Palma's food scene punches well above its size, from a clutch of Michelin-starred tables to the buzzing tapas bars and natural-wine spots of Santa Catalina, fresh seafood by the old fishing port, and market halls where you buy the catch and have it cooked on the spot. Don't leave without trying the island staples — sobrassada, tumbet, fresh fish and the feather-light ensaïmada pastry. Here are the best places to eat, with prices, areas and booking tips.
€€€€Marc Fosh
Area
Old Town
Type
Michelin · Modern Med
“The set lunch menu is the smart way to eat here — Michelin cooking at a fraction of the à la carte price.”
€€€Adrián Quetglas
Area
Paseo Mallorca
Type
Michelin · Creative
“Only a set menu is offered and tables are few — book two to three weeks ahead for a weekend evening.”
€€€Forn de Sant Joan
Area
La Llotja
Type
Tapas · Mediterranean
“Ask for a table on the atmospheric upper floors of the old bakery — the ground floor gets crowded.”
€€€Ca'n Eduardo
Area
Es Portitxol
Type
Seafood · Fish
“Come for the paella and the harbour view — the terrace looks straight over the fishing boats.”
€€Duke Restaurant
Area
Santa Catalina
Type
International · Fusion
“Great for varied diets — the globe-trotting menu has some of the city's best vegetarian and vegan plates.”
€€€La Bodeguilla
Area
Centre
Type
Spanish · Wine
“The downstairs wine cellar holds hundreds of labels — ask the staff to match a Mallorcan red to your dish.”
€€Mercat 1930
Area
Paseo Marítimo
Type
Food hall · Gastro-market
“Grab an outside table on the terrace at sunset — the cathedral lights up across the water.”
€Bar España
Area
Centre
Type
Classic tapas
“Order at the bar, stand with the locals, and don't miss the patatas bravas and the grilled prawns.”
€Ca'n Joan de s'Aigo
Area
Old Town
Type
Historic café · Pastries
“Order the ensaïmada with a thick hot chocolate or an almond ice cream — the house recipe since 1700.”
Palma restaurants in detail
1.Marc Fosh
Marc Fosh is Palma's best-known fine-dining address, the flagship of the British-born chef who earned the island one of its first Michelin stars. Set in the serene courtyard of the boutique Convent de la Missió hotel, the dining room is all clean lines, white stone and calm — a fitting stage for cooking that is precise but never fussy. Fosh builds his menus around top Mediterranean produce, much of it Mallorcan, in inventive vegetable-forward dishes with clever textures and bright, sun-driven flavours. The tasting menus are the full experience, but savvy locals and visitors book the excellent-value midday menu, which delivers the same kitchen's craft for a fraction of the evening price. Service is polished and the wine list leans into Balearic and Spanish labels. It's a special-occasion spot, so reserve well ahead, especially in summer, and dress smart-casual. For a lighter, more affordable taste of the Fosh style, his nearby Misa Braseria offers grilled dishes in a more relaxed setting.
Hours
Tue–Sat lunch & dinner; closed Sun–Mon
Price
Set lunch from ~€45; tasting menus ~€95–130
Getting there
In the Convent de la Missió hotel, old town; walkable from Plaça d'Espanya
Insider tip: The set lunch menu is the smart way to eat here — Michelin cooking at a fraction of the à la carte price.
2.Adrián Quetglas
Adrián Quetglas has built a devoted following for offering genuine Michelin-star cooking at prices that undercut almost every other starred restaurant on the island. The Argentine-born chef — who cooked in Moscow and London before settling in Palma, his father's homeland — serves a single, regularly changing set menu that roams freely across his influences, blending South American, Eastern European and Mediterranean ideas into playful, beautifully plated dishes. The room, on the leafy Paseo Mallorca, is small, warm and unpretentious, more polished bistro than temple of gastronomy, which suits the food's inventive but unstuffy spirit. Because there are only a handful of tables and word has long been out, reservations are essential and often need to be made a couple of weeks in advance. The wine pairing is well judged and reasonably priced. For anyone who wants to experience creative fine dining in Palma without a four-figure bill, this is the standout choice — arrive hungry, trust the menu, and leave the decisions to the kitchen.
Hours
Tue–Sat lunch & dinner; closed Sun–Mon
Price
Set menu ~€55–70
Getting there
On Paseo Mallorca beside the old torrent canal, near the Passeig del Born
Insider tip: Only a set menu is offered and tables are few — book two to three weeks ahead for a weekend evening.
3.Forn de Sant Joan
Forn de Sant Joan occupies a beautifully converted 17th-century bakery in the heart of La Lonja, Palma's liveliest dining and nightlife quarter, and remains one of the most reliable tables in the old town. Spread over several intimate floors of exposed stone and warm lighting, it serves an ambitious menu of modern tapas and Mediterranean sharing plates that nods to Mallorcan, Spanish and Asian influences — think seared tuna, croquetas, grilled octopus, suckling pig and creative small plates designed for the table to graze across. The cooking is more refined than a typical tapas bar, and the setting genuinely atmospheric, which makes it popular with both visitors and locals for a special but relaxed dinner. Prices sit at the upper end of casual dining rather than fine dining. It gets busy, particularly the ground floor, so book ahead and request the characterful upper rooms. Its location in La Lonja means you can wander straight out into the quarter's cocktail bars afterwards, making it a good anchor for an evening out.
Hours
Daily, dinner (and lunch in season)
Price
Tapas ~€8–18; dinner ~€35–50 pp
Getting there
In the La Llotja district near the seafront; short walk from the Passeig del Born
Insider tip: Ask for a table on the atmospheric upper floors of the old bakery — the ground floor gets crowded.
4.Ca'n Eduardo
Ca'n Eduardo is a Palma institution, a family-run seafood restaurant that has been serving the day's catch since 1943 from a first-floor dining room perched on stilts over the water beside the old fishing harbour. Floor-to-ceiling windows and a terrace put you right above the bobbing boats, with the cathedral in view across the bay — a classic, slightly old-school setting that locals still choose for family celebrations. The kitchen keeps things traditional and lets the produce speak: gleaming fresh fish sold by weight and grilled or baked simply, platters of Mediterranean shellfish, and a roll-call of rice dishes from seafood paella to the soupy arròs caldós. It isn't cheap — fresh fish rarely is — but portions are generous and the quality dependable. The restaurant sits at the edge of the increasingly fashionable Portitxol and Es Molinar districts, a pleasant seafront stroll or cycle east of the centre, so it combines well with a wander along that revitalised harbour. Book a window or terrace table, and go at lunch for the best of the view.
Hours
Daily, lunch & dinner
Price
Mains ~€20–35; whole fish by weight; rice dishes ~€22 pp
Getting there
By the Es Portitxol / Es Molinar harbour east of the centre; EMT bus 25 or a seafront cycle
Insider tip: Come for the paella and the harbour view — the terrace looks straight over the fishing boats.
5.Duke Restaurant
Duke is a firm favourite in Santa Catalina, Palma's trendiest eating-and-drinking neighbourhood, run by a Mallorcan-Chilean couple whose travels shape a menu that hops cheerfully around the world. On any given day you might find Vietnamese, Mexican, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes side by side, all cooked with care from fresh market produce and served in a bright, casual, plant-filled room. It has become especially well loved for going beyond the usual — there's always an inventive spread of vegetarian and vegan options, which is still relatively rare among the island's traditional kitchens. Prices are pleasingly moderate for the quality, portions are generous, and the vibe is friendly and unpretentious, drawing a mixed crowd of locals, expats and in-the-know visitors. It's small and doesn't always take bookings for lunch, so arrive early or expect a short wait at peak times. Being in Santa Catalina, it sits amid the district's excellent market, tapas bars and boutiques, making it an easy stop on a wander through the neighbourhood.
Hours
Mon–Sat lunch & dinner; closed Sun
Price
Mains ~€14–22
Getting there
In the Santa Catalina district, a short walk west of the Passeig del Born and Es Baluard
Insider tip: Great for varied diets — the globe-trotting menu has some of the city's best vegetarian and vegan plates.
6.La Bodeguilla
La Bodeguilla, tucked just off the Passeig del Born on Carrer de Sant Jaume, is a polished take on the Spanish bodega: part wine bar, part restaurant, with a genuinely impressive cellar and a kitchen that turns out both classic tapas and more substantial market-driven mains. The menu spans the Spanish repertoire — Iberian ham, grilled octopus, artichokes, oxtail, fresh fish — alongside seasonal Mallorcan touches, all designed to pair with the wine list that is the restaurant's real pride. Hundreds of labels span the island's own bodegas as well as the great mainland regions, and the knowledgeable staff are happy to steer you towards a local Binissalem red or a crisp white you won't have tried. The setting is elegant but comfortable, with a ground-floor bar and quieter dining upstairs, making it equally suited to a leisurely dinner or a stand-up glass and a plate of jamón. Central and dependable, it's a good choice for anyone wanting to eat and drink well without the formality of the city's Michelin rooms. Booking is wise at weekends.
Hours
Daily, lunch & dinner
Price
Tapas ~€9–16; mains ~€20–28
Getting there
On Carrer de Sant Jaume just off the Passeig del Born, central old town
Insider tip: The downstairs wine cellar holds hundreds of labels — ask the staff to match a Mallorcan red to your dish.
7.Mercat 1930
Mercat 1930 is Palma's most enjoyable food hall, a bright, buzzy market-style space on the seafront Paseo Marítimo where a dozen or so specialist stalls let you build a meal exactly to your mood. Under one roof you can order oysters and shellfish, freshly carved Iberian ham, sushi and ceviche, wood-fired pizza, croquetas, grilled meats and Mallorcan tapas, then take it all to shared tables inside or out on the terrace. It's a relaxed, sociable format that works brilliantly for groups who can't agree, for families, and for a casual bite before a night out along the marina. Prices are moderate and you pay stall by stall, so you control the spend, and the quality across the counters is generally good. The star feature is the location and the view: the outdoor tables look straight across the water to the illuminated cathedral, making it a lovely, low-commitment spot for sunset. It's on the nightlife strip near the Auditòrium and the big clubs, and being open late it's easy to fit around other plans.
Hours
Daily ~12:00–24:00
Price
Small plates ~€6–15; pay per stall
Getting there
On the Paseo Marítimo near the Auditòrium; EMT bus 1 or a seafront walk from the old town
Insider tip: Grab an outside table on the terrace at sunset — the cathedral lights up across the water.
8.Bar España
Bar España is the kind of honest, unpretentious tapas bar every good Spanish city needs and that Palma's tourist centre can otherwise lack. Just off the shopping streets near Plaça Major, it's usually packed with a mix of locals, office workers and clued-up visitors crowding the bar and the tightly packed tables for well-priced, generously sized classic tapas. The blackboard runs through the greatest hits — patatas bravas, grilled prawns, croquetas, tortilla, pimientos de padrón, chorizo, albóndigas — all cooked simply and served fast, washed down with cheap caña beers or a house red. There's nothing designed or Instagrammable about it; the appeal is exactly that authenticity, plus the value, which is increasingly hard to find near the sights. It gets loud and busy, especially at the evening tapeo hour, and doesn't stand on ceremony, so muscle in at the bar or grab a table and order a spread to share. For a cheap, cheerful and genuinely local meal between old-town sightseeing, it's one of the best bets in the centre.
Hours
Mon–Sat lunch & dinner; closed Sun
Price
Tapas ~€4–10; a full meal ~€15–20 pp
Getting there
On Carrer de Can Escursac in the centre, near Plaça Major and Sant Miquel
Insider tip: Order at the bar, stand with the locals, and don't miss the patatas bravas and the grilled prawns.
9.Ca'n Joan de s'Aigo
Ca'n Joan de s'Aigo is a Palma treasure, a café that has been serving the same handful of island specialities since 1700, making it one of the oldest establishments in the city. Step into the original old-town branch and you find marble tables, tiled walls, ornate mirrors and a hushed, timeless atmosphere that generations of Mallorcans have grown up with. The reason to come is the trio of house classics: the ensaïmada, the coiled, feather-light spiral pastry dusted with icing sugar that is the island's edible emblem; the intensely almondy homemade ice cream (gelat d'ametla); and a cup of thick, old-fashioned hot chocolate made for dunking. Coffee, quart cake and other traditional sweets round out a short, focused menu. It's inexpensive, unfailingly popular with locals for a mid-morning or afternoon treat, and a lovely, genuine antidote to the interchangeable tourist cafés nearby. There are now a couple of branches, but the tucked-away original near Plaça Major has the most character. Expect a queue at peak times — it moves quickly, and it's worth the wait.
Hours
Daily ~08:00–21:00
Price
Pastry + drink ~€5–8
Getting there
Original branch on Carrer de Can Sanç in the old town, near Plaça Major
Insider tip: Order the ensaïmada with a thick hot chocolate or an almond ice cream — the house recipe since 1700.