El Patio Salao

Far from the centre, on Carrer de Llucmajor in the Platja de Palma district, is an old-style Andalusian tavern: southern décor, flamenco in the background, roomy tables and families who come back every year. People who have known it for decades say the menu has barely changed, which is exactly the point. The speciality is pescaíto frito – fried prawns, anchovies, marinated dogfish, squid, cuttlefish, stuffed mussels – crisp and not greasy, on platters that feed more people than the menu claims. Alongside come Andalusian and Iberian cured meats, hand-carved ham, Ronda cheese, salt cod and griddled fish, plus snails with aioli that have a following. To finish, a pionono or whisky cake. There’s a menu for four with fried fish and a board that is very good value, and the wine list is longer than you’d expect in a place like this. Come to eat a lot, and well, without paying much; the weak point is the kitchen on busy days, when dishes take their time. There’s a kitchen garden with fruit trees worth a look before you leave, and a small terrace outside.

Reviewed in November 2026