Restaurant Guide
You can eat well everywhere in Mallorca — but the differences between tourist traps and authentic restaurants are huge. A few tips to find the gems.
Types of Restaurants
- Celler — traditional wine cellar restaurants, mostly inland (Inca, Sineu, Petra). Rustic ambiance, Mallorcan home cooking, fair prices. THE place for authentic cuisine. The best: Celler Can Amer and Celler Can Ripoll in Inca
- Chiringuito — beach bar/beach restaurant, from simple (fries and sangria) to upscale (grilled fish with sea view). Quality varies greatly
- Finca Restaurants — restaurants on estates, often with their own garden. More upscale cuisine, nice ambiance, higher prices
- Tapas Bars — especially in Palma (La Lonja district, Santa Catalina): small dishes to share, lively atmosphere
Recognizing Tourist Traps
Warning signs: Multilingual menus with photos (the more languages, the worse), touts at the door, location directly on the main promenade, "Menu turistico" with sangria included, paella for €8 (a real paella takes 45 minutes and costs at least €14–18). Good signs: Locals at the table, handwritten daily specials, no photos on the menu, the host speaks hardly any German.
Price Levels
- Cheap (€8–15 per person): Pa amb oli in a bar, Menu del dia (daily menu with starter, main course, dessert, and drink — the best value for money in Mallorca!), tapas
- Medium (€20–40): Celler restaurants, good fish restaurants, Finca cuisine
- Upscale (€50–120+): Michelin restaurants, fine dining — Mallorca has over a dozen starred restaurants, including VORO (2 stars), Zaranda, and Andreu Genestra
Tips
In Spain, tipping is not obligatory, but 5–10% for satisfactory service is common. In more upscale restaurants, rather 10%. In bars and cafes, you round up or leave the change. Tips are always given in cash, never via card.