig de Mallorca. The clue that you’ve found the place is the large wicker peacock chair outside, adorned with artificial flowers. Your first Instagram moment.
If you like to seize any opportunity to eat by the Mediterranean as summer slips into autumn, Cassai Beach House in Colònia de Sant Jordi is worth a visit. There’s an attractive nautical décor at this beachfront eatery at Cala Galiota. Three distinct dining areas are on different levels: the decked terrace is the lowest and closest to the beach.
You’re spoilt for choice when eating out in the picturesque mountain village of Deià, but if it’s authentic Asian flavours you’re hungry for, then Restaurant Nama is the place to head for. Nama is in a townhouse on the main street through the village and has been a popular eatery since it opened in 2016.
A family-run hotel in a Mallorcan resort may seem an unlikely place to find a restaurant with a cellar of 400 different Mallorcan and Spanish wines, but it’s the reason that Hotel El Coto in Colonia de Sant Jordi is known as ‘the wine hotel’.
Portocolom has plenty of eateries facing the picturesque harbour, but my favourite of them all is set apart from the others and may easily be missed because it’s above street level.
Mallorcan chef Andreu Genestra has two restaurants at the Hotel Predi Son Jaumell, in the countryside outside the northeast-Mallorcan town of Capdepera. The restaurant in his name has one Michelin star but, if your budget won’t stretch to Michelin-star dining, his Bistro Senzill at the same hotel offers an opportunity to eat Andreu’s cuisine at a more accessible price, in a less formal ambience.
Kairiku restaurant in the town of Campos offers an omakase dining experience that’s unique on the island. Omakase translates as ‘I trust you’ and that means you trust the chef to choose what to serve. Every dish of the menu at Kairiku comes as a delicious surprise and an example of authentic Japanese cuisine.
Located in a former convent in the hilltop town of Capdepera, Cova Negra is chef Pablo Tamarit’s own restaurant – an exciting addition to the gastronomic offering of Mallorca’s northeast.
You don’t have stay overnight at the 5-star rural Finca Serena to eat at this hotel’s Restaurant Jacaranda – where chef Celia Martín has the benefit of a well-stocked organic produce garden.
No self-respecting foodie should miss the opportunity to try the Michelin-starred cuisine at Marc Fosh restaurant in Palma de Mallorca – where an excellent-value lunch is on offer.
Arume restaurant in Palma is still my favourite place to eat Asian cuisine – with some Mediterranean touches. The amiable Mallorcan chef and owner Tomeu Martí honed his Asian culinary skills during his travels to that part of the world. He opened Arume in 2006, five years after winning the title of Spain’s best young chef, aged 21.
When Martín L. Segura bought the existing Quince Restaurante & Cantina in September 2015, his venture into restaurant ownership began. Today, the Argentinian owns four successful eateries in Porto Cristo and Porto Cristo Novo. Of them all, Quince is still our favourite, for its location, tasty international food, relaxed atmosphere, and super-friendly staff.
A restaurant owned by its chef is usually a reliable choice when looking for a place to eat good food. That’s certainly the case with Oliu restaurant – on the road between Andratx and Port d’Andratx – where Mallorcan chef and owner Joan Porcel Balaguer has been offering his creative dishes since 2013.
When the smart restaurant VORO opened this year at the 5-star Park Hyatt Mallorca, in Mallorca’s northeast resort of Canyamel, there was no doubt that the cuisine would be exceptional. This fine-dining restaurant has a talented young team in the kitchen, led by chef Álvaro Salazar. He previously worked in Puerto Pollensa at Argos, which was still in its debut year when Michelin first awarded it a coveted star.
Everyone should know a place to eat in Palma de Mallorca where they can escape the summer crowds and enjoy a well-priced lunch or dinner.
Restaurante Sebastian in the picturesque village of Deià is owned by the amiable German chef Sebastian Pasch and his delightful Irish wife Patricia, who runs front of house. Twenty-five years after they first opened their restaurant, they still appear to be enjoying what they do: cooking and serving delicious Mediterranean cuisine, based on fresh local produce.
If you knew Sa Punta a few years ago, you’ll find it’s changed quite a bit since then. Although still under the same ownership (a member of Rafa Nadal’s family), the restaurant was given a stylish new look in 2017 and positive changes were made to personnel and the menu. We visited after a few years’ absence and found a much-improved Sa Punta.
At first glance, Campos seems an unlikely setting for a fine-dining experience but, in the heart of this agricultural town, Tess de Mar is one of two excellent restaurants at the 5-star Sa Creu Nova Art Hotel and Spa – a sympathetic conversion of three townhouses.
Ponderosa Beach is not a typical ‘chiringuito’, although you’ll find it on the long sandy Playa de Muro. This family-run beach eatery – which has its roots back in 1967 – offers an unexpected level of gastronomy for a place where there’s sand beneath your table.
Santosha restaurant is in a quiet lane in the heart of Palma, offering sanctuary from the bustle of the more tourist-populated areas. Owners Ruth and Eran previously worked in the yachting sector as chef and captain respectively and put their roots down in Mallorca to open this restaurant in 2016.
Palma’s newest tapas bar is alongside, and belongs to, Hotel Mamá in Palma’s iconic Plaza de Cort. As with the adjoining hotel, the look of the place was created by the famous French interior designer Jacques Grange.
A quirky painted sign of a sitting cat outside a residential-street townhouse in Sant Llorenç is your welcome to Es Pati, a cosy family-friendly restaurant that’s open only in the evenings and offers gourmet cuisine.
Forn in Palma is in a former 19th-century bakery in La Lonja that was converted into a restaurant in 1992. The founder’s sons Carlos and Christian are now responsible for Forn restaurant, which has recently undergone a stylish makeover.
Botànic is the restaurant of the stunning 5-star hotel Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden in Palma’s La Lonja – but you don’t have to be staying overnight to eat here. Botànic opened late December 2018, offering all-day dining and a refreshing culinary concept for Palma: nourishing gourmet cuisine that’s largely plant-based, using organic local produce.
This restaurant is one of two in Artà owned by German chef Sascha – and a hotspot for steak fans.
This week’s Restaurant of the Week is, in fact, a café, but it’s one with oodles of style, delicious international food, and friendly table service. Café Rialto is within the Swedish-owned lifestyle store Rialto Living, offering a comfortable and super-stylish place to eat and drink at any time during the day.
Bindi is a popular restaurant in the bohemian Palma district of Santa Catalina. It offers delicious authentic Indian cuisine, based on fresh products and traditional spices. British woman Bindu Shah and Patryk Kusiak own this restaurant, which has been pleasing fans of Indian food since 2014 and attracts an international clientele.
The warren-like walled town of Alcúdia is the location of the new Restaurant Apolonia – part of the British-owned boutique hotel Can Mostatxins Frare. Park your car outside the old walls and a few minutes’ walk takes you into this historic town’s maze of appealing streets. The chic 11-room Can Mostatxins Frare is in a tranquil lane just off Alcúdia’s main square.
Like several chefs with their own restaurants on Mallorca, Marcel Ress previously worked with the renowned British chef Marc Fosh at the Michelin-starred former Bacchus restaurant in Santa Maria and, later, at the starred Simply Fosh in Palma de Mallorca.
A friendly Italian couple opened this popular Italian pizzeria/restaurant in the heart of Sineu in 2015. Chiara (front of house) is from Turin and her partner Ciro (the chef) from Naples – hence the Neapolitan influence in his cuisine.
A renowned London restaurateur is behind this smart tapas bar, opened last September – just steps away from Palma de Mallorca’s Borne.
Quinta Avenida has been open only since the middle of December last year but has already found fans for its delicious Japanese cuisine, which has a few small Mediterranean touches.
Even if you didn’t know that the Spanish word for lilac was ‘lila’, you could probably guess: the décor of the waterfront restaurant Lila in Portals Nous features plenty of this colour. Lila Portals is at the end of a small road that leads to the seafront. Parking may be difficult during the summer but out of the main season you shouldn’t have any problems.
The 5-star Hotel Glòria de Sant Jaume in Palma’s Old Town is home to this restaurant, which has its own entrance from the street. A year after opening, El Patio de Glòria now has a new chef, à la carte menu, and maître.
Palma’s Santa Catalina district has yet another eatery to please vegetarians and flexitarians. Temple is owned and run by charming Parisians in a beautifully restored townhouse, with exposed stone walls, slim iron pillars, and stunning photographic artwork on the walls.
The family-run restaurant Can March in Manacor originally opened as Fonda Can March in 1925 and ownership is still in the same family. In the year 2000, the restaurant was given a new look and concept, offering New Mallorcan cuisine – modern interpretations of traditional island recipes with international culinary touches.
Tucked away around the corner from Palma de Mallorca’s Jaime III, Fera Restaurant and Bar first opened in the autumn of 2017 and quickly gained a loyal following. The restaurant is in a tastefully restored old palacio and you enter through a small courtyard. Even before you pass through the automatic glass doors, you can see that the experience of eating here is something different.
Tomeu Caldentey was the first Mallorcan chef to have his cuisine recognised with a Michelin star, which was awarded for 14 successive years. Last summer, Tomeu said goodbye to the star – releasing himself from its ‘golden shackles’ – and closed the doors of Bou restaurant in Sa Coma. He reopened the premises with a new simpler concept and name: Tomeu Caldentey Cuiner. Tomeu’s flavourful food – honest, seasonal, and based on top-quality local produce – is offered in an exclusive dining experience that’s affordable and therefore more accessible.
Fernando Pérez Arellano – renowned chef of the two-Michelin-starred Zaranda at Castell Son Claret hotel – opened his second, more informal, restaurant Baiben in the glamorous Puerto Portals marina in October 2016. Unlike Zaranda, Baiben is open all year round – only closing on Christmas Eve night.
The old town of Palma de Mallorca is home to Quadrat, within the 5-star Sant Francesc Hotel Singular. It’s an elegant restaurant located in this former palacio’s original stables and you’ll see hints of the space’s original use in the interior décor.
The 5-star Gran Hotel Son Net is at the heart of a 17th-century country estate. This stunning hilltop mansion looks over the village of Puigpunyent and is backed by the rugged Serra de Tramuntana mountains. The hotel is a haven of rural tranquillity but is around only 15 minutes’ drive from Palma. And you don’t have to be staying in the hotel to have dinner in Oleum, its gourmet restaurant.
Offering one of Palma’s most diverse and innovative menus, Vandal is the product of its two creative owners’ international careers. Executive chef Bernabé Caravotta worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in France and Denmark – Mirazur and with René Redzepi at the renowned Noma, respectively – and at the Blue Elephant Thai cooking school in Thailand, before moving to Mallorca in 2007.
The former Meliá Palas Atenea is now known as the Meliá Palma Marina Hotel and, in giving the hotel a brand-new look and facilities, Meliá opened the hotel’s ground-floor all-day eatery, Moss.
If you like to eat out in Palma but close to the Mediterranean Sea, the restaurant at the Hotel Portixol is well worth a visit. The Swedish-owned hotel has bags of Scandi style and a prime position in the picturesque Portixol harbour – a pleasant walk from the city centre.
Porto Cristo is the home of Vïbes by Quince, opened this year as the sister restaurant of the port’s popular Quince and 15teen Cantina and Garden, in nearby Porto Cristo Novo.
If you’re in the Manacor area around lunchtime, the Rafa Nadal Sport Café & Restaurant offers a great-value set menu, with a choice of dishes for each course. It’s in the Rafa Nadal Sports Centre and Museum Xperience building, but you don’t have to be visiting either of these to eat and drink here.