It is difficult to define what Mallorcan cuisine is since the cultures that have passed through the islands over the millennia have left their mark by bringing different ingredients and specialties. But it is possible to find a good number of traditional recipes with the great variety of products that can be found on the islands.
Typical crops of Mallorca include rice (present in arròs brut or arròs amb salseta) or potato (base of the popular tumbet, accompanied by vegetables such as aubergine, pepper or tomato)
Another typical product is the ramillete tomato (tomàtiga de ramallet), a native variety essential for a good pa amb oli. Any typical Mallorcan house has a handful of hooks on which to hang the tomato bouquets to enjoy them throughout the year.
A simple and fresh dish, perfect for the hottest days, is trampó, a salad based on pepper, onion and tomato dressed with oil
Mallorca, like the entire Mediterranean basin, is also a land of olive trees, and its olives both serve to provide a delicious oil, as well as serve as a garnish to a multitude of dishes. It is not uncommon to find in almost any Mallorcan house a jar of olives ready to be served as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to pa amb oli.
Pigs and sheep, introduced thousands of years ago, also have a prominent place in Mallorcan cuisine
The pork loin with cabbage or the frit de xot are star dishes. And as everything is used from the pig, we must not forget the exquisite sausages that are prepared in the traditional matances: botifarrons, camaiot, llengonisses, and of course the famous sobrassada of Mallorca.
As it cannot be otherwise on an island, seafood also has a prominent place in the kitchen
The gall de Sant Pere baked with fried onion is a delicacy. The same can be said of raors, a small fish that has the honor of being the most expensive in Spain, and that is prepared simply fried in olive oil. Its short fishing season is the time when many cast their llaüts into the sea to fish for raors. Good seafood is also caught in the waters of Mallorca, such as the exquisite Sóller prawn or the red lobsters from the Menorca channel.
A fundamental part of Mallorcan cuisine is pasta, both sweet and savory, made with the same products
The lamb panades and vegetable and onion-based cocarrois are two of the most outstanding products. Among the sweets, rubiols stand out, typical of Holy Week. And we cannot forget the vegetable and trampó cocas, and they are not lacking in any typical meeting in Mallorca.
But in addition to food, good gastronomy includes good wines and spirits, and they are not lacking in Mallorca
The cultivation of the vine was introduced by the Romans more than 2000 years ago, and the wines of Mallorca rivaled in the patrician houses with those of the Italian Peninsula itself. The wrecks loaded with amphorae of wine prove how this was the star product of Mallorca’s exports to imperial Rome.
Phylloxera at the end of the 19th century destroyed the vineyards, in which place the almond trees were planted, which today constitute one of the most typical pictures of Mallorca. But the introduction of new resistant strains, and improvements in cultivation and oenological techniques, have resurrected a millenary industry that offers excellent products of recognized world prestige.
In this small selection you can find some of the best restaurants in Palma where you can taste the typical food of Mallorca, both in its most traditional forms and in innovative proposals in ingredients or techniques.
We present you 10 good Mallorcan restaurants in Palma. Bon profit!
Adrián Quetglas
30€ – 60€
Paseo Mallorca, 20
Tripadvisor: 4,5/5
Born in Argentina into a family of Mallorcan emigrants, and trained in world-famous international restaurants in London, Paris or Moscow, Adrián Quetglas transmits in his creations the love he feels for cuisine and local ingredients
In its premises in the central Paseo Mallorca, considered by many to be the best Mallorcan cuisine restaurant in the city, we have at our disposal a tasting menu at noon and another at night. Its proposal is market cuisine, fresh and local products, presented in an innovative and creative way. Because the experience of food begins with the eyes to assault the rest of the senses.
Book a table at Adrián Quetglas
Can Joan Frau
In the popular neighborhood of Santa Catalina, and more specifically in its market, we find this bar, which at first glance could pass as one more where to have a snack or have a tapa. But the reality is that excellent snacks and traditional Mallorcan tapas are prepared at home here.
The place is neither luxurious nor elegant, nor does it need to. Its cooks and waiters offer prompt and attentive service in a familiar and welcoming environment. It is worth taking advice for the dishes of the day, prepared with fresh products from the market itself. And all this at popular prices.
Casa Maruka
In Reina María Cristina street, near the Plaza de España in Palma, we find this small and charming restaurant specializing in traditional food and market cuisine
Its menu is varied, not focusing only on Mallorcan cuisine, but here you can taste some traditional dishes. Its original creations that fuse tradition and modernity stand out. To the successful combination of flavors and the delicate presentation must be added a friendly and attentive treatment. Undoubtedly one of the great gastronomic bets of Palma.
Café Ca’n Toni
Don’t let the name fool us: although we can have a coffee, this restaurant with more than 50 years of experience is one of the best gastronomic experiences in Palma
It is located between Jaime III and Paseo Mallorca, in the literally most historic part of the Balearic capital. In its wood oven, traditional dishes such as suckling pig, the star of Majorcan Christmas meals, or baked lamb are cooked.
Along with not-so-traditional dishes, we find the highlights of Mallorcan cuisine: loin with cabbage, frit, Mallorcan gilthead bream or snails, among others, to which we add suckling pig, kid or lamb in a wood-fired oven. All this in a cozy place, with excellent service and reasonable prices.
DINS Santi Taura
Santi Taura, one of the great stars of Mallorcan cuisine with almost 30 years of professional experience, offers us a gastronomic experience based on traditional recipes that has received the recognition of a Michelin Star
In a place located in a neighborhood as historic and traditional as Sa Calatrava, next to Palma Cathedral, its menu and tasting menus based on fresh seasonal products are a journey through the history and culinary tradition of Mallorca. All this together with an excellent service guarantee an unforgettable experience.
Book a table at DINS Santi Taura
Rosa del Mar
In the Can Barberà dock, in a remote enclave of the Paseo Marítimo, we have this restaurant run by Tito Verger, winner of several awards in his more than 20 years of professional career
His proposal is a reinvention of traditional products of Mallorcan cuisine, always taking local and seasonal products as a base. The establishment, elegant and sophisticated, is in a privileged location overlooking the Paseo Marítimo. The friendly and attentive service is at the level of what is expected of a place of this category.
La Balanguera
Near the center of Palma, in a traditional and cozy place, we have this restaurant whose menu is almost exclusively made up of typical Mallorcan dishes prepared in a homemade way
To the traditional frit, arròs brut and others we can add hard-to-find dishes such as rabbit with onion or burballes. To all this we must add some delicious homemade desserts, and to round off the experience we must highlight the familiar treatment provided by their team. Adjusted prices for an excellent home cooked meal served in a family setting.
Mesón Ca’n Pedro
With more than 40 years of experience, this restaurant located in the popular neighborhood of Génova, to the west of Palma, is one of the most renowned restaurants in the city
In its menu we can find a good variety of typical Mallorcan dishes, excellent grilled meats and fresh fish and seafood. All this topped off with exquisite homemade desserts. The service is friendly and attentive, and as an added value we can highlight the availability of parking next to the restaurant. A Palma classic not to be missed.
Sa Roqueta
In an old fishermen’s house in the popular neighborhood of Molinar, in the Portixol area, is this renowned restaurant with a clear seafaring vocation
Having a team that has hardly changed since its opening in 1987 is a guarantee of enjoying excellent cuisine. Its menu includes rice dishes, but we cannot miss its delicious fresh fish and original creations with the best seafood in Mallorca, such as beans with prawns from Sóller or lentils with seafood. Good service and friendly treatment round off the visit to this emblematic establishment.
Sa Premsa
Talking about Mallorcan cuisine in Palma is talking about Sa Premsa. Opened in 1958, the place was an old warehouse in the heart of Palma that became one of the most popular typical restaurants in the city
More than 60 years later, it continues to maintain the same family and home character, with a menu where we can find a good selection of typical Majorcan dishes. As a popular restaurant, we can choose between a menu of the day or the full menu list, but always with adjusted prices. Friendly and attentive service and with an unbeatable location if we are visiting the center of Palma.
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