The expert guide to Palma de Mallorca — best restaurants, bars and the months to avoid (2024)

Trudy Brolly is the chef and co-owner, alongside her husband, Sean, of Ocho Tapas Bistro (ochotapas.com) at the Cranagh Marina, between Portstewart and Coleraine on Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast. The couple began the multi-award-winning Ocho Tapas in the heart of Portrush a decade ago, before moving up the coast.

When I arrived in Palma de Mallorca more than 30 years ago, I drove from the airport into the city and passed the Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca along the palm-tree-lined Paseo Maritimo, which runs parallel to Palma’s stunning seafront, and I thought: “Wow, wow, WOW!”

I fell in love with the city instantly and spent 13 years working here before returning home to Portrush. I still have my apartment here and visit as often as I can — it’s my happy place.

What makes Palma de Mallorca unique is its modern city life. Palma has the best of all worlds: stunning beaches with crystal-clear waters (playa Ca’n Pere Antoni, playa Cala Mayor) and many other outdoor spaces, as well as a bustling city vibe with history, tradition and culture everywhere, and a rich tapestry of restaurants, bars and shops.

Getting there and when to visit

I love Palma year-round, but July and August are extremely hot and crowded, so late spring/early summer or September/October are ideal. Palma is a great destination for a winter city break too, as it’s less crowded, more relaxed, easier to get restaurant tables and hotel prices are lower. Seasonal direct flights are available from Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Belfast, but out of season it’s easy to connect via Valencia, Alicante or Barcelona. The airport is ten minutes from the city centre in a taxi.

Best places to stay

Palma is easily navigated on foot but the area around the Paseo Mallorca is great for hotels, most with swimming pools, such as the four-star Hotel Saratoga (hotelsaratoga.com), which has B&B doubles from €165 a night, and the stylish Hospes Maricel & Spa (hospes.com), which has doubles from €151 room only. For something more budget-friendly but central, try Apuntadores 8 (apuntadoreshostal.com), about €132 room only.

What’s the food culture like?

The city has a great restaurant scene, from small tapas bars to Michelin-starred restaurants, with many influences from different cultures. The style of cuisine has remained traditional over the centuries, with pork at the forefront of Mallorcan food in dishes such as arroz brut or tumbet stews, the rustic soup sopas mallorquinas and coca de tremp a flatbread made with pork lard and topped with a salad of tomato, onion and pepper.

Mallorca’s most famous delicacy is the ensa a spiral-shaped pastry made with lard and sugar which comes either plain or filled with apricot, cream or pumpkin. Often they are served in a traditional hexagonal box. They are available across the island, but the most famous bakery is Ca’n Joan de s’Aigo (canjoandesaigo.com).

One unforgettable restaurant

Over the years I have kept returning to my old favourites, not just for the food (consistently good traditional dishes and menus that rarely change) but for the service and the people who know how to make you feel welcome. My favourite is the family-run Bar Joan Frau (Ca’n Frau), in the Santa Catalina market, which dates to 1966 and is now run by the second generation. It is open Tuesday to Saturday and is a real meeting point for locals and hospitality bods. Mostly standing room, there are only six seats behind the bar and many Mallorquins say that they would include bagging a seat at Bar Joan Frau as a special achievement on their CV. The kitchen is tiny, producing masses of amazing traditional dishes such as squid ink paella, pork ribs and baked cod in tomato.

A couple more to try

Other restaurants that stand out include Marc Fosh (marcfosh.com; Hotel Convent de la Missió), the Michelin-starred restaurant from the UK-born chef Fosh who has been in Mallorca for more than 25 years. For seafood, try La Parada del Mar (laparadadelmar.com), a fishmonger restaurant where you choose your catch from the counter.

If you want unique tapas try Vandal (vandalpalma.com), while El Bungalow (@rest.elbungalow on Instagram) does the best paella, served right by the beach. For an affordable menu del dia (set menu) try Casa Julio (4 Carrer de la Previsió), but it’s very popular so get there early to join the queue before it opens at 1pm.

Café culture

Bar Bosch (@barbosch1936) is the place to go for a coffee and ensaïmada, or to sip a beer or glass of wine and people-watch. It’s open from 8am to midnight and is a proper institution, dating to 1936. It also serves , mid-sized rolls toasted with oil, grated Ramallet tomato, pork loin and cheese.

A great place for a drink

La Lonja is a great little quarter with bars and live music, and the most famous place for a co*cktail is Abaco (bar-abaco.es), which is popular with locals and tourists. It’s known for its opulent and ornate baroque decor, set in a building dating to the 17th century; its extensive co*cktail menu with more than 100 options; and its lively atmosphere. Try to get a table in the beautiful enclosed courtyard.

One thing you must see or do

It has to be the magnificent Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma (catedraldemallorca.org), which dates to the 13th century and was finished by the Catalan architect Gaudí. It has a marvellous rose window in stained glass In summer, the balconies open to the public (you can book online) and provide a bird’s-eye view over Palma — but they can be accessed only via 215 small steps. Also, do keep your wits about you in the cathedral area as pick-pockets abound.

Palma de Mallorca summed up in a sentence?

A vibrant Mediterranean city with a rich history, stunning natural beauty and a lively atmosphere.

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