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Not Quite a Michelin Star – but Close
Yearning for a Michelin-starred dining experience in Mallorca, but held back by the three-figure-per-person cost? The next best thing is to find out which of these restaurants have a chef responsible for other, less expensive establishments.
Over several years, I was fortunate to eat in all the Michelin-starred restaurants for review purposes, but Fusion19 in Playa de Muro didn’t have a star back then. The famous red guide awarded the coveted star for 2023 (and again for 2024).
Javier Hoebeeck
Javier Hoebeeck, the chef at the helm of Fusion19 (which is part of the hospitality group, Grupo Boulevard and in the heart of the holiday resort) was born in Mallorca but has travelled widely to increase his culinary knowledge and experience. Two of the restaurants in Spain where he gained skills were Celler de Can Roca and Azurmendi – both with three Michelin stars.
I’d love to eat at Fusion19 because the tasting menu looks extraordinary. The cuisine has Mediterranean, Asian, and Latin American influences, and is made from local products. But it also comes with a price tag of 160€ – without drinks. Looking at what’s on offer, I think it would be worth that money … if you have it to spare. I don’t.
However, Gaikan Restaurant and Sushi Bar is a more affordable place to enjoy Javier’s cuisine – and it’s right in front of Fusion19. Gaikan offers an à la carte menu and an 8-plate tasting menu for 65€, If you’re a foodie on holiday in the north of Mallorca, Fusion19 and Gaikan could be potential eating-out spots.
We went on a hot Saturday evening and were grateful for the effective fans that cooled the place. I liked the thoughtful touch of providing a low-level stand at each table for handbags.
There’s a lounge area for drinks but we chose to start our evening at our table.
Gaikan’s Food
The à la carte menu offers plenty of choice, including oysters and sushi. But we do enjoy the surprises and multiple flavours and textures of a tasting menu.
Our dinner began with home-made sourdough bread with both smoked butter and Mallorcan extra virgin olive oil. Then the three appetizers arrived: Thai prawn croquette with tempered prawn; salmon tartar panipuri with creamy, dried apricots, and sashimi of queen scallop with Nikkei pickle and kumquat. I was already impressed.
Starters were a hamachi fish nigiri and a ceviche from the same amberjack-related fish. Our fish dish was grilled sea bass with aubergine mutabal, and fennel salad with pickled lemon and miso Béarnaise; grilled lamb cutlet with ras el hanout, port sauce, parsnip purée and pickled carrot followed. The dessert of coconut and mint marshmallow, crunchy chocolate with toasted coconut and mango ice cream, brought this tasting menu to an end.
Our drinks were Izadi Larrosa rosé wine (7,95€ by the glass) and a bottle of sparkling water (5,25€). There’s a very tempting list of liqueur coffees, if that’s how you like to end a meal (and don’t have to drive home, as I did).
If you’d like to try the cuisine of a young chef who’s impressed the Michelin inspectors – but without the higher price of a starred establishment – check out Gaikan Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Playa de Muro, Mallorca,
Good to Know
Update for 2025: Javier Hoebeeck has now left Fusion 19 and Gaikan for an exciting role as second executive chef at the Four Seasons Resort Mallorca (Formentor).
Gaikan Restaurant and Sushi Bar is open every day for lunch (1pm-4pm) and dinner (6.30pm-11.00pm).
Gaikan Lounge has a DJ on the decks at night.
Jan Edwards ©2024
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Learn to Make a Paella in Mallorca
Mallorca has its own traditional rice dishes, but paella – which originated in Valencia – is the dish many people seek out when they come to the island. You can find some well-made paellas in restaurants in Mallorca, but learning how to make it yourself is a useful skill to take back home to impress family and friends.
Paella Workshop & Lunch in the Countryside
The beautiful 5-star boutique hotel Finca Ca’n Beneït, nestling in the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana in the hamlet of Binibona, is offering a paella workshop and lunch every Tuesday – for hotel guests and also members of the public. The cost is 60€ a head (not including drinks).
Chef Raúl Linares leads the workshop, sharing tips and tricks for making the dish. As a big fan of paella and someone who cooks it at home from time to time, I was keen to raise my paella-cooking game – and the workshop was the perfect excuse to return to Ca’n Beneït.
Baskets ready in the tafona 
I wish my kale at home looked like this! 
Peppers We met up with Raúl and sommelier Amy Dunn (who served the drinks for lunch and also acted as translator) at one o’clock in the estate’s tafona. This is where the finca’s olives are pressed into the hotel’s luscious extra virgin oil.
Another couple who were on holiday in Mallorca from Seattle, USA, also took part. They were great fun and fortunate to be staying in the hotel for a week, having arrived only the evening before.
We were each loaned an apron and hat to wear (it’s still hot here) and a basket and knife for the first part of the experience: harvesting items to make our own salad to accompany the paella. Raúl and Amy gave us a tour of the hotel’s several raised vegetable beds and impressive orchard. We were allowed to pick whatever we wanted and The Boss and I chose several varieties of tomato, some herb and curly kale leaves for our own salad.
Having been impressed by the plantains and avocados also growing in the citrus orchard, it was time to head to the raised, covered terrace of the Mirabona Restaurant, where two tables had been set for us. Roasted almonds, local cheeses, and olives were on the table for nibbling while the workshop took place. Amy served us a refreshing gazpacho that Raúl had made that morning.
A sweet spot for our paella class and lunch 
Chop! Chop! 
A delicious gazpacho 
Sommelier Amy Dunn 
We had a chance to assist 
Our fellow participants from Seattle 
Sooo delicious! Chopping boards and knives told us there was work to do: Raúl needed volunteers to dice onions and red and green peppers, and to slice squid tubes. Then we prepared our salads from the harvested crops (after Raíl had taken them to be washed).
Veg prep done, it was time to start cooking the paella. I’m not going to give away Raúl’s tips here, but, suffice to say, the finished seafood paella was one of the tastiest I’ve eaten. We ended a leisurely and informative lunch with two types of melon, and coffee. During the lunch, Amy served us water and a rosado wine made from the Gorgollosa grape – a recovered Mallorcan variety – on a private finca in Alaró.
The good news is that we didn’t have to wash up after our lunch! The Boss and I found a quiet and shady corner to relax and enjoy the exceptional views for a while before we headed home again. The next time I make a paella at home, I’ll be modifying my technique after Raúl’s workshop. Thanks, Chef!
Good to Know
If you want to enjoy this Paella Workshop & Lunch on a Tuesday, you do need to book your place(s) through Finca Ca’n Beneït’s website or by telephoning the hotel.
Mirabona Restaurant’s opening hours in summer are Monday to Thursday 18:00h-22:00h; Friday to Sunday, 13:00h-22:00h.
Interestingly, the hotel’s Mirabona Restaurant doesn’t have paella on its seasonal à la carte menu!
Jan Edwards ©2024
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Take a Lesson in Mallorcan Cooking
If you were watching the TV series Marcus in the Med on Monday evening, you will have seen a young woman named Paula talking about, and sharing, a coca with the British chef. Coca is sometimes referred to as the Mallorcan equivalent of pizza. It’s a delicious snack for anytime and I love it topped with spinach or Swiss chard.
Paula Mas Boned has a cookery school called Soqueta Experiences in Sant Jordi (not far from Palma’s airport), and I first discovered her a couple of years ago during research for an article about cooking classes in Mallorca. Although I haven’t yet taken one of her classes – which are all dedicated to authentic mallorquín gastronomy – what I read during my research impressed me.
When the production company for Marcus in the Med asked me for a recommendation for someone local to feature in the filming, I suggested two women I thought would be perfect: Deborah Piña Zitrone and Paula Mas Boned – both of whom run cooking classes focusing on Mallorcan gastronomy.
In the end, the company went with Paula, who wore a Soqueta T-shirt during filming. Because the logo might not have been clear enough for viewers to read, I thought I’d mention Soqueta Experiences in this week’s blog post.
Soqueta offers several cooking experiences, including making Mallorcan almond ice cream the old-fashioned way –with a soft sponge cake known as a cuarto to go with it. There are seasonal classes celebrating particular foods that are eaten at times such as Easter and Christmas, and a class for traditional bakery and pastries. Paula also offers her services as a private chef if being on holiday means no cooking for you.
A Workshop in Palma
My other suggestion, chef Deborah Piña Zitrone, is well-respected for her extensive knowledge of, and passion for Mallorcan food culture. Her business, Deborah’s Culinary Island, offers a variety of cooking workshops in her premises, a former 18th-century bakery in the heart of Palma. The popular Thursday morning market tour and traditional cooking class are an ideal introduction to Mallorcan cuisine and food traditions. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience – which you can read about here.
Jan Edwards ©2024
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A Drink with a View on Mallorca’s East Coast
Drink on a rooftop, anyone? Here are two places to do just that this summer on the east coast of Mallorca.
Sky Bar, Sol i Vida in Porto Cristo
When I visited this hotel in Porto Cristo in 2019, it had just opened under the name of Som Dona. I’d gone to record an interview with the general manager for my Mallorca Sunshine Radio show back then.
Som Dona was newsworthy because it was the first women-only hotel in Spain. Guests and all staff were female. The new concept garnered stacks of media coverage internationally. I don’t know why it didn’t survive but my guess would be it was pandemic-related.
View to the wooded area around the Caves of Drach 
Not the best night to view a sunset but still enjoyable Now, the bright, contemporary 4-star hotel is called Sol i Vida and welcomes all adults as guests. I’d read about its Sky Bar – said to be the only bar in Porto Cristo where you see the sunset over Mallorca. Alas, the sun was obscured by clouds when we visited on Friday evening, but we still enjoyed our visit and the views over the wooded area around the Caves of Drach and across the island. A female singer and male guitarist (the local duo known as Acustic Sun) were performing an acoustic set when we arrived.
We had a glass each of cava (rosé) for which we paid 9,80€ (for both), so prices are reasonable. NOTE: Payment at Sky Bar is by card only, no cash.
Sol i Vida is located near the Caves of Drach’s car park, in a quiet, mainly residential location. Street parking is plentiful in the evenings. The Sky Bar is open to the public for drinks on Wednesday to Sunday evenings during the summer. Take the lift up to the 3rd floor and you’ve found it. See you there?
Barefoot Hotel, Portocolom
Although I haven’t stayed at Sol i Vida, we have overnighted at the gorgeous 5-star Barefoot Hotel in Portocolom. The hotel has a roof terrace that’s open to the public for drinks from Wednesday to Sunday from 7pm, and on Saturday a DJ provides the music.
This was the view from our room when we stayed at Barefoot Hotel. The view from the terrace will be an elevated version of this … in other words, beautiful. 
Make it a date! Incidentally, in the patio area of the hotel’s Barefoot Restaurant, Juan Reyes plays Spanish guitar on Wednesday evenings. Juan plays in various locations in Mallorca, on the Peninsula, and beyond, and was a friend of the late Paco de Lucía.
So, here you have two places I’d recommend for an evening drink with elevated views this summer. Enjoy!
Jan Edwards ©2024
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A Great Hotel for Families on Mallorca’s East Coast
The hotel reception foyer The resort of Sa Coma is a half-hour drive from where we live in rural Mallorca, but we stayed for a night there recently because we’d received a gift voucher for a tasting menu lunch at the neighbouring Tomeu Caldentey Cuiner restaurant. Staying in the Protur Sa Coma Playa Hotel & Spa meant we could enjoy some wine with our lunch and make a mini-break of it.
We’ve stayed at this 4-star hotel a couple of times in previous years for one night. I used to work in the hotel industry (in PR) and this Sa Coma hotel ticks quite a few boxes for me. The 4-star hotel is clean, spacious, and well-appointed, with a variety of room types, including suites, swim-up twin rooms (with direct access to the hotel’s ‘river’ pool, double rooms with a semi-private pool, ‘select’ doubles and doubles. Our room was one of the latter, with a balcony overlooking the front of the hotel and Tomeu Caldentey’s restaurant. We didn’t hear a sound from any of the nearby rooms, ensuring we had a good night’s sleep. The hotel has recently been renovated too.
A corner of the lounge 
Activities galore 
The hotel at night 
View of Tomeu Caldentey Cuiner restaurant from our balcony Our usual preference is for small hotels but for those who want a package holiday, Protur Sa Coma Playa Hotel & Spa has much in its favour – especially for families. We found the staff welcoming and helpful.
Swimming Pools
The chiildrn’s pool 
The huge main pool at night 
The adults-only pool viewed from our balcony The main swimming pool is enormous, with plenty of loungers and parasols around it. A separate, smaller one is available in a quieter location for adults only. Both have a pool bar. The hotel spa (which we didn’t use) also has an indoor pool. The children’s pool made me wish I was five again.
Entertainment
Children have a mini-disco in the early evening and plenty of other activities to keep them amused. Adults too have a programme of sports and leisure activities, including rifle shooting, football, archery, yoga, stretching, and more.
Evenings also offer entertainment. On the night we were there, two female gymnasts were performing on the small stage in the spacious bar. Several rows of mesmerised children sat cross-legged on the floor watching. Musical acts can also be expected. For many holidaymakers, an entertainment programme is essential. We preferred to sit on our balcony enjoying the evening air and a glass of wine bought from the bar; we’re all different.
Food
The restaurant is as large as you’d expect for a hotel of this size and, with a buffet-style breakfast, guests and the efficient staff members are constantly on the move around you. If that’s too much bustle for you in the morning, try one of the outdoor tables. The food choice is excellent and includes healthy and diet items, local and international breakfast items, and cooking stations where a chef will whip you up an omelette or fried egg to order.
Because we’d eaten lunch at Tomeu Caldentey Cuiner, we had only breakfast in the hotel so can’t comment on the lunch or dinner service.
Club Protur
The hotel is part of the Club Protur Sa Coma Resort, which includes the Biomar Spa, 17 tennis courts, storage and workshop for bikes, a driving range, and more. The Biomar Spa has a Petit Spa for its younger guests (aged 4 to 16).
Good to Know
The Protur Sa Coma Playa Hotel & Spa is not right on the beach, although with such excellent facilities available within the property, that’s not really a problem. It’s probably a ten-minute walk to the sandy beach and seafront promenade.
If you love nature and walking, across the road you’ll find Sa Punta de n’Amer – an area of special natural interest. Between the beaches of Cala Millor and Sa Coma, this promontory with its coastal fortress feels a world away from the busyness of these two popular holiday resorts.
Jan Edwards ©2024
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My 3 Top Italian Restaurants in Mallorca’s Llevant (Northeast)
Mallorca has plenty of Italian eateries for those who, like me, enjoy the flavours of Italy. Italian restaurants are also usually a good option for vegetarians, of whom there are a few among my family and friends, so it’s helpful to know some good places.
If you’re looking for a taste of la dolce vita in the northeast part of Mallorca – the area known as the Llevant – here are three I’d recommend.
El Guiri, in the heart of Manacor, is a cosy eatery in which to enjoy chef/owner Alexander Weinhold’s pastas and pizzas. It’s an affordable, family-friendly place, open only in the evenings, but has no outdoor tables. Booking is recommended. Closed Sundays.
The underground car park in Plaça d’en Jordi Caldentey is about five minutes’ walk away and doesn’t close.
Peperoncino in the middle of Son Servera offers authentic Italian cuisine and hospitality. As well as the two attractive indoor dining areas, you can enjoy ZZ Top-lookalike chef Giuseppe Carbonaro’s tasty cuisine on the roof terrace or at a table at the front of the restaurant. You must book in advance for Peperoncino as it’s very popular. We spent the best part of a summer, a few years ago, trying (and failing) to secure a table at short notice, but we soon learnt to plan ahead.
Open for lunch and dinner but closed on Tuesdays. Street parking is usually available nearby.
Es Vivers in Colònia de Sant Pere has an enviable location by the sea, with gorgeous views of the Bay of Alcúdia, the Serra de Tramuntana, and the sunset. For one of the seafront tables, you need to reserve ahead. I haven’t written about this place yet (another for the to-do list), but Es Vivers has an à la carte menu of antipasti, pasta, meats, fish, and desserts, and a blackboard listing additional dishes.
Here are pictures from our last visit for lunch, when it was so windy that a forkful of tomato sauce blew onto my top before it could reach my mouth!
Es Vivers is open for lunch and dinner from Thursdays to Mondays.
Mallorca in Fiction
If you’re a fan of romantic fiction, cats, and Mallorca, you may enjoy my novel Daughter of Deià (please forgive the shameless plug). Yesterday I spotted this review on Amazon, which made my day.
In case this contemporary women’s fiction is of interest to you, it’s available through Amazon – and is also on sale in the boutique at Belmond La Residencia hotel in Deià.
5.0 out of 5 stars A real page turner!
We are currently on holiday in Port Soller in Mallorca and I had bought this book to read on this holiday purely because it is set in Mallorca. Amazing story telling weaved into the places, food, history and culture of the island, I have just not been able to put it down. Obviously it is well written and the story stands well by itself, but if you have been to Mallorca, or intend to make a visit, do grab a copy of this book. You won’t be disappointed!! I am still enjoying the after glow and revisiting parts of the book to enjoy them afresh.
Marcus in the Med: Mallorca
Just a reminder, if you’re reading this post on the day it was published, that part two of this 10-part series about Mallorca is on TV’s Food Network UK channel this evening at 9pm, UK time.
Jan Edwards©2024
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Marcus in the Med … in Mallorca
Back in March this year, a UK TV production company contacted me through this blog. It’s not the first time this has happened, and I’m happy to help where I can – although I did once turn down a request to find a goat farmer to take part in a dubious-sounding episode of a reality TV show; I had too much respect for the two goat farmers I know!
This time the enquiry related to the filming of a new food/travel series entitled Marcus in the Med – featuring English chef Marcus Wareing, who was the chef/patron of Michelin-starred restaurant Marcus in London (which he closed at the end of 2023). He’s also been a judge on Masterchef: The Professionals since 2014. His most recent series, on the BBC, took him to Provence to explore its gastronomy. I guess making food and travel documentaries is a lot less stressful than running a Michelin-star restaurant.
The first series of Marcus in the Med was to be about Mallorca, and the production team was seeking suggestions for filming. We exchanged several emails; I had a video call with the researcher and an assistant producer, and a face-to-face meeting in Palma with the producer. I’ll be interested to see which suggestions they used!Quite a few tourists were surprised to see Marcus and the film crew on location during their holiday. This evening, the 10-part series starts on the Food Network at 21:00h, UK time.
“It’s one of the most beautiful places in the Med,” Marcus said of his visit. “It’s like a chef’s paradise.” To find out what he did here, make an appointment to watch and bring a taste of Mallorca to your living room for the next ten weeks.
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Eat Al Fresco this Summer at Restaurant Roland in Porto Cristo
Chef/patron Roland Schulte The popular east coast of Porto Cristo is home to tennis supremo, Rafael Nadal. His impressive-looking house has a view across the water to the resort and to his catamaran, which – apart from the excursion boats – is the largest vessel moored there.
There’s more to see and enjoy in Porto Cristo – especially if you’re interested in caves (or a dinosaur theme park!) – but if you’re looking for dinner out that’s a little more refined than the seasonal, seafront eateries (some of which, such as the well-managed Quince, are worth a visit), I’d suggest Restaurant Roland.
Named for its chef/patron, Roland Schulte, this restaurant opened in its original Porto Cristo home in 2011; we ate there several times, and I reviewed the place for a local magazine. Earlier this year, Restaurant Roland gained that coveted outdoor dining space for the first time, when it relocated to where Osteria Dolores used to be, in one of the port resort’s residential streets.
The smart dining room, large courtyard garden for al fresco dining, and accomplished cooking make up for the lack of a sea view. Roland’s cuisine is international, market cuisine based on seasonal produce. His clientele is largely German and a bonus of this is that the restaurant opens at 6.30pm – Germans often dine earlier than Spanish people.
The Food
We visited earlier this year before the weather was warm enough to eat outside. A basket of three types of bread arrived with green olives and a fresh cheese spread – a pleasant change from aioli. Once we’d ordered, our server brought us a complimentary appetizer of turnip soup.
From the eight starters, I had crotin of goat cheese wrapped in kataifi on baby spinach leaves with pear chutney (15,50€). This tasty, multi-textural dish would be enough for two to share. The Boss enjoyed his Iberico pork samosas with an Asian salad (17,50€).
Our main course dishes were fillet of sea bass with black risotto and a lobster sauce (24,50), and coq au vin made with quail rather than the traditional rooster or chicken. (24,50€). Both were expertly cooked and attractively presented.
Desserts were a semifreddo of chocolate and caramel with an orange salad to counter the richness (11,50€) and crème brûlée of passion fruit with tonka bean ice cream and strawberries (11,50€). I’d recommend either of these.
Wines are Mallorcan and international, with some available by the glass for those who don’t want a full bottle.
Roland’s cuisine is delicious and, as soon as we have time this summer, we’ll return to Porto Cristo for dinner al fresco in that courtyard garden.
Good to Know
Open for dinner only, Monday to Saturday, from 6.30pm-10pm.
Restaurant Roland is on Instagram and Facebook.
Jan Edwards©2024
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Great Pizzas & Pastas in Manacor
Statistics for this blog show that my post, ‘My Top 3 Restaurants in Manacor’, has had a lot of readers lately. Not a day passes when it hasn’t had multiple views. This means I need to update it, as I have two restaurants to add to my list of favourite eateries in Manacor – the capital of Mallorca’s Llevant region.
One addition is El Guiri, in the centre of Manacor. It’s a small place with no outdoor dining area, but we really like it for its cosy ambience and delicious Italian cuisine made from good-quality ingredients. Guiri is the Spanish word for ‘foreigner’, so you won’t be surprised to learn that chef/owner is not Spanish. Or even Italian. Alexander Weinhold is German but has worked in Mallorca for quite a few years. We’ve previously eaten his food in the former restaurants, Sa Sal and Osteria Dolores in Porto Cristo, at 15teen in Porto Cristo Novo, and Es Patí in Sant Llorenç.
On the Menu
Seven must be Alexander’s lucky number: El Guiri’s menu offers seven starters, seven pasta dishes, and seven pizzas. There are usually a few extra dishes on offer too. Prices are fair here and portions are a decent size. We had a starter each; whenever I suggest we could share a starter, The Boss quotes Joey’s famous line on that subject from Friends. The Boss doesn’t share either.
I had crunchy mozzarella wrapped in angel hair pasta with tomato jam – definitely enough for two people (or even three); The Boss opted for a generous plateful of carpaccio of bresaola with rocket and Parmesan.
We both chose main course dishes from the extras that day. The Boss had gnocchi (16,50€) – which I omitted to photograph. I had a pizza with artichokes, piquillo peppers, oil, and feta (14,50€). Alexander brought the pizza to the table, and I learnt that he ferments his dough for 72 hours. There are digestive benefits to this long fermentation period – and this was one of the tastiest pizzas I’ve eaten.
Of the two home-made desserts (5,50€ each), we chose a light yogurt mousse with strawberries. A fresh-tasting conclusion to an enjoyable dinner.
Drinks are detailed on blackboards on the wall and include Italian and Spanish wines. We paid a reasonable 18€ for a bottle of Pinot Grigio blush.
Pizzeria El Guiri in Manacor offers tasty, carefully made Italian dishes from good ingredients. It’s now one of my favourite places to eat in Manacor.
Good to Know
Prices (as at time of writing): Each starter 12,50€; Pastas 12,50€-16,50€; Pizzas 11,50€-15,50€
El Guiri is in Carrer Major, Manacor, and is open for dinner only Monday – Saturday 19:30h-23:00h.
Reservation recommended.
Takeaway service also available.
El Guiri doesn’t have a website but you can find this eatery on Instagram, as pizzeria_el_guiri
Jan Edwards ©2024
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Authentic Spanish Food in Palma
The spoon logo on the door into Cantina Panzà. All photos Jan Edwards© Mallorca’s capital, Palma, has a cosmopolitan restaurant scene, and you can find different cuisines from around the world. But if you want to eat real Spanish food in an atmospheric setting, I can recommend Cantina Panzà. You’ll find this cosy place on the Paseo de la Rambla – best known for its many flower stalls.
Two excellent chefs are business partners in Cantina Panzà: Madrid-born Fernando Pérez Arellano – whose fine-dining restaurant Zaranda is also in Palma and has held a Michelin star for many years – and his friend and former kitchen colleague, Javier Gardonio. Javier is in the kitchen at Cantina Panzà.
Cantina Panzà used to be within a 5-star boutique hotel in Palma. We enjoyed eating there but I think its current home has a more authentic ambience.
Look through the door of the premises and you may think is just a small tapas bar. There’s the obligatory counter and stools where you can have a drink and eat tapas. But around the corner of the bar, you’ll find tables in simply decorated dining spaces and an open kitchen. If you like to eat outdoors, take a table on the terrace in the middle of the Rambla.
Chef Javier The Food & Drink
We went for lunch with a couple of friends – one of whom is the food consultant and excellent private chef, Piers Dawson. We chose several dishes we could share (some of which are pictured below). It was interesting to note that most of the other diners on the day we visited appeared to be locals.
We enjoyed: vitello ‘Tomato’ (9€); lettuce hearts with anchovy vinaigrette (6€); croquettes (6€), waffle topped with San Simón cheese and basil with confit tomatoes and olives (7€); ‘Espinagada’ of pork loin and vegetables, disguised as empanadillas (8€); Andalusian fried squid with saffron and lemon aioli (12€); four different cocas (4€-5€), torreznos (their best seller and incredibly moreish), and oxtail cannelloni with a velouté of Jerusalem artichoke (17€).
In terms of drinks, we had cava at 5€ a glass, and the draft Cerveza 1906 at 2,80€ for a quarter of a litre.
Eating at Cantina Panzà is a good-quality Spanish culinary experience, with friendly and efficient service, for a fair price. And those torreznos are a must.
Good to Know
Spain is famous for its menú del día and Cantina Panzà’s costs 19€ for three courses, bread and aioli, and water. It’s available from Monday to Friday.
The latest edition of the Guía Repsol recommends Cantina Panzà.
Cantina Panzà is open every day from 13:00h to 23:00h.
While you’re in this part of Palma, treat yourself to a purchase at two of my favourite foodie shops not far from Cantina Panzà:
Narez & Cuart – confectionary artists & Fornet de la Soca – an emblematic bakery
Jan Edwards @2024
Eat Drink Sleep Mallorca 