Island life
Best local rice dishes
A good paella in Mallorca is eaten at lunchtime and without hurry: rice dishes are cooked to order, take 20 to 30 minutes and are almost always for a minimum of two. Besides seafood paella, try the island's own rice dishes: arròs brut, brothy and spiced, with meat and seasonal vegetables; black rice with cuttlefish; and soupy lobster rice in the harbours. Be wary of paella advertised with a photo at the door and served in ten minutes. Book at weekends and ask for it to be brought to the table in the pan.
In Mallorca rice comes in two styles. Paella and dry rice, with its crispy socarrat, and soupy or creamy rice, often with lobster. Then there's arròs brut, a brothy rice with meat, mushrooms and spices, an inland, winter dish. Most restaurants cook rice to order for a minimum of two people, so allow 20 to 30 minutes and order as soon as you sit down.
In Palma, Fervor, on Carrer dels Hostals, is known for its seafood paella, and Morralla, on the Can Valero estate, is a lunchtime rice house with up to eight rice dishes. By the sea, Es Port in Port de Valldemossa and Barlovento in Port d'Andratx, with its wood-fired black rice. In Manacor, Can March, open since 1925, has seven paellas and creamy rices and a good weekday lunch menu. Book at weekends.
Frequently asked questions
What is arròs brut?
A soupy rice typical of inland Mallorca, made with meat (pork, chicken, sometimes game), mushrooms, vegetables and spices such as cinnamon and clove, which give it its dark colour. It's a winter and celler dish, quite different from paella.
Where can I get a good paella in Palma?
Fervor, on Carrer dels Hostals, is known for its seafood paella, and Morralla, in Can Valero, is a lunchtime rice restaurant with several rice dishes each day. Most places make paella for a minimum of two, and it's worth booking.
Updated in October 2026
