Balneario Illetas

It was born in the 1950s from a design by architect Francisco Casas Llompart, and today its stepped terraces take up much of a small cove in Illetes, with pines behind and the Bay of Palma in front, ten minutes from the city. It’s several things at once: restaurant, beach club with sunbeds, a spa by the sand (Finnish sauna, Turkish bath and ice bath) and a venue for weddings and parties. The restaurant is open all year, from breakfast to dinner. The cooking is Mediterranean with a long menu built around the Josper oven, which gives fish and meat their charcoal edge. Paella is what most tables order, for two at least: the black one gets the warmest praise, and the lobster version is the one for celebrations. To start, fried squid or tuna tataki; to share, sea bass baked in salt or oven-roasted turbot. On winter Sundays there’s a brunch: one toast of your choice plus a buffet of breads, cold cuts and Mallorcan specialities. Know what you’re paying for: mostly the setting, a table over the water and a whole day of swimming and long lunches. The rice divides people who come looking for the best in the area. The bread basket with aioli is charged separately.

Reviewed in November 2026