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.