Eat your way around the capital this winter!
Palma de Mallorca is coming under the radar of many foody visitors as one of the most dynamic Mediterranean capitals for gastronomy at all levels. Restaurants, cafes, and markets all celebrating the island’s local culture while offering a great variety of cuisine featuring local fresh produce and innovative reworking of traditional island recipes.
TAPALMA 2021
Palma will celebrate the 17th annual tapas TAPALMA festival from the 24th – 28th November this year. Over 50 restaurants, bars and cafes are expected to participate. Each year three routes are prepared for visitors to follow centred around Palma’s town centre, the popular market area of Santa Catalina and the Paseo Maritimo. Visitors can try a wide variety of tapas (at around 2€ each) as they wander from one bar/restaurant to the next. Local chefs compete for the Tapas of the Year prize awarded two days prior to the event. https://tapalma.com/
NEW RESTAURANT OPENINGS!
El Txoko de Martin has been opened by Basque chef who after 40 years in the business and some 12 Michelin starred restaurants, he has returned to his roots and opened this lively tapas restaurant on the edge of Palma’s Santa Catalina district. https://www.eltxokodemartin.com/
Za’atar Café & Restaurant – located within the historic patio of the Hotel Born in Carrer Sant Jaume, this is the latest restaurant and bar from the Tast Group (who also operate the Tast Club opposite). Featuring a varied menu of tapas/main dishes with Middle Eastern touches. www.zaatar@tast.com
Cantina Panzà – Sant Jaume Boutique Hotel. Further along C/Sant Jaume, Chefs Fernando Arellano and Itziar Rodriguez (behind the Michelin star Zaranda restaurant), have taken over the hotel’s restaurant, bringing their personal flair to reworked traditional local dishes: https://boutiquehotelsantjaume.com/en/
La Malvasia – located in the Plaza Mercat, it takes its name from a local white wine produced in the heart of the Sierra Tramuntana on the west coast of the island at Banyalbufar. The menu offers a mix of Mediterranean cuisine with the focus on local fresh produce: https://lamalvasiamallorca.com/
Santa Restaurant & Bodega in Santa Catalina features a 7-part menu based on the theme of the 7 deadly sins offering a tempting mix of flavours by local chef Bernabé Caravotta previously of the established and highly acclaimed Vandal restaurant: https://santarestaurant.com/en/
PALMA’S FINE DINING & MICHELIN STARS
To date, the city has four Michelin starred restaurants (with a total of nine Michelin starred restaurants throughout Mallorca) that include:
Arián Quetglas, Palma: www.adrianquetglas.es
Marc Fosh, Convent de la Missió Hotel, Palma www.marcfosh.com
Fernando Arellano has re-opened ZARANDA with two Michelin stars in the Es Princep Hotel in Palma with the intention of maintaining the restaurant open principally at the weekend over the winter season. https://zaranda.es/en/
… and the latest Michelin starred restaurant in Palma is under the management of popular local chef, Santi Taura, for DINS restaurant in the Hotel El Llorenç, Parc de la Mar: www.dinssantitaura.com/en/
MAIN MARKETS
The city’s principal food markets are The Mercado L’Olivar near Plaza España (Monday-Saturday, 7 am-2.30pm) the traditional Santa Catalina Market near the Paseo Maritimo (Monday-Saturday 7am-4pm), and the Pere Garau market in the centre of the city that offers a multi-cultural array of produce, are a must for any visitor to see all the local produce available and to sample freshly cooked dishes within the market (Monday-Saturday mostly 6am-2.30pm). In addition, Palma’s Ecological Market is open every Tuesday and Saturday morning (8am – 2pm) in Plaça del Bisbe Berenguer de Palou.
Please note that some of the restaurants listed may close during the winter for refurbishment, please check the websites for updated details.
