Dining in the Tramuntana

The cuisine of the Tramuntana is mountain cuisine in the best sense — hearty, seasonal, rooted. Up here, people eat differently than on the coast: instead of fish and seafood, lamb, pork, olive oil, almonds, oranges, and wild herbs are the focus. Portions are generous, and the recipes are often centuries old.

Typical Dishes

• Frito Mallorquín: Offal (liver, lung) with potatoes, peppers, and fennel fried in olive oil. Sounds unusual, tastes fantastic — the island's national dish.
• Tumbet: Layered vegetable casserole of potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and tomato sauce. Vegetarian and delicious.
• Lomo con Col: Pork loin wrapped in cabbage leaves — a winter comfort food.
• Sopes Mallorquines: Not a soup, but a thick vegetable stew with thin slices of bread that soak up the liquid. Rustic and filling.
• Pa amb Oli: Mallorca's national bread — rustic bread rubbed with tomato and drizzled with the best olive oil. Served with Serrano ham, cheese, or Sobrassada.
• Cordero al horno: Lamb slowly roasted in a wood oven — the specialty of the mountain villages.

Olive Oil from the Tramuntana

The olive oil of the Serra de Tramuntana has a protected designation of origin (D.O. Oli de Mallorca) and is among the best in Spain. The gnarled olive trees, some 1,000 years old, shape the landscape. In Sóller, Fornalutx, and Valldemossa, you can do olive oil tastings and buy bottles directly from the producer (from 8 € for 500 ml).

Restaurant Recommendations

€ Budget

Sa Cova · Sóller, Plaça de la Constitució — Right on the main square, down-to-earth Mallorcan cuisine, Pa amb Oli in many variations. Perfect after the train ride. 8–15 €.

Restaurant Lluc · Lluc Monastery — Surprisingly good restaurant in the monastery complex. Mallorcan home cooking, Menú del día for 13 €. Large terrace.

€€ Mid-range

Ca'n Antuna · Fornalutx, Carrer Arbona Colom, 8 — Mallorcan mountain cuisine with a panoramic terrace over the valley. Lamb, Tumbet, homemade desserts. 18–28 €.

Es Turo · Deià, Carretera de Valldemossa — Local hangout off the tourist paths. Grilled meat, local vegetables, good value for money for Deià standards. 15–25 €.

Bens d'Avall · Sóller/Deià (on the MA-10) — Spectacular location on a cliff above the sea. Mediterranean cuisine, fish, and meat. Reservation required. 25–40 €.

€€€ High-end

Es Racó d'es Teix · Deià, Carrer de Sa Vinya Vella, 6 — 1 Michelin star. The German-born chef Josef Sauerschell interprets Mallorcan traditional recipes at star level. Tasting menu from 80 €. Terrace with views over the Tramuntana.

Es Fum · Costa d'en Blanes (on the edge of the Tramuntana) — 1 Michelin star at the St. Regis Mardavall Resort. Mediterranean-Asian fusion, sea view. Menu from 120 €.

Orange Products from Sóller

The oranges of Sóller are not just for eating — they are processed into a whole range of products:

• Zumo de naranja: Freshly squeezed orange juice in every café (from 3 €)
• Mermelada de naranja: Orange marmalade (ideal as a souvenir, from 4 €)
• Àngel d'Or: Orange liqueur from Sóller, sweet and intense (from 10 € per bottle)
• Orange ice cream: At Fet a Sóller — the best ice cream in the valley
• Orange blossom honey: From the beehives between the groves