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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This restaurant is one of two in Artà owned by German chef Sascha – and a hotspot for steak fans.
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.
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.