Majorca Island Restaurant Tips by barryg23

Ca'n Gata Local Food Review

Favorite Dish: Many restaurants in Mallorca offer good value lunchtime menus (menu del dia) consisting of starter, main curse, dessert, drink and coffee for a fixed price, often between 9 and 15 Euros.

At most lunchtimes on our trip we were out walking in the mountains so it wasn't until our final day that we had the chance for a menu del dia. We picked a small restaurant in Soller, just off the main square, called Ca'n Gata,, which had a nice garden out the back and which offered a menu for 9.50 Euro.

A very friendly waitress, fluent in at least three languages (and she needed to be as most guests were tourists and spoke no Spanish) kept the place running. The food was great value, with a salad starter, followed by a choice of meatballs or cod, with dessert, coffee and half a bottle of wine included.

Address: Sa Lluna

Comparison: about average

Directions: East of the main sqaure

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: Local

Sa Fonda Restaurant Local Food Review

Sa Fonda Restaurant is the former monk's refactory in Lluc Monastery, and just as the monastery is a memorable place to stay, Sa Fonda is a great place to eat. Though it now caters only to tourists, very little seems to have changed from the times when monk's would have eaten here. The interior has been reconstructed but it still retains an atmospheric place, while the food consists of mostly local specialities.

We stayed in the monastery two nights and ate in Sa Fonda the first night. Sa Fonda is slightly more expensive than the other restaurant in Lluc, but the food is very good and it's worth eating here at least once to savour the atmosphere and the meal. As ever in Mallorca our meal started with bread and olives, followed by roasted goat for me and rabbit for Ruth. We also tried a bottle of Matritx wine, an excellent local wine.

A buffet breakfast costing 6 Euros is also served in Sa Fonda but this is no where near as impressive as the evening meal. For breakfast you're better off trying the cafe in the monastery.

Address: Lluc Monastery

Comparison: about average

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Local

Cafeteria Paris Cafes Review

We woke early on a Sunday morning in Soller and wandered up to the main square hoping to find maybe one or two cafes open for breakfast. We needn't have worried: the whole square was a hive of activity with all the locals out early, sitting in cafes, reading papers and catching up with friends - this cafe culture seems to be a big part of life in towns like Soller in Mallorca.

Cafeteria Paris was our favourite of the many cafes on Soller's main square. It lies on the west side of the square and from the terrace you have a good view of the church, the rest of the square and even the tram when it passes metres from your seat.

Address: Placa Constitucio

Comparison: about average

Directions: Main square in Soller

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Coffeehouse

Tapas in Soller Local Food Review

Tapas are not as big a custom in Mallorca as in mainland Spain but there are still plenty of restaurants offering them. Such as Cafe Central in Soller, one of the best of the many cafes on the town's main square.

The dishes we chose were simple but delicious: Spanish ham, local cheese, bread and olives. Washed down with a bottle of the house red wine. Soller's main square is a beautiful spot and it's difficult to beat eating a meal outdoors as the sun goes down.

Address: Placa Constitucio, Soller

Comparison: about average

Phone: 971630008

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Local

Cafe Sa Placa Cafes Review

Cafe Sa Placa is a small cafe on the grounds of Lluc monastery. If you are staying in the monastery it's a good choice for breakfast, much better than the 6 Euro buffet in Sa Fonda restaurant.

We spent most of our day's in Lluc out in the mountains, but after returning Cafe Sa Placa was the perfect place to unwind with a beer. The chairs in the terrace catch the sun for most of the day and it's a very popular spot with the bus loads of tourists who visit Lluc. Sa Placa also serves food though it's mostly smaller portions and snacks. It closes at 8pm so make sure you get back from your walk in time if you want a post-hike beer.

Address: Lluc Monastery

Comparison: about average

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Coffeehouse

Ca s'Amitger Restaurant Local Food Review

Ca s'Amitger is one of two restaurants in Lluc monastery, and like Sa Fonda it offers local and Spanish dishes at moderate prices. Ca s'Amitger is slightly cheaper than Sa Fonda, but the food is equally good. The decor is not quite so impressive, but as a plus point it's open every night, while Sa Fonda closes on Monday and Tuesday night's.

The restaurant is easy to find, located just outside the gates of the monastery complex, beside the car park. We ate in Ca s'Amitger after a long day's hiking in the mountains so we were very hungry by dinner time, but olives, bread, a huge steak and a nice bottle of red wine were more than enough for us.

Address: Lluc Monastery

Comparison: about average

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Local