Palma consolidates its position as a destination for enjoying the best gast
8 May, 2024As part of its commitment to quality tourism, gastronomy has become a fundamental element in all that Palma has to offer. The city is home to the most modern and pioneering restaurants as well as the most traditional ones, some with over a hundred years of history. Establishments in which local produce stands out as a rising value to boost the economy.
Gastronomy is undoubtedly one of the best ways to immerse yourself in a destination’s culture and lifestyle. It provides a unique and highly valuable experience. Therefore the Mallorcan capital has great potential to position itself as a benchmark gastronomic destination in the Mediterranean.
Palma has an extensive, high-quality offer, from the most traditional to the most pioneering and it also enjoys great recognition. In fact, it is home to a large number of the island’s Michelin-starred restaurants.
In the old town you can find Aromata, which shows off the island’s contemporary cuisine. The establishment, opened in 2014, is run by Michelin-starred Mallorcan chef Andreu Genestra. Among the dishes with the most Mallorcan flavour are grilled sea bass, tumbet or porc negre with ensaimada, with a nod to the island’s most traditional products.
In the Sa Calatrava neighbourhood, near Palma Cathedral, you will find Dins, a restaurant with two Repsol Suns, run by chef Santi Taura, who has also been awarded a Michelin star. He is a great follower of Balearic culinary traditions and reinterprets old Mallorcan recipes to create new dishes.
Palma offers extensive, high-quality gastronony. Source: Juana Bigas.
Another Michelin-starred restaurant is that of Marc Fosh, located in the Hotel Convent de la Missió, a 17th century building. Its philosophy is based on the quality of the raw ingredients, which is why the products are local and reflect the proximity of the sea, from sea bass to Mallorcan red shrimp.
At the hotel Es Príncep, two-Michelin-starred chef Fernando Pérez Arellano plays with textures that represent the Roman ruins of what used to be Palma’s old “tanners” guild.
For his part, chef Adrián Quetglas, born in Buenos Aires but from a Mallorcan family, is committed to a more pioneering, international cuisine in the restaurant that bears his name, from Paris, London and Moscow to Mallorca and at an affordable price thanks to the tasting menus, as he aims to democratise haute cuisine.
Another option for enjoying international suggestions, especially for lovers of authentic Italian food, is Ritzi Palma, located in La Lonja.
Casa Maruka, in turn, recognised with one Repsol Sun, mixes homemade gastronomy and typical dishes from the island with haute cuisine. La Balanguera, located in an old café with marble tables and Mallorcan décor, also stands out for its homemade food.
Gastro markets
Another interesting alternative for enjoying Palma’s cuisine are the gastro markets, where you can enjoy unique gastronomic experiences, such as the Mercat de Santa Catalina, a place where you can immerse yourself in the local culinary culture in a lively atmosphere. Along with the freshest produce, this early 20th-century market offers a wide variety of dining options, with typical food areas and bars where you can sample the island’s specialities. Its proximity to La Lonja allows you to get a selection of fresh fish.
Centenary establishments
One of the oldest traditional bakeries in the city, Forn de la Pau, is located in the centre of Palma with a wood-fired oven which is over 200 years old. There they make handmade pastries, empanadas, cocarrois and the traditional llonguets and ensaimadas. Founded in 1729, it is now in the hands of the third generation and is an obligatory stop for thousands of tourists.
Nightlife
You can also enjoy a wide variety of culinary proposals at night in Palma, with original and colourful cocktail bars all over the city. Sala de Personal, which has just been awarded its first Repsol Sun, is an underground bar where you can also eat. Its menu often changes, always innovating with local produce, which is its essence, a good example being the “cubata mallorquín”, made entirely with produce from the island.
Signature cocktails and more classic cocktails can be enjoyed at Brass Club, an exclusive bar with a 1950s-style ambience by the renowned bartender Rafa Martín, winner of numerous cocktail awards.
The LAB cocktail bar, in Santa Catalina, stands out for the creation of cocktails with innovative molecular cocktail techniques.
Events linked to the culinary offer
The numerous culinary events held in Palma also help us get to know the local produce. For example TaPalma, a route around the different establishments in the city that also holds a tapas and cocktail competition. Each edition has the participation of several establishments in the city (36 in the last edition last year).
Another highlight is the traditional Fira del Llonguet, a typically Balearic event. At the end of April, the streets of es Pil-larí offer food trucks, as well as workshops and the sale of handmade products.
Be Palma takes place in the Parc de la Mar between April and May. It is divided up around drinks’ stalls where you can sample culinary proposals typical of Mallorcan culture: coca bread, bread with sobrasada, porc negre sandwiches or hamburgers but always with the hallmark of local produce.
The Mostra de Cuinam, which coincides with the long weekend of the 1st March, the day of the Balearic Islands, offers the best gastronomy of the islands in the Parc de Sa Feixina.