For many chefs and restaurant teams across Spain and Portugal, today’s date is significant: this evening the Guía Michelin España & Portugal 2018 held their annual event to announce the restaurants awarded Michelin stars for the coming year.

Last year (for the 2017 edition of the Michelin Guide for Spain & Portugal), two restaurants in Mallorca gained their first star (Argos and Adrián Quetglas), bringing the total of stars on the island to 10 (across nine restaurants).

This year, the eagerly awaited event was held in Guía de Isora, Tenerife, at the Ritz-Carlton Abama – which has two Michelin-starred restaurants (a total of three stars) among its various restaurants and eateries. (Interestingly, Miguel Navarro, chef at Mallorca’s Es Fum, used to work in this hotel).

Can you imagine the pressure of creating a gala dinner for 500 starred chefs and top gastronomic critics? Despite that, those lucky enough to be spreading their napkins on their laps there tonight will have eaten very well!

The new stars in the Michelin Guide for Spain & Portugal for 2018 were 19 restaurants with one star; five with two stars, and two with three stars.  Stars awarded for restaurants in Mallorca last year have deservedly been awarded again, as follows:

Mallorca’s Michelin-starred restaurants for 2018

Two stars:

                       Zaranda

One star:

• Adrián Quetglas
• Andreu Genestra
• Argos
• Bou – for the 15th year in succession!
• Es Fum
• Es Racó d’es Teix
• Jardín
• Marc Fosh

I feel proud to live on an island with so many excellent restaurants and talented chefs, who have helped to make Mallorca a must-visit gastronomic destination. I also feel fortunate to have eaten in all of the Michelin-starred restaurants in Mallorca and, if I had the money to do so, I’d eat in them more often. But there are also several other deserving restaurants, in my opinion. I was convinced that this would be the year Santi Taura was awarded a star for Dins Santi Taura and that Bou, Tomeu Caldentey’s restaurant in Sa Coma, would gain a second star. Neither happened. Perhaps next year?

For the time being though, my congratulations to everyone raising a glass tonight to celebrate recognition for 2018 by Michelin – the publishers of the famous red book.

Summer 2018 update

Tomeu Caldentey’s Bou restaurant in Sa Coma has closed, so Mallorca has one less Michelin star in its firmament now. The renowned Mallorcan chef – the first islander to have his cuisine recognised with a Michelin star – decided to go back to his culinary roots and to open a new restaurant (in the same location) offering creative Mallorcan cuisine that’s more affordable than his former Bou. I have yet to try Tomeu Caldentey Cuiner, but hope to do so very soon.

©Jan Edwards Updated 2018