Bistros and market cooking

Island produce without starched tablecloths, with short menus that change with the season:

In Palma:

• El Camino: a long counter where you watch the cooking; book.
• Ca n'Ela (La Llotja): fully vegan, a few steps from the Cathedral.

Tramuntana:

• Es Taller (Valldemossa): in an old car workshop.
• Ca'n Boqueta (Sóller): a Mallorcan house with a courtyard.
• Ritma (Fornalutx): creative cooking with local produce.
• Es Garum (Lloseta): Mediterranean cooking with Mallorcan wine.

Inland:

• Batec and Pax Gastrobar (Felanitx).
• Es Pati (near Montuïri): dinner within the walls of a 16th-century estate.

Harbours:

• OLIU (Andratx): chef Joan Porcel's place, in an old olive-oil mill.
• Jardín Bistró (Port d'Alcúdia): the casual side of Maca de Castro, whose fine-dining restaurant has a Michelin star.

Book: they usually have few tables.

Bistros & Market Kitchens

Market cooking means the menu depends on what arrives that week: peas and broad beans in spring, ramellet tomatoes and fish from the small boats in summer, wild mushrooms and game in autumn. That's why these places change their menu often and sometimes just read it out or chalk it on a board. Ask what's off the menu: it's usually the best thing of the day.

What people forget is timing. In Mallorca, lunch is between 1 and 3:30 pm and dinner from 8 pm; many bistros close the kitchen early and rest one or two days a week, often Sunday evening and Monday. At weekday lunchtime, several offer a shorter, cheaper menu than at dinner. If you like to see the produce first, walk through Mercat de l'Olivar or Santa Catalina market in Palma in the morning and eat at their counters afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

What time do people eat lunch and dinner in Mallorca?

Lunch is usually served from 1 pm to 3:30 pm and dinner from 7:30 or 8 pm. Many small restaurants close the kitchen between services and rest one or two days a week, so it's worth booking and checking the hours first.

What does market cooking mean?

It's cooking that changes the menu with what the market or garden brings each season: vegetables, the day's fish, wild mushrooms or game. In Mallorca it usually comes with short menus, off-menu dishes on a board and island wines.

Updated in October 2026