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A Festive Feast or Getaway in Rural Mallorca
I make no apologies for writing again about Finca Can Beneït, a rural hotel in Mallorca that captured our hearts on our first visit. Every time we’ve stayed overnight – and I think we’ve now stayed five times here – I fall a little more in love with the hotel, the staff, and Binibona itself.
And what’s not to love about the hamlet of Binibona, where this enchanting hotel is located? Arriving here you feel as though you’ve stepped off the treadmill of daily life and arrived in a piece of paradise, blessed with birdsong, fresh air, and views that make the heart quicken a little.
View of the pool behind the lavender 
Autumn colours 
Bougainvillea beauty 
Fresh flowers in the sitting room 
And in the outside window ledge of the spa At the heart of Binibona is the estate, Finca Can Beneït, which was once known as Son Catxo. The small community grew around the buildings of this noble estate. Today, Binibona is a blissfully tranquil hideaway.
Room 3
For this latest visit, we stayed in room three for the first time. It looks over the courtyard with its traditional well and beyond the entrance of the building across the island. It has a large bathroom with both shower and a bathtub. As in all the rooms, there are high-quality linens from Spirit of the Nomad and luxurious toiletries from Natura Bissé.
A private concert in the chapel 
View from room three 
View of the pool from our roof terrace We were fortunate to be there on the night that cellist Osel Wiegershaus and violinist Lisa Kimbell were giving a special performance in the finca’s beautiful old chapel. After the musical treat, we had an excellent dinner in the cosy Mirabona restaurant before falling into our comfortable bed.
Room 3, like others here, has its own private roof terrace, equipped with a table and two chairs, and two deckchairs. This would be the perfect place for a writer to spend time working on their latest project.
The magical time of the year, in a magical place
Finca Can Beneït is closed until December 20th, then opens for the festive season, with a special Christmas tasting menu on December 24th, 25th, and 26th. The hotel also has an accommodation package for Christmas, although there was only one room available when I last asked.
I’m imagining tasteful festive decorations (the owners have superb taste) and a long, countryside walk after all the feasting. Sadly, we couldn’t take our two cats to stay with us, so I’ll have to rely on my imagination!
Jan Edwards @2024
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Where to Have a Traditional Afternoon Tea in Palma
“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” So said the author Henry James, whose works included the 19th-century novel, The Portrait of a Lady.
If you agree with Mr James, you’ll be pleased to learn that it’s now possible to have a traditional English-style afternoon tea in Mallorca’s capital, Palma. It’s even served in a palace, to add to the civilized nature of this break in an afternoon of shopping or sightseeing.
A corner of the restaurant interior 
A beautiful setting 
The verdant patio The palace in question is the 5-star grand luxe hotel, Palacio Can Marqués, home to the independent restaurant, The Merchants, which has a stylish interior and a beautiful courtyard for alfresco dining – or afternoon tea.
The Merchants Afternoon Tea is served on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and is the luxury experience you’d expect in the beautiful surroundings. The weather was good, so we sat in the courtyard enjoying the peaceful setting amid trees and lush greenery.
‘Do we get all this food?’ The Boss asked, reading the menu with eyes wide like tea-cup saucers. Yes. My advice? Skip lunch and save yourself for the savoury and sweet indulgences of The Merchants’ afternoon tea.
The beverage included in the afternoon tea price (50€ per person) is one of seven types of tea on offer. I have to admit that, even though I’m a Brit, traditional tea is not my cuppa of choice, but the delicate pink infusion named Goji Secrets was delicious. Of course, you can add to the opulence of the afternoon by having a glass of cava or champagne or a sparkling tea.
Stylish tableware 
Savoury treats 
Crab in a croissant – my favourite 
More savouries 
Bring on the sweet treats! 
Afternoon tea classics The food arrived on a stand, loaded with three plates, with an additonal plate on the side. At the bottom of the stand were the sandwiches or, as described at The Merchants, tramezzini. They’re posh finger sandwiches made with soft, Italian white bread. The savouries also included smoked salmon on brioche, mini-croissant with crab, avocado, guacamole, and lime, a mini smoked chicken sandwich with Mahon cheese, bacon, and lettuce. My absolute favourite of these was the mini-croissant.
The sweet treats had been calling out ‘Eat me’ since they arrived at the table and so we did. Scones, with clotted cream and a selection of jams, and rich chocolate and sea salt cookies were on the additional plate. I don’t remember when I last ate and enjoyed so many sweet temptations!
As far as I know, this is the only place in the middle of Palma that serves a traditional afternoon tea. If you want to try it, book through The Merchants’ website.
Jan Edwards @2024
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Try Canarian Cuisine in Mallorca
Jonay Hernández During our only holiday in Tenerife (to date), I discovered the Canarian island’s distinctive cuisine. Papas arrugadas – which means ‘wrinkly potatoes’ – became almost an obsession. They’re a must-try if you visit the Canaries – or the restaurant La Vieja de Jonay Hernández in Palma, Mallorca’s capital.
In the Canaries, this emblematic dish is usually made from the variety of small potatoes known as ‘papa bonita’. Cooked with a large amount of salt or, as was traditional, in sea water, they end up with a salty and wrinkly skin and are delicious with a Canarian mojo sauce.
Jonay – who hails from Tenerife – opened his Palma restaurant in May 2018 to offer the traditional dishes of the Canaries, but with contemporary touches and creative presentation. It’s a very popular eatery in a square (Plaça de Raimundo Clar) that has since become one of the trendy places for eating out in Palma, with a variety of eateries and bars.
The Place
The place is colourful, with an eyecatching street-art mural of an octopus on one wall.Behind the bar is the kitchen. The food is served on vibrant, quirky tableware. It all adds up to a fun place to eat. If you want to eat outdoors, there are a few tables at the front, but I prefer the ambience indoors.
The Food
The à la carte menu offers hot and cold savoury dishes perfect for sharing, and desserts (including a mini one if you feel guilty about eating puds or you’ve eaten too much for a full dessert).
From Tuesday to Friday, La Vieja’s additional midday menu costs 24,50€. You can see the week’s menu on La Vieja’s Instagram page.
On our last visit, we feasted on Canarian wrinkly potatoes, asparagus ‘chips’ (a little salty for my taste), fried fish with green mojo aioli, and Ibérico pork cooked in the Kamado grill with smoked Hollandaise sauce, sweet red mojo, and sweet potato purée. The potatoes and pork were my favourites, but they were all good.
Asparagus ‘chips’ 
Papas arrugadas 
Fried fish pieces 
Ibérico pork cooked in the Kamado 
Eat Tenerife! La Vieja de Jonay Hernández is a good choice for coeliacs and those avoiding gluten for other reasons, with plenty of options (including gluten-free bread). Dishes without gluten are marked as such on the menu.
If you’ve room for a full-size dessert, Eat Tenerife! is my recommendation. Presented in the shape of the island, it’s made from milk chocolate, Venezuelan ocumare chocolate, and gofio cookie, and ‘seated’ in a ‘sea’ of coconut milk coloured blue by butterfly pea flower.
Cocktail fans should check out the list: as well as the classic and virgin cocktails, several signature versons are worth a try.
Book in advance at La Vieja de Jonay Hernández to be sure of a table. And transport yourself for an hour or two to the Canaries, or at least their cuisine.
Good to Know
La Vieja is recommended in 2025 editions of both the Guía Michelin and the Guía Repsol.
Jan Edwards@2024 Updated April 2025
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Feast on Fish in Cala Rajada
It’s known as lightning fish, dolphinfish, mahi mahi, and the local name, llampuga. Call it what you will, this seasonal, migratory fish is so named locally because its arrival in the seas around Mallorca coincides with the end-of-summer thunderstorms. Llamp is the Catalan word for lightning.
This white fish is delicious grilled or fried simply in olive oil with garlic and red peppers, but creative home cooks and professional chefs can find plenty of ways to use llampuga.
Autumn being the season of several food fairs in Mallorca, it’s no surprise that the llampuga has its own celebration. Every October, the fishing port of Cala Rajada hosts a weekend-long event, including a tapas competition, a giant paella, live music, and Sunday’s Mostra de la Llampuga. For a typical programme of this weekend, see the official poster for the 2024 event.
2024’s Mostra de la Llampuga is the 21st of its kind, and attending this event is a great way to discover the versatility of this fish and have some fun in this part of northeast of Mallorca.
The main event is on Sunday, when there’ll be more than 20 stalls offering their own versions of llampuga dishes. Each stall will have 80 kilos of the fish to use – all of it caught by fishermen from Cala Rajada. Now that’s what I call a feast!
Jan Edwards©2024
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Lunch in Palma: Basic Bar Restaurante
Gerhard Berktol Basic Bar Restaurante in Palma is a hidden gem in Mallorca’s capital. You’re not likely to stumble across the place on a sightseeing wander because it’s in a side street off the busy Carrer Aragó. This isn’t an area usually frequented by visitors to the city, although the large El Corté Inglés department store is only a few minutes’ walk away.
We’ve eaten many times at Basic since it opened in 2009, because the food is good and the value for money is even better. The owner/chef is Gerhard Berktold, who was previously head chef at the 5-star St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort and is hands-on at his Palma restaurant.
Here’s the reason why you need to book to have lunch at Basic: you can enjoy three courses, basket of bread, water and a caña (glass of draught beer) for 18,50€ (2025 price). A small supplement applies if you want olives and aioli.
The Place
On entering Basic Bar Restaurante, there’s a seating area to have drinks, then you pass the bar/counter with its view into the open kitchen, where Gerhard plies his craft.
The restaurant décor is contemporary but simple, with red-painted walls, polished wooden floors and simple table settings. Modern art hangs on the walls. Natural light fills the main area of the restaurant, thanks to a huge window with a view of a tiny enclosed courtyard.
The Food
Gerhard posts details of the set lunch menu each day on his website. There’s a choice of two starters, three main dishes (usually a meat, a fish, and a vegetarian) and a choice of home-made desserts. See TODAY ‘s menu here.
As well as the set lunch, the à la carte offers tapas and some suggested dishes.
For our last visit, we opted for prawn and vegetable tempura (6,50€), which was described as a tapa but was generous in size and shareable. The tempura was light and there was a variety of vegetables as well as three prawns. I’d have it again. We also tried a couple of the suggested main-course dishes: a generous plate of beef carpaccio with dried tomato and rocket pesto (12€) and a bowl of salmon ceviche with avocado and coriander (12€). Both were excellent.
As I was driving, I drank alcohol-free beer, at 2,90€ a bottle.
Good to Know
Basic is open for lunch from Monday to Saturday and for dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings only, when Gerhard offers a choice of tasting menus.
Because of the good value here, Basic Bar Restaurante is very popular with locals – and business people, in particular, who come from the many nearby offices for lunch. So, I recommend that you book a table if you want to eat lunch at this hidden gem in Palma.
Jan Edwards ©2024 Menu price updated April 2025
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Summer Vibes Continue at Sea Club
The entrance to Cap Rocat hotel Where did the summer go? It’s hard to believe that September is already here, and the meteorological autumn has begun. I refuse to say goodbye to summer until the astronomical autumn begins on the 23rd of this month. I say this even though a heavy storm is raging over a large part of Mallorca this afternoon, making everything look – and sound – positively autumnal.
With a few weeks of astronomical summer left, there’s still time to enjoy seaside eating in Mallorca. One place we’ll be returning to before it closes for the season is Cap Rocat’s Sea Club.
Cap Rocat is a unique 5-star hotel converted from a fortified citadel. The visionary architect Antonio Obrador won an award for its renovation. The estate is in a protected natural area, making the hotel a getaway-from-it-all place favoured by wealthy guests for weddings and honeymoons.
I’d love to tell you what it’s like to stay in this hotel or to eat in its fine-dining restaurant, La Fortaleza, but both are beyond my budget. We found Cap Rocat’s Sea Club restaurant to be more affordable, with prices similar to some restaurants that don’t have the ‘wow’ factor of this one.
Sea Club’s Location
On arrival at the gated Cap Rocat estate, you’re directed to the parking area, just steps away from the hotel entrance. From there, a steep ‘path’ leads down to Sea Club, which sits on the coast at the edge of Caló de la Reina. However, don’t let that put you off a visit: Cap Rocat has a fleet of buggies to whisk diners to and from the restaurant. The Boss’s eyes lit up when he realised he didn’t have to walk down.
There are several al fresco dining areas – some with director’s chairs, others with wicker seats, and several types of shade. An attractive, small dining room means it’s also good for the cooler months. Wherever you sit outside, the views across the Bay of Palma are glorious, and the ambience is relaxed.
Food & Drink at Sea Club
The á la carte menu is the same for lunch and dinner, offering starters, salads and vegetables from their organic garden, savoury Mallorcan cocas, rice and pastas, grilled meats, and fish and shellfish from the fish market.
We started with chipirones (fried baby squids) with three flavours of aioli (23€) and salmon tartar with avocado and a curry-and-lime flavoured yogurt dressing (27€). Both were delicious and either could easily be shared between two people.
A foodie friend had recommended Sea Club’s rice dishes. Of the three of these, we chose the one with Mallorcan red prawns, red mullet, and courgettes. The rice dishes are for a minimum of two people and range in price from 27€ to 32€ per person.
I really enjoyed the appealing mille-feuille with fruits and mascarpone (12€), which was one of my favourite desserts of this summer. The Boss devoured his deconstructed cheesecake (10€).
We paid 7€ for a large bottle of sparkling water; 8€ for a glass of Mallorcan rosado, and Americano coffees cost 3,50€ each. Once bills are paid, the server summons a buggy to take guests back up to the hotel level, a short walk from the large car park.
Good to Know
Children over 12 years of age are allowed.
A reservation is essential; it took me several attempts to make a successful booking. Hey, it’s a popular place.
Sea Club is open every day for lunch and dinner.
Jan Edwards©2024
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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
Eat Drink Sleep Mallorca 