by Jan Edwards
I probably wouldn’t have discovered Sa Figu Morisca Gastrobar if it weren’t for a Dutch friend in the nautical sector who recommended it to me. I wasn’t familiar with Sardinia’s regional specialities and had never heard of this Palma restaurant, so I had to try it.
When I’m asked to name my favourite restaurant in Mallorca, I’m spoilt for choice and usually dodge the question politely. But one restaurant that has been among my absolute favourites since we moved to the island – despite changing its name, concept, and address – is Tomeu Caldentey Cuiner in Sa Coma.
This week I’m reviewing a gastronomic experience, featuring not one but four restaurants. Food Tours Balearics offers self-guided food tours, during which you eat and drink at four different establishments.
The focus is on Felanitx this week, where Estragon La Plaça is one of three restaurants in the town we like to visit. It first opened in 1995, when it looked very different from the contemporary interior you’ll find today. Subsequently, the restaurant’s undergone two changes of ownership and, since November 2023, it’s been in the hands of Felix Passow, who moved here from Berlin.
Over the past few summers, we’ve had lunch or dinner several times on the terrace of the rural hotel Rotana La Reserva – just a few minutes’ drive from Manacor. As the hotel has been closed for renovation for most of this summer, we’ve missed eating at the restaurant that’s closest to our home. In recent weeks, the terrace – La Terraza restaurant – reopened, and we went for dinner, surprised to see that the car park was busier than we’d ever seen it during previous visits.
Only a short walk from Plaça d’Espanya, you’ll find Bar Rey Sancho, which, despite its name, is a restaurant – and a surprisingly good one that’s off the tourist-beaten track.
When you find a restaurant in Palma that is already almost booked out for its New Year’s Eve celebration, before September has even begun, it’s fair to say you’ve found a restaurant worth a visit. That’s the case with Pedro’s Day Bar Restaurant in Santa Catalina.
On Mallorca’s east coast, between Cala Bona and Costa de los Pinos, you’ll find Port Vell. Quieter than the nearby resorts of Cala Bona, Cala Millor, and Sa Coma, Port Vell has a relaxed, low-key vibe and a long, narrow beach lined with pine and tamarisk trees for shade.
Earlier this year, I first tried the restaurant Ayt Iraten, within the adults-only, boutique hotel Juz de Yartan in Artà. I’d gone there because Gabriel Nebot, a chef whose food I’d appreciated in his previous hotel restaurant, was now leading the kitchen.
Turó describes itself as a ‘restaurant with history’, although it reopened under new management only in 2024. The history relates to the finca that’s home to Turó – the centuries-old estate, S’Alqueria des Comte. It was first mentioned in 1273, when the Count of Empúries acquired it, however, the estate also features a prehistoric cave. The Consell de Mallorca has listed the finca as a Cultural Heritage Site.
The Mallorcan town of Vilafranca de Bonany is the home of the annual melon fair, and the melon, in different varieties, is an important crop in the surrounding countryside. Vilafranca is less famous for its restaurants and, until recently, I’d never eaten out in the town.
As much as I enjoy summer eating out by the sea in Mallorca, I’m also a fan of dining in rural restaurants for a more relaxing ambience. And, yes, easier parking!
After a morning appointment in Palma on a day that was unbearably hot and humid, we needed somewhere cool to eat lunch – preferably away from that day’s cruise-ship crowds in the city centre.
Tucked away in one of Artà’s back streets, off the usual tourist route, is the local Co-operative’s old building, where farmers used to bring and weigh their carobs and almonds. In October 2024, the Co-operative transformed this space into a bistro and a shop as an outlet for the produce of its members and other local growers. Named after the old agricultural weighing scale, Sa Bàscula is a farm-to-table experience of Mallorcan food and drink.
Sometimes, if you’re driving to a familiar destination, it’s easy to pay little attention to places you pass on the way. This was the case with Mos Restobar, which has been open for five years in Son Serra de Marina. I must have driven past it countless times on my way to one of the two eateries facing the dunes of Son Serra. Still, when one of my Instagram followers – someone whose culinary judgement I trust – asked if I’d ever eaten at Mos Restobar, I knew I should try it.
Mallorca’s inland village of Petra seems likely to have more visitors this year. Not only is it the birthplace of the 18th-century Franciscan friar Junipero Serra, who founded missions on the West Coast of America, but it’s also the home of two new 4-star boutique hotels that have just opened.
If eating tasty Mediterranean cuisine with a side order of sea view and cooling breezes appeals to you, A Popa Sea Club restaurant at the 5-star Hotel Santos Nixe Palace ticks those boxes.
The Manacor area has a new restaurant – and it’s one to try if you enjoy rural settings, no parking hassle, and, most importantly, delicious food made from the freshest of produce.
Portocolom is one of Mallorca’s unspoilt places, where almost every restaurant, café, and bar has harbour views. Over the past twenty years, we’ve eaten in most of them and seen a few come and go.
The American author and nutritionist, Adelle Davis, recommended eating ‘breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.’ The breakfast at the Hospes Maricel & Spa in Mallorca seems fit for royalty, having twice been named ‘The World’s Best Breakfast’ at the annual Madrid Fusion Gastronomic Summit. I wonder if the Spanish royals have ever visited during their holidays at Mallorca’s Marivent Palace.
Son Serra de Marina is renowned for its beautiful Alcúdia Bay views and virgin beach backed by extensive dunes. But this place would have looked very different today if the 1970 plans to develop the area near the dunes into a large holiday resort had come to fruition. Fortunately, the project didn’t happen, and Son Serra de Marina is still a place to escape the commercialism of so many of Mallorca’s beaches.
Although I’ve never stayed overnight in the iconic Castillo Hotel Son Vida, I’ve visited many times over the years for various reasons, drawn there by the unbeatable, panoramic views of Palma and the Bay of Palma, as well as the splendour of this iconic hotel, located on a 13th-century finca.
Here’s a restaurant that may appeal to those who like a family-run, kid-friendly, rural restaurant with a garden and, bonus point, its own car park. Placeta Garden fits these criteria and is a short drive from both Pollença and Port de Pollença.
This week’s restaurant is in the category of ‘Mallorca’s best sunset views’, being located on the seafront in Colònia de Sant Pere. From this privileged location, you can watch the sun sink behind the Tramuntana mountains on the far side of the Bay of Alcúdia.
Nothing says that summer is almost here like eating out with your toes buried in the sand. Especially when that sand is on a beach widely considered as one of Spain’s best – Platja de Muro.
CRU in Manacor is a cosy restaurant appealing to those who enjoy home-cooked food and natural wines made from organic grapes, without additives. CRU is one of only two establishments in Manacor featured in the international natural wine and food lovers’ digital guide Raisin (the other is the tapas bar, Origen).
My previous Restaurant of the Week was in a winery; this week’s also has a point of difference because it has a small museum on site. The restaurant Molí de Son Rafal is in the inland town of Llubí, which is also home to the Rosselló company – famous for its production of olives, oils, vinegars, and pickles.
Many wineries in Mallorca offer space for private events, including dinners, but so far, only one bodega has a restaurant open to the public. The family winery, Blanca Terra, in Montuïri opened its restaurant for the first time in mid-March this year, and as it’s the sole winery restaurant on the island, it had to be tried.
The arrival of a new chef in a restaurant is always a good excuse to visit – especially when it’s someone whose food you’ve enjoyed in their previous position. This was the case with the restaurant, Ayt Iraten in Artà, where Mallorcan chef Gabriel Nebot is now in the kitchen, having left Son Penya Petit Hotel and Spa after more than 16 years.
Plenty of restaurants and cafés in Palma offer pizza, but the quality varies, and some pizzas are bought-in as an easier option to cater for tourists seeking something familiar. For lovingly made artisan pizzas, head for A GoGò Pizzabar just off Plaza Santa Eulalia, where the welcoming business owners and life partners, Camilla Riccardi and Jerónimo Alonso, have been offering their authentic Italian pizzas and street food since the summer of 2024.
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.
Strictly speaking, Bhukkad Boca is a café rather than a restaurant, but food and drink are served all day, and there’s even a ‘menú del día’. For a café, Bhukkad Boca’s hospitality ethos punches above its weight, thanks to the experienced couple behind this family-run business.
I’d not considered eating out in the Palma suburb of Son Rapinya until I heard about GastroBar by Angélica Pastrana. After dinner there, I understand why this small eatery attracts diners from all over Palma and beyond. And why it’s garnered numerous positive reviews.
Now is an excellent time to eat out in Mallorca – and here’s why: The second edition of Mallorca Restaurant Week has begun and, despite its name, this special promotion featuring some of the best restaurants on the island lasts for five weeks this year, until March 31st.
Hunger can strike at any time when shopping or sightseeing in Palma, so it’s good to know a stylish place where you can eat in a relaxing ambience in the heart of the city. Café Rialto fits that bill and is in the appealing setting of the renowned Swedish-owned lifestyle store, Rialto Living.
If you’re planning a day in Palma and want somewhere stylish where you can enjoy a reasonably priced ‘menú del día’, Xalest could be for you.
If a trip to Peru isn’t currently in your travel plans, but you love the cuisine of this South American country, head to the centre of Manacor for a visit to the restaurant Mamacona – Cocina Peruana.
This Restaurant of the Week captures the essence of ‘la dolce vita’ here in Mallorca. Of the many Italian restaurants on the island, this is one of my favourites, nestled in the heart of a traditional town in the Llevant area of Mallorca, near the east coast.
Most of the seafront restaurants in the east coast resort of Cala Millor are closed for the winter, but if it’s Indian food you’re craving, you’re in luck. The restaurant Indian Taj is open all year round, and is an example of the impressive work ethic of people from the Indian continent; it’s open every day and all day from lunchtime until late.
If you like a restaurant with a specifically themed décor, Motorworld Inn could be for you. If you’re a serious petrolhead, you’ve probably already discovered this restaurant within the German-owned Motorworld complex that opened its doors in April 2025.
If you’re looking for a vibrant but sophisticated place to eat tapas and experience a high level of hospitality, El Camino in Palma is recommended. First opened in 2019 by Eddie Hart, it’s become one of the Mallorcan capital’s hotspots for visitors and residents, which means that securing a short-notice reservation in season can be difficult.
Finding a special eatery outside Palma with a waterside vibe at this time of year can be a challenge. But a popular seasonal restaurant in the Cala d’Or Marina has reopened for the festive period until January 6th.
There’s no Restaurant of the Week in this Christmas week, but if you’re looking for a place to eat out in Mallorca, I’m here to remind you that you’ll find dozens of restaurants featured here on our Mallorca Sunshine Radio website.
Chef Abraham Artigas’s food at Ponderosa Beach on Playa de Muro first impressed me in 2016. He raised the bar for eating in a ‘chiringuito’ and turned Ponderosa into a foodie destination.
Here are three things you may not know about the village of Cas Concos, between Felanitx and Santanyí: its full name is Cas Concos des Cavaller; it has a population of fewer than a thousand people, and has a popular restaurant serving great Japanese food.
With most of the best restaurants in Mallorca outside Palma closed for the winter, it’s good to know you can still find one that’s open: Tomeu Caldentey Cuiner in the east coast resort of Sa Coma.
Food with flavours of the world, made from local produce, is on the menu at Übeck in Manacor. Chef Javier Hoebeeck – who moved from leading the Michelin-starred Fusion 19 to work at the Four Seasons Resort Mallorca in Formentor this year – opened his own Manacor gastro-tavern four years ago and has since expanded opening hours to seven days a week. Javier has also opened a second Übeck in Palma, following the success of the Manacor operation.
This week I’m not featuring a conventional restaurant, but a farm-to-table experience in the beautiful, rural valley near Manacor known as Sa Vall.
Choosing where to eat in Santa Catalina can be a challenge with such a large choice of eateries. But if you value honest, stripped-back cooking and dishes made from carefully chosen ingredients, I’d recommend trying chef Irene Martínez’s restaurant Nus, which has been open for three years.
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.
With many resort restaurants set to close at the end of Mallorca’s holiday season, it’s good to know about places still open on the coast when the weather is fine and a dose of ‘vitamin sea’ is required.
If eating out in a building with a history appeals, Andana fits the bill. This restaurant, next to the entrance to Palma’s bustling public transport hub, the Estación Intermodal, is housed in Mallorca’s first railway station building, dating from the late 19th century.
Did you know that you can eat in the best fine dining restaurant in Spain and the second-best fine dining restaurant in the world – without leaving Mallorca?
Did you know that the small mountain village of Estellencs holds an annual autumn gastronomic fair? It happened at the weekend, but if you missed it, Restaurant Montimar is another reason for foodies to visit this achingly picturesque part of Mallorca.
Port de Pollença has no shortage of contemporary restaurants, but a little way along the seafront from the heart of the resort is an eatery with more history, a good reputation, and the cellar-restaurant vibes that many visitors – and islanders – appreciate. Josep and his restaurant co-founder Lucía opened Ca’n Josep as their restaurant in 2009, although the premises date back to 1961.
You’ll find paella on the menu in many resort eateries in Mallorca, although the quality of this traditional Valencian dish varies and sometimes disappoints. But Grano a Grano in S’Illot is worth a visit because its range of rice dishes goes beyond the ubiquitous paella. Grano a Grano is an ‘arrocería’ – a restaurant specialising in a variety of rice dishes.
Authentic home-made Italian cuisine is on offer at the cosy restaurant Il Bistrot in Manacor, located in Plaça de la Constitució, in the shadow of Manacor’s impressive church and only a gnocco’s throw from the town’s fresh produce market stalls.
If wining and dining well alongside a swimming pool in a verdant garden appeals to you, Salma Restaurant in Colònia de Sant Jordi is a place to try before the season ends.
Close to the east coast around Cales de Mallorca is a place that feels a world away from the resort eateries. Around 11km from Cales de Mallorca in the direction of Manacor, the four-star hotel Principal Son Amoixa is nestled in a 16th-century rural estate.
One of my favourite seasonal eating-out places isn’t a bricks-and-mortar restaurant, but out in the countryside around Manacor. Terragust is a farm-to-table dining experience and a gastronomic success story in Mallorca.
This week’s Restaurant of the Week is not only in a 5-star hotel but also has five-star views. The Castillo Hotel Son Vida is an icon in Mallorca, a renovated 13th-century castle in a commanding position, that’s been a luxury hotel since 1961.
As soon as we arrived at the restaurant S’Oratge, I knew we’d be returning. It wasn’t only the gorgeous seafront setting, but also the warm welcome and handshake from Victor as we walked in. I knew his name because it was on the contact page of the website, and I took him to be the restaurant manager. I later found out he’s one of the two partners in this restaurant (and two others in the east of Mallorca).
Looking for somewhere different to eat in the east of Mallorca? How about a disused railway station? S’Estació in Sant Llorenç des Cardassar is on the old railway line that operated between Manacor and Artà from 1921 until 1977. Today, the tracks have gone, and this former station sits alongside what has been one of Spain’s green paths – a Via Verde – for the past eleven years.
Brusca Brewpub in Manacor is a combination of microbrewery, bar, and restaurant, tucked away in an 18th-century former flour mill just a short walk from Manacor’s railway station. Its owners are Miquel Gelabert (the son of the renowned winemaker and himself a winemaker) and his partner Neus Llopis, who has a master’s degree in Biotechnology, Advanced Microbiology, and Fermentation from the University of Tarragona – where the couple first met.
Felanitx has become a town to watch for good places to eat. Back in February, former Restaurant of the Week, Pax Gastrobar, opened there and has become hugely popular, unveiling a front terrace and rear courtyard in the months since.
Roka, the pop-up restaurant that had a waiting list for tables last year, has returned to Mallorca for a fourth season. Internationally known for its modern Japanese dining experience, the Roka story began in 2004 when the first restaurant opened in London. Today, diners can also enjoy Roka restaurants in Dubai, Turkey, Greece, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and until September 7th, in Mallorca.
Mallorca is home to several restaurants owned by chefs who gained invaluable experience working for the British chef Marc Fosh, whose Palma restaurant has a Michelin star. One of these is Vida Meva – a family business that opened in Palma in 2017. Chef Toni Martorell worked with Marc Fosh for seven years at the former Palma restaurants Misa Braseria and Simply Fosh. That experience is evident when eating at Vida Meva.
Porto Cristo has plenty of eateries where you can enjoy waterfront views, with dishes catering to all tastes and budgets. But for a more refined dining experience, it’s worth sacrificing the sea view for a visit to Restaurant Roland, in a side street in the heart of this east coast resort town.
You do not have to be a golfer to enjoy eating at Rotana La Reserva, the beautiful hotel with a private nine-hole golf course and vineyards. Located in the scenic Sa Vall, just a few minutes’ drive from the Via Palma – the main road through Manacor – it’s the perfect place to escape the bustle of the town and the summer visitors.
If you’re someone who likes to eat and drink in iconic places, the newly opened Victoria Grand Café at the Hotel Victoria Gran Meliá could be for you, as it’s inspired by the golden years of this hotel.
Photo: https://cafenou.com
Is it a pub? Is it a café? Is it a restaurant? Cafè Nou in Marratxí’s Sa Cabaneta district successfully manages to be all these things and more. For us, it was an unscheduled stop for a light lunch during a day of appointments. We hadn’t booked but were lucky to get a table. If you want to eat at Cafè Nou, I recommend that you make a reservation.
Photo: Es Molí Sa Coma
One of my favourite chefs in Mallorca – I do have a few – is Tomeu Caldentey, whose restaurant Tomeu Caldentey Cuiner is in the east coast resort of Sa Coma, offering tasting menus from an open kitchen.
Photo: Restaurante Golf Alcanada
You don’t have to be a golfer to appreciate why lunching at a golf course restaurant can be a good idea. The food portions are generous to satisfy hungry golfers after they’ve come off the course, and the surroundings are restful, lush with well-maintained greens, and have lovely views.
The rural hotel Finca Serena, near Montuïri, more than lives up to its name, with its tranquil, elevated setting offering surrounding views of the Pla de Mallorca. But you don’t have to be staying in one of this 5-star hotel’s 25 luxurious rooms and suites to spend some time here: Finca Serena’s restaurant, Jacaranda, is also open to the public and nourishes the soul as well as the body.
This week’s choice is for anyone in Palma who’s on a budget but would still like to have a three-course lunch with a glass of wine, beer, or a soft drink – in a stylish, contemporary setting – for less than twenty euros.
You don’t have to be a hiker to visit Bar Bodega Biniaraix, but it is a good place to know if you are donning your walking boots for one of the several scenic hikes around this part of the Sóller valley.
If you enjoy food that’s a creative fusion of Japanese and Peruvian with Mediterranean influences, a restaurant in the heart of Palma’s prestigious shopping area should be on your list.
It’s not difficult to find a good pizza in Mallorca, especially if you’re in Palma where several pizzerias are known for them. But if you’re in the northeast of Mallorca and want to eat freshly cooked authentic Neapolitan pizza, where do you go? Try N’Apolonia Restaurant in Artà.
You can eat cuisine from around the world in Palma, thanks to the wide variety of restaurants in Mallorca’s capital. But if it’s authentic Greek food you want, you’ll need to walk a little further from the touristic heart of Palma. You’ll be rewarded for your walk by Palet, a Greek-Mediterranean tavern, offering a good-value set lunch menu (weekdays except Fridays), appealing interior, friendly staff, and Greek chef/co-owner Stavros Gkouliamanis’s delicious food.
Have you ever read about somewhere in a novel and been inspired to visit the place? That was the case for me with Contrabando, a tapas and wine bar in Llucmajor. This business is mentioned in each of the four Mallorca-based action crime novels in The 3R International Series by former police officer, Pete Davies.
This week’s Restaurant of the Week is an ideal place for family meals out or for anyone wanting a rural and more traditional Mallorcan eating-out experience. Binicanella describes itself as a rustic restaurant and that’s a fair description.
It’s useful to know about a restaurant in Mallorca that’s by the sea, open 365 days a year, and offers Mediterranean-Asian cuisine. Negre in Port d’Alcúdia is such a place. It’s also open all day, which means that cooked breakfast cravings can also be satisfied there, thanks to the separate all-morning breakfast menu.
Paddington Bear isn’t the only notable – albeit fictional – export from Peru. The South American country’s gastronomy has fans around the world, for its flavours, textures, and some exotic native produce.
Now is an excellent time to eat out in Mallorca – and here’s why!
Here’s exciting news for foodies looking to eat out in Felanitx: PAX Gastrobar has opened in the town’s quiet Plaça Pax. I’d been following the progress of the new project on social media – excited by what I was seeing.
The first time I ate chef Santi Taura’s cuisine was at his original restaurant, which opened in 2003 in his hometown, Lloseta. I was blown away by the experience and excited to find such an appealing representation of the local cuisine.
This week, I’m recommending a taste of ‘la dolce vita’ at the Italian restaurant Osteria El Patio in Alcúdia Old Town. I first wrote about this eatery in 2017, when it had been open for two years. As well as the delicious food and friendly staff, I loved the large rear patio which, in the height of summer, felt like a haven from the holidaymakers who swarm through the streets of this medieval walled town.
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.
Restaurants serving Italian dishes are plentiful in Mallorca, but a proper Italian restaurant owned by an Italian chef serving authentic dishes from his country’s cuisine is noteworthy. Ristorante Terra di Vino is in Binissalem, making it perfect for lunch or dinner if exploring this wine-producing area.
For Can March restaurant in Manacor, 2025 is an important year because this iconic family business celebrates its centenary. First opened in 1925 as a café serving the good folks of Manacor, one hundred years later it’s a smart restaurant with an enviable, island-wide reputation. Can March will mark its centenary with some special events during the year and the publication of a book about the business and its history, in several languages including English.
If you like the thought of an eatery that helps disadvantaged people into meaningful employment, you should have a warm feeling when eating at Café Inca in, you guessed it, Inca.
Having been a fan of Andreu Genestra’s Palma restaurant, Aromata, since it first opened, I was shocked late in 2024 to hear that the restaurant was leaving its original premises with no new address revealed at the time.
If your ideal restaurant is cosy, has super-friendly owners, and home-made food, Restaurant Alma Cas Patró in Son Carrió, near Sant Llorenç, is worth a visit. Originally a café/bar, the premises became the home of Samuel and Rosy’s restaurant in August 2023. A bonus for those in Mallorca out of season is that Restaurant Alma Cas Patró is open all year, serving Mediterranean cuisine for lunch and dinner.
If you’re looking for a glamorous location for dinner, it’s hard to beat Yara in Puerto Portals. But there’s a lot more to this restaurant than the waterfront setting and views of dreamy motor yachts. It’s also where you’ll find the impeccable Japanese-Mediterranean cuisine of Simon Petutschnig, the executive chef and co-owner of Yara.
One of Palma’s most popular tapas restaurants, El Camino, now has a younger (and smaller) sibling – the appropriately named El Caminito, which opened in early October. British restaurateur Eddie Hart and his professional team created this new eatery in a tucked-away lane, strategically located only a few minutes away from El Camino.
If the Christmas decorations or some festive gift shopping mean a trip to Palma, you’ll probably need some midday sustenance. For a touch of luxury, an escape from the bustle of Mallorca’s capital, and good food and service, head to The Merchants in the area known as La Lonja.
For a town that was once the capital of Mallorca (from the start of the 13th century until the mid-14th century), Sineu is a sleepy place when it’s not market day. On an autumn Monday evening, our footsteps echoed on the cobbled pavements as we walked through the quiet streets and lanes to our destination, Bar Ten.
This week’s featured restaurant is not where you’d go on a first date or to celebrate a special occasion, but it has a welcome simplicity that’s missing from so much in life. Son Bascos, near Montuïri, is also very affordable, which makes it a popular choice for those in the know.
You may think it unlikely that you’d find a high-quality lunch for 22€ from a Mallorcan chef whose restaurant held a Michelin star for 14 years, but that’s what’s on offer at Bartomeu de Tomeu Caldentey in Sa Coma.
If your palate becomes a little jaded with the arrival of autumn, I have the perfect prescription: Lunch or dinner at KOH in Palma, where the fresh and vibrant cuisine of Southeast Asia is a wake-up call for the taste buds.
With the season in Mallorca now coming to an end, many popular restaurants close for the winter break. But there’s still time to celebrate a special occasion with a memorable dinner at El Olivo, the gastronomic restaurant at Belmond La Residencia in Deià.
The 30-plant challenge has been gaining momentum since Professor Tim Spector of Kings College London cited research on his nutrition website, Zoe, finding that eating 30 different plant foods a week benefits the gut microbiome. Mallorcan chef Andrés Benitez was ahead of his time, four years ago, when he launched his plant-based menu at Botànic, the restaurant at Palma’s 5-star Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden.
I must have passed Gigi’s Piccolo Ristorante in Palma many times, walking between El Corté Inglés and the Mercat de l’Olivar, without realising what I was missing. When a friend suggested the place for lunch together, I discovered it was home to the authentic Italian cuisine of chef Gigi and the warm hospitality of his wife, Jackie. This is where you’ll find slow food, cooked with love to order, and served with what the Spanish call ‘don de gente’ – people skills.
If one of your criteria for a place to eat out is a great view, L’Atic in Palma should be on your restaurant radar. L’Atic is on the seventh floor of the Hotel Saratoga – the home of the former Blue Jazz Club – but more than impressive views await you.
The Puig de Randa mountain is a popular destination for the incredible summit views, but the nearby, sleepy hamlet of Randa is also worth a visit for its rustic charm … and the gastronomic restaurant Sa Tanqueta.
Earlier this summer, Queen Suthida of Thailand visited Mallorca for the first time, supporting her country’s participants in one of the most prestigious regattas starting from Puerto Portals. While on the island, the Thai royal went for lunch at Ses Aspes, near Manacor.
This Restaurant of the Week doesn’t have four walls and a roof,so it’s not strictly a restaurant but an al fresco, farm-to-table experience from the Manacor company, Terragust, owned by Matias Adrover Sitger. Depending on the season, you could be at a table in an orchard, among grapevines, or in an olive grove on one of the farms in the countryside outside Manacor.
It’s always tempting to try new eateries in Mallorca, but I also love the stories behind family-run restaurants with a history. There are always good reasons such places have survived the economic ups and downs and the challenges of finding and keeping staff.
CRU – Cuina i Vins in Manacor is a restaurant with a point of difference: it specializes in offering natural wines made from organic grapes and without additives. It’s the only establishment in Manacor listed in the 2024 edition of the international natural wine and food lovers’ digital guide known as Raisin.
Port d’Andratx has a waterfront lined with restaurants, bars, and cafes, but if you want to be even closer to the sea and somewhere a little quieter in terms of traffic, take the road around to the other side of the harbour. Here, you’ll find a Mediterranean restaurant that’s been making diners happy for almost fifty years.
The word ‘barefoot’ conjures up images of a relaxed summer lifestyle in Mallorca. It’s an appropriate name for a stylish hotel and restaurant in beautiful Portocolom, which never seems as frenzied in the high season as some other coastal places on the island.
You’re unlikely to come across Basic Bar Restaurante on a wander around Palma because it’s tucked away in a side street off Carrer Aragón, close to the rear of El Corte Inglés on the Avenidas.
I’ve long been a fan of chef Javier Hoebeeck, who leads the culinary team at Fusion19 – the one-Michelin-starred restaurant in the popular resort of Playa de Muro.
If proximity to the sea is as essential to you for dining out as olive oil is to bread, this Restaurant of the Week should appeal. Es Vivers in Colònia de Sant Pere is known for its well-made Italian cuisine but also its superb location on the seafront in this attractive village not far from Artà on the Bay of Alcúdia in northeast Mallorca.
If you browse the web for Mallorca’s luxury hotels, you’ll find Cap Rocat near Palma. This 5-star hotel is a spectacular and award-winning renovation of a fortified citadel by the architect Antonio Obrador. I’ve always wanted to stay there, but Cap Rocat’s eyewatering accommodation prices are sadly beyond my budget. Fortunately, eating at the hotel’s Sea Club restaurant is a more affordable treat. And what a treat!
Eating out by the sea in the height of summer is on many holidaymakers’ wish lists, but dinner in a more tranquil, rural setting can be just as memorable. For a countryside restaurant with beautiful sunset views, head to Restaurant Es Pati de Montuïri.
Authentic Canary Islands’ cuisine – with contemporary touches and creative presentation – is on the menu at the Palma tapas bar and restaurant, La Vieja de Jonay Hernández. Owner and chef Jonay is from Tenerife, and his New Canarian cuisine pays homage to the archipelago of his birth.
Chefs in Mallorca may have a wealth of hi-tech kitchen equipment available to them but the oldest way of cooking – over a wood fire – is hard to beat for enhancing the flavour of food. Singular, a restaurant in the countryside near Sa Pobla has made ‘cocina del fuego’ its speciality.
Palma is home to no fewer than four Michelin-starred restaurants – each offering the gourmet diner a memorable but different culinary experience. In 2015, the eponymous Marc Fosh was the first restaurant in Mallorca’s capital to gain the coveted star – a distinction it’s held every year since. And Marc is still the only British chef in Spain at the helm of a Michelin-starred restaurant.
It’s useful to know a good pizzeria, although Manacor’s El Guiri – with its tongue-in-cheek name – offers not only excellent pizzas but also a decent choice of Italian classic pastas. Chef/owner Alexander Weinhold is the ‘foreigner’ here – although he looks nothing like his logo’s cartoon character.
For anyone holidaying on a fixed budget in Mallorca, a set three-course lunch option can be useful – but not every restaurant offers one, and some no longer include a drink, as was traditionally the case in the Spanish ‘menú del día’.
Is there a restaurant in Mallorca that you’ve driven past numerous times but never tried? El Castillo del Bosque, between Felanitx and Porto Colom, was one such restaurant for me. I’m pleased I finally stopped to try it.
If eating out in one of Palma’s oldest palaces sounds expensive, the three-course set lunch at NOI Palma within the Scandinavian-owned Nobis Hotel Palma may surprise you – at just 25€ a head.
The British and American Gut Project – run by the University of California and Dr Tim Spector of King’s College London – recommends that we eat 30 plants a week for a more diverse gut microbiome. If that number sounds like a challenge, you’ll get a good start if you eat at Plat a Plat, a vegan restaurant in the small rural town of Maria de la Salut.
Palma offers a fantastic choice of cuisines but if eating authentic Spanish food in a cosy, unpretentious ambience is what you’re craving, Cantina Panzà ticks that box … and others. Located along the iconic Paseo de la Rambla – home of the scented, colourful flower stalls – Cantina Panzà offers tapas, sharing plates, and a weekday ‘menú del día’.
The old fishing village of Porto Cristo in Mallorca is today a popular resort still retaining a traditional feel. The home of tennis supremo, Rafa Nadal, it’s also the location of the popular, waterside Quince Restaurante & Cantina – which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year.
The attractive, market town of Artà in northeast Mallorca may seem an unlikely location for an authentic Mexican eatery, but it’s where you’ll find the cosy restaurant, Xolomulato.
If you’re a fan of De Tokio a Lima restaurant at the Can Alomar hotel in Palma, a treat awaits you in the must-visit village of Valldemossa – where a second De Tokio a Lima opened at the end of February this year.
For lunch after visiting the Thursday or Saturday market in Mallorca’s southeast town of Campos, check out the adults-only restaurant Tess de Mar, at the 17-room Sa Creu Nova Petit Palais Art & Spa. Tess de Mar is open to the public, has a separate entrance from the street for those not staying in the hotel, and is in the 2024 Michelin Guide.
The charming town of Santanyí in Mallorca not only has an unmissable market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings but also some good places to eat and drink. My favourite Santanyí restaurant is Laudat, located in a side street just steps away from the imposing 18th-century Sant Andreu church.
Shiny, new restaurants are often tempting but don’t always deliver on expectations. The Merchants by the Sea, however, is run by the experienced hospitality group that also has the successful Palma restaurant, The Merchants – Steak & Grill.
Lume & Co is located in the former stables of Mallorca’s 15th-century Son Berga castle, just outside Genova. The restaurant is in gated premises, with a large private car park. Although only a short drive from the centre of Palma, it has a rural setting and makes a change from the bustle of the capital.
The sign on the wall reads Can Kiwi Coffee & Juice Bar but there’s much more than hot and cold drinks to this great find in beautiful Colònia de Sant Pere.
Beautiful sea views and good food and drinks await you at the popular coastal restaurant, Sa Punta in Cala Bona, owned by Rafa Nadal’s uncle. We’ve eaten here many times – usually in summer – but went for lunch on the first Sunday of the season.
One of Porto Cristo’s best restaurants has moved to a new home in the port town. First opened by chef/patron Roland Schulte in 2011, Restaurant Roland now has the bonus of an appealing outdoor space for dining in the warmer months.
The name Bonnie Han will be familiar to foodies who live in Mallorca or eat in hot-ticket restaurants when visiting the island. Born in Singapore and raised in Australia, Chef Bonnie cooks delicious Southeast Asian cuisine at Nama in Deià but has also created menus for other island restaurants – the latest of which is Nº11 Gastrobar in Port d’Andratx.
On a beautiful sunny day at a resort or port in Mallorca, it’s tempting to choose an eatery overlooking the Mediterranean. But at Trobar – a short walk back from the harbour in Cala Ratjada – you’ll barely notice the lack of a sea view.
It’s always a good day when you discover an eatery that surpasses all your expectations. That’s what happened when we met up with a dear friend for lunch at one of his local eateries, La Mallorquina, open all year in Colònia de Sant Jordi.
When holidaying in Mallorca, the Spanish royal family has dined several times at the restaurant Ola del Mar in Portixol, Palma’s former fishing village. You’ll find plenty of locals too eating out in Ola del Mar which, not surprisingly for its location, specializes in seafood.
It’s almost impossible to get a short-notice table at Ses Coves in Campanet in the holiday season but I made my winter, weekday lunch booking only one day ahead. This rural restaurant is renowned for both its food grilled over embers and the high quality and provenance of its meat and fish. No wonder some of Mallorca’s top chefs eat here on a day off.
If you’re looking for a Mallorcan restaurant with some history and a good reputation, head to the small town of Lloseta. Tucked away behind the now abandoned Palau d’Aiamans – a noble residence built in the 17th century – you’ll find Celler Can Carrossa, a restaurant business that’s 98 years old.
The German chef/patron, Sascha, closed his Artà restaurant L’Atrio in November 2021. The following summer, he opened Restaurante SaMo in Sant Llorenç near Manacor, serving ‘soul food’.
Italian restaurants are ubiquitous in Palma, so which do you choose for authentic ‘la dolce vita’ cuisine? You could follow in the footsteps of the King of Spain and Hollywood ‘royalty’, actor Morgan Freeman, who have both dined at Sandro Restaurante this year.
The name and sign over the door of this restaurant in Felanitx may be familiar, but everything else has changed since I first visited in 2004. Today, Estragon has a smart, contemporary interior and has been in the hands of new owners since the beginning of November.
If a trip to Paris for some traditional French cuisine is out of the question, a visit to Mallorca’s Les Artistes could be the next best thing. This cosy French bistro in Palma has the ambience and cuisine of the ‘city of light’ itself.
The resort of Sa Coma on Mallorca’s east coast appears almost deserted after the holiday season has ended, and the shutters are down at most businesses for the winter. But on Sunday lunchtime, we were in a line of several cars pulling into the free car park across the road from Tomeu Caldentey Cuiner.
A stalwart of popular Port de Pollença, Stay Restaurant is open all day, every day of the year. With its waterfront location and gorgeous views, it attracts locals and visitors alike. Stay first opened in 1972 but has been in its current guise since 2006. Contemporary in style, the restaurant has extensive decked terracing on two sides, and a smart dining room that’s filled with natural light.
Most beach eateries in Mallorca have closed their doors after a busy season, but for those days when the sun shines from a bright blue sky and invites you to the coast, it’s good to know somewhere you can still eat out by the sea during the day.
New restaurants are tempting – especially for those who like to post about them on social media. But established eateries with a good reputation will always have appeal, and if you’re looking for a seafood restaurant, where better than one located right above the fish market where the catch is auctioned in the early mornings?
It looks an unlikely place to go out for lunch – or even for breakfast or a mid-morning snack – but the vast greenhouse located on the side of the Ma15 between the Es Cruce roundabout and Manacor is home not only to a farm shop selling good, well-priced, local produce but also the restaurant Degusta.
First opened in 1925, Can March was originally a café serving people from the town. Today, two years before the business celebrates a century in the same family, Can March’s reputation as an excellent restaurant has spread across Mallorca.
Looking for a more authentic but modernized Mallorcan eating-out experience? This cosy, family-run restaurant in the heart of Sencelles could be the place for you.
You don’t have to be a tennis player or even visit the interesting multi-sports Rafa Nadal Museum to eat lunch at the tennis supremo’s expanding centre in Manacor.
With the forecast of the current Indian summer in Mallorca continuing for a while longer, it’s time to seize the final opportunities to eat out in a beach restaurant – before the shutters go down for this season.
Deià is Mallorca’s honeypot location, and at the height of the holiday season, it’s not easy to find somewhere to park a car. But just over two kilometres from the heart of this iconic village, you’ll find tranquillity in a restaurant with its own parking and spectacular views of Mallorca’s northeast coast and beautiful Deià itself.
Despite all the sophisticated kitchen equipment and technology now available to chefs, cooking over a wood fire – a process dating back hundreds of thousands of years – is a growing trend in today’s international restaurant industry. One restaurant in Mallorca – named Singular – has made ‘cocina del fuego’ its speciality.
The appetite-reducing effect of Mallorca’s sizzling summer temperatures is over, making September perfect for resuming alfresco lunches out. With great timing, Mirabona restaurant at Finca Can Beneït has just launched its new weekday lunch menu and it’s worth the drive to hideaway Binibona (near Selva) to try it.
The first of the late-summer storms has already visited Mallorca, but we can look forward to several more weeks of eating out by the Med, accompanied by the sounds of the sea and the scent of briny air. Perhaps at Port Verd del Mar – in the quieter area between Cala Bona and Costa de los Pinos?
Korea meets Japan meets Spain. And it all happens in a peaceful enclave of Mallorca’s Santa Ponsa. Welcome to SABA Restaurant, one of the two eateries at the Kimpton Aysla Mallorca hotel – Kimpton’s first European property when it opened in October 2022 on part of the site of the former Santa Ponsa Country Club.
Creative cuisine is found in the most surprising places in Mallorca. Until May this year, I’d barely noticed the signpost to Son Penya Petit Hotel on the Ma15 roundabout near Sant Llorenç. In May, I had dinner there for the first time and when I heard that the hotel was 20 years old, I realised how many opportunities I’d missed to eat there.
For an indulgent gastronomic treat or a special occasion dinner, the Michelin-starred Es Fum in Costa d’en Blanes ticks all the boxes.
A restaurant where you may be able to book a table for the same day, you’ll find ample free parking, and the ambience is relaxing? In the height of the Mallorcan summer? Escape to the countryside and check out this rural hotel restaurant.
In the height of summer, so many locals and visitors to Mallorca want to eat at the coast that you may need to book a few days ahead to be sure of a table at the most popular establishments. But head inland to Mallorca’s towns and villages and you’ll have a more relaxed, summer eating-out experience. And find some surprisingly good restaurants.
Can you imagine a Hollywood movie star topping up his tan on the beach in Magaluf? Well, in the mid-1950s, holidaying ‘High Noon’ star Gary Cooper and a female companion asked a taxi driver to take them to Mallorca’s most tranquil beach. Hard to believe it was Magaluf.
La Braseria may not have the allure of a seafront eatery in Port de Pollença or a restaurant in the narrow streets of the charming Pollença town, but it does have a Josper charcoal oven. And if you enjoy the flavour of food cooked over fire, La Braseria is worth a visit for young Bolivian chef Ruben Uzquiano’s expert cooking.
If you’re in the Manacor area wanting flavours of the world but made from local produce, check out Übeck, which opened at the end of 2021 as a different addition to the town’s restaurant scene.
Microwaves, high-speed electric ovens, and the Thermomix may have revolutionized restaurant cooking methods, but the Josper charcoal oven is the hottest – in both senses of the word – piece of commercial kitchen equipment right now.
Fans of the TV series ‘Friends’ will know that “Joey doesn’t share food!”. If you have a friend like Joey Tribbiani, don’t take them to Lassala Grill in Mallorca. Go with a foodie friend or two and order a few of the delicious dishes created specifically for sharing by executive chef Andrés Benítez – who is also behind the critically acclaimed plant-forward cuisine at Botànic restaurant in Palma.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.