Restaurant Reviews in Mallorca

El Olivo has been on our list of restaurants to review for some time. It has an excellent reputation for fine Mallorcan dining and promises a romantic and elegant ambiance.

In the depths of Palma’s old town, on Plaza de Sant Francesc, resides a neoclassical style 19th-century mansion, which has been transformed to become Hotel Sant Francesc. This little boutique hotel has many charms from its original character through to its elegant accommodation, chic lobby bar and rooftop sushi restaurant, but on Valentine’s Day I went along to try out the renowned Quadrat Restaurant.

On a summers evening, I headed deep into the depths of Palma’s old town to join in the fun and frolics of the city’s legendary ‘Tapas Tuesday Tour’, known and advertised as Ruta Martiana on the island.

A trip down to the south-west of Mallorca found The Frenchman and I in Sant Elm. A pretty little fishing village, Sant Elm is the closest port to the national park of Sa Dragonera.

Last week, I went to tapas heaven and you’ll be pleased to hear you can find it nestled in the heart of Cala d’Or.

Every city needs at least one great steak house. Last night I found Palma's. Just off Plaza Espana in the Placa Comte Rosello is the Rodeo Grill where they specialise in steak. Be it T-Bone, entrecôte, sirloin or chateaubriand this is the place to go for a steak in Palma de Mallorca.

The Frenchman is one of those people who puts great store by awards and medals, so when we did a search of Mallorca's best restaurants, and saw that a restaurant called Koldo Royo had held a Michelin star for 18 years, it went straight to the top of our list. Run by a chef of the same name, Koldo Royo had gained rave reviews and was considered a flagship restaurant in Palma. I said that I was sure it had closed down a couple of years ago. Nonsense, said the Frenchman, showing me pages from the web with reviews and contact details for the restaurant.

We were intrigued recently to find a new restaurant in the top 10 restaurants for Mallorca in TripAdvisor. We don’t actually find that the rankings in TripAdvisor help us to find what we call ‘good restaurants’.

For a town the size of Soller, it is surprising how few restaurants there seems to be. Apart from the cafes around the main square and the restaurants found in the (good) selection of hotels, there are only a handful of independent places to dine (in contrast, the Port de Soller is crammed full of restaurants).

**NO LONGER OPEN** The Frenchman and I arrived in Port d’Andratx without really knowing where we wanted to eat. So we parked up and had a wander around the back streets and the waterfront, perusing menus and clientele. As you might expect, there are a host of fish restaurants, ranging from rustic local hang-outs to smart, linen-tablecloth establishments. This area of Mallorca is much loved by the German as well as the British community, so many of the restaurants are German-run.

Son Julia Country House & Spa isn’t only to be enjoyed by hotel guests, anyone can dine at their first-class Las Bovedas Restaurant. Having eaten here before, I have fallen madly in love with the outdoor terrace. The tables are always elegantly set, and there’s such a magical ambiance in the golden hour before sundown.

After our donkey walking & picnic last week in Deia, we were enjoying ourselves so much at La Residencia that the Frenchman and I decided to stay for dinner.

It’s been said for a while now that the town of Ciudad Jardin is becoming the ‘next big thing’ for hip and happening places to be.

We are always on the look-out for decent lunch spots in Palma, where you know you'll get a decent quality lunch at reasonable prices in convivial surroundings - preferably outside on a terrace. So after an impromptu shopping trip on of Avinguda Jaume III, we found ourselves on C/Bonaire (which is just off this main shopping thoroughfare). There are a number of cafes and bars on this street, and it's a popular lunch spot with local workers as well as visitors.

Forn de Sant Joan has been one of our favourite restaurants in Mallorca since our first visit three years ago.

The Corb Marie is a beautiful restaurant set slightly back from the pine walk in Puerto Pollensa, specializing in grilled meat and fish. There is a lovely garden area in front of the restaurant, with tables surrounded by flowers and trees and great views of the pine walk and the sea beyond.