This week’s restaurant ticks several boxes for me. It’s right on the seafront, has been in the same family for decades, and will stay open until December 27th.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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’.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.