The different areas of Palma Old Town as well as the most emblematic villages of Mallorca become perfect locations of the best restaurants on the island among which we find fun places to go for tapas, restaurants with traditional cuisine, Michelin stars, gourmet shops and author cocktails.
Mallorca has become in the last years an international benchmark at gastronomic level. The good food has become an important incentive when traveling to the island and the combination of modernity, tradition, haute cuisine, home-cooked fast food and the healthy boom offer alternatives for all tastes. Of course, no one coming to Majorca will be hungry!
The markets of Palma, authentic gastronomic paradises
Thousands of people visit Palma’s markets daily, mixing traditional local fresh produce with innovative food stalls with bars where locals and visitors enjoy good food and an incomparable atmosphere. One of the attractions of this way of eating is informality. Going and coming from one post to another is easy, between the posts there is little distance and nobody sees with bad eyes that you walk by the market with a glass in the hand.
In the Mercado del Olivar you can walk along a route of vermouth and tapas, snacks, prepared in the central area as well as the fish market, or even buy your favorite products from the market and have them cooked in the restaurants of the commercial gallery in first floor. In Bar Petit, 37 years old, you’ll find llonguets and varied tapas accompanied by smiles and sympathy.
Ostras Cocedero, specialized in oysters, smoked and codfish; has several positions in the market where to taste its products, accompanied by a good wine cellar.
Tallat a má s’Aglà, has a variety of 320 cheeses and excellent Iberian hams. They offer tables of cheese and wine in the small bar enabled for tastings.
Walk along the Olivar Market is a real treat for the senses
From the veteran Joan Frau bar to the most recent Arume sushi, tapas in the market of the cosmopolitan Santa Catalina neighborhood has become a good plan on weekends and also “it’s cheaper” than going to a restaurant.
Es Mercat bar, located on the corner of the fish area, distinguishes itself by allowing each of its customers to bring any of the fresh and quality products they have bought in the market, whether meat, fish or vegetables. Their specialty are the loin, chicken and vegetable with grilled egg sandwiches. Snacks are served with toast. In addition their homemade croquettes of chicken, ham, cod and spinach have become a “must”.
Can Joan Frau, in another corner of the market, appears in the list of places where the cookers eat. This small bar that delights everyone who cares to visit it; the bar is very small, it just has three tables behind the bar. It’s imposible to say which is its best dish, yet the version of the paella very similar to the rice of Portugal is impressive.
S’Escorxador Cultural Center, has recently been converted into the San Juan Gastronomic Market, this one presents a varied gastronomic offer of high quality, characterized by local, national and international products that are served at all times. Some examples are: oysters and seafood, Mallorcan cuisine, ham and national cheeses, fideuás, grilled meats, tortillas, fried fish and grilled, etc.
The center of the city has become a refuge for some of the best restaurants on the island, in Palma there are two important areas where you can find a variety of good restaurants.
La Lonja is the coolest area and is located very close to the center and the coveted shopping area of Borne. In this area you can find the restaurant that serves the best tapas of Mallorca Forn de Sant Joan; and of the same owners, Koa, a very chic restaurant with the best fried eggplant with honey in the city. Always complete is La Boveda, and for gourmet oysters and champagne, there’s no doubt, Chez Camille is the best choice.
The other main area of restaurants is the neighborhood of Santa Catalina, which offers to its visitors an universal gastronomic experience. Asian cuisine is on Naan’s, Horapa Thai, and Koh’s Restaurant. Casa Mia and Bunker’s make delicious Italian dishes.
Mallorca, a firmament of stars
Nine restaurants on the island are part of the Michelin star firmament, the most recently awarded are the Adrián Quetglas Restaurant in Palma and the Argos restaurant in Puerto de Pollensa, headed by the chef Álvaro Salazar.
Zaranda, by chef Fernando Pérez Arellano, located in the five star hotel Castell Son Claret in Es Capdellà, repeated his great success of 2016 by being again awarded two Michelin stars for 2017.
Bou received a Michelin star for the 14th consecutive year. The other restaurants in Majorca, recognized by the guide for 2017 are: Andreu Genestra, Es Racó d’es Teix, Marc Fosh, Es Fum, and Jardín.
From Italy to Mallorca, the best ice cream is served on the island
Ca’n Joan de S’Aigo is the oldest ice cream / chocolate shop in the city. It is certainly a must stop when strolling through the historic center of Palma, both in summer and winter, there’s nothing better than one of their homemade ice cream accompanied by an ensaimada, a real treat!
Another of Palma’s mythical ice cream parlors is Gelats Ca’n Miquel, with a complete menu of up to 92 varieties, of which 24 are of various types of chocolate. They also have a selection of seasonal and lactose free ice creams.
Iceberg gelats Mallorca
This ice cream shop has six locations in Mallorca, and a letter of 60 ice creams that includes lifelong flavors and other more innovative. This year its sorbet of orange of Sóller, peppermint and cardamom has received the prize of “Best ice cream of Spain”.
But not only there are good ice creams in Palma. Majorca has spectacular ice cream parlors such as the Italian ice cream shop Cala d’Ice in the area of cala d’Or, the ice cream factory Bernardini on the seafront of Cala Millor, Gelats Valls in the Puerto Pollença or Helados Garrido in Puerto de Alcúdia.
Paseo Mallorca in Palma, the new golden mile of island gastronomy
After strolling or shopping through the exclusive streets of Jaime III and Paseo del Borne there is nothing better than enjoying the one that has become the new area must visit for good food lovers.
Adriàn Quetglas, the former second chef at the Reads restaurant in Marc Fosh in Mallorca, became 10 years ago one of the best chefs in Russia, where he opened a Spanish restaurant. Currently, he is the chef of the Ginza Projects brand, but returned to Mallorca, where the restaurant that bears his name has been awarded a Michelin Star for 2017.
Adrián Quetglas Restaurant stands out for its impressive seven-course tasting menu.
A few meters away, Ottimo Restaurant offers a delicious synthesis of Italian cuisine. By the hand of Adriano Cesaretto you can enjoy an unforgettable gastronomic experience with the best and freshest seasonal products. Its menu is the essence of typical Italian cuisine with all the Mediterranean flavors.
In Palma center is located the patisserie-atelier of Lluís Pérez, disciple of Oriol Balaguer and with a long training in large European restaurants. The formula for its success is the perfect combination of simplicity, autochthonous product and creativity. It is an experience with capital letters that has revolutionized the pastry scene of our country in recent times.
Movement to the rhythm of cocktail
There’s no doubt that the cocktail is fashionable, in fact, it has never stopped being. Mallorca offers a wide range of options for cocktails that are up to date, made by the most professional bartenders.
Brassclub, in Palma, surprises not only for its dazzling proposal of signature cocktails and classics, but also for its exquisite decoration. It’s an internationally based cocktail bar with its own details and a stunning selection of unpublished recipes that change every month to offer an unparalleled experience to customers.
Definitely a must visit
The impeccable quality and the boom of Mallorca as a gastronomic destination is reflected in the Chefs-in brand that represents the high quality cuisine of the Balearic Islands, through the figure of its chefs, for the promotion of gastronomy of the islands at local, national and international level, through professional and business criteria, in collaboration with companies and producers of the island.