Best Restaurants in Palma Old Town: 7 Places to Eat

The best restaurants in Palma Old Town are packed into a small, walkable stretch of the historic centre and the La Lonja district by the water. This guide covers seven of them, from a Michelin-starred spot in a 17th-century convent to a marina bistro with fresh, local seafood. We’ll tell you where to go and what to order. A few are famous and central, a couple are quieter and more hidden. My favorite is listed last, the one that gives you views and Mallorca vibes, as well as great food.

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Best Fine Dining in Palma Old Town: Marc Fosh

Marc Fosh is the fine-dining anchor of Old Town, set in the former refectory of a 17th-century convent, now the Convent de la Missió hotel, with high vaulted ceilings and an interior courtyard. Chef Marc Fosh holds a Michelin star for contemporary Mediterranean tasting menus built on Balearic produce and clean, seasonal flavors. Dinner is a splurge, but the weekday lunch menu, from around €29.50, is an affordable alternative.

• What to Order: The tasting menu at dinner, or the set lunch at a fraction of the price.
• Best If: You want the best Michelin meal in the Old Town, in a room with real history.
• Skip If: You want something quick or casual. This is a long, formal meal, and dinner is pricey.

Best Garden Restaurant in Palma Old Town: Quadrat

Quadrat is in the former stables of an old mansion, now the Sant Francesc Hotel Singular on Plaça Sant Francesc, with a landscaped garden-patio for al fresco dining. Chefs Carles Forteza and Àlvar Albaladejo cook Mediterranean food with a nod to Mallorcan ingredients, and the vibes are as good as the food. The seven-course tasting menu is well-priced for the quality, and Sunday lunch puts local rice dishes front and center.

• What to Order: The L’Entorn tasting menu, or the Sunday rice dishes if you’re there during the weekend.
• Best If: You want an elegant garden dinner in the Old Town, and you care about the setting as much as the food.
• Skip If: You’re on a tight budget or you want traditional Mallorcan cooking. This is refined Mediterranean, and it’s a special-occasion price.

Best French Food in Palma Old Town: Le Bistro

Le Bistro serves French-Mediterranean in the heart of the Old Town. It’s cozy and relaxed with a menu of classics like steak frites and duck confit. This is undoubtedly the best French food in the Old Town area. The service gets good marks and the ambience is warm and unfussy, which makes it a reliable pick for a leisurely dinner when you don’t want anything too ambitious. It’s the best change of pace on this list if you’ve had your fill of tapas.

• What to Order: The steak frites or the duck confit, with a glass of French red wine.
• Best If: You want a relaxed French bistro dinner in the middle of the Old Town.
• Skip If: You came to Palma for local Mallorcan food. This one is French.

Best Italian in Palma Old Town: Santa Chiara

Santa Chiara in the La Lonja district, serves Italian food with a creative twist like squid-ink risotto, lamb with honey and rosemary, and proper Italian pizza. The ambience is stylish and the cooking is a step up from a standard trattoria, which makes it a good option when you want Italian without leaving the historic centre. Portions are generous and the pasta and pizza are wonderful.

• What to Order: The squid-ink risotto, or a pizza on the house Italian dough.
• Best If: You want good Italian in the Old Town with a bit more creativity.
• Skip If: You’re looking for Mallorcan or Spanish food.

Best Market-to-Table Food in Palma Old Town: Bondo Cocina

Bondo Cocina is a family-owned restaurant on the winding streets of La Lonja, blending Argentinian cooking with Mallorcan market ingredients. Expect dry-aged meats alongside Mediterranean fish and seafood, plus tapas-style plates like sobrassada, shrimp croquettes, and garlic shrimp. It’s heartfelt, market-to-table food with a loyal crowd of regulars and an easy atmosphere.

• What to Order: A dry-aged steak, or a spread of the market tapas like the garlic shrimp and croquettes.
• Best If: You want honest, ingredient-driven cooking at a family-run restaurant off the tourist streets.
• Skip If: You want white-tablecloth formality. This is warm and casual.

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Best Popular Restaurant in Palma Old Town: Ca n’Eduardo

Ca n’Eduardo is a Palma institution, perched above the fish market at the marina with a terrace looking out over the harbor. It’s on nearly every list of the city’s seafood spots, and the fish is fresh, straight off the boats below.

I went, and here’s the honest take. The dining room is nice and the fish is high quality, but it comes completely plain, nothing is dressed up, and the whole experience was a little boring. It’s worth mentioning since the fish is fresh and good, and you’ll see it recommended everywhere, but I wouldn’t put it at the top of the list.

• What to Order: Keep it simple, the grilled fish or a rice dish, and go for a table with the marina view.
• Best If: You want a fresh-fish lunch with a marina view and you value the quality of the fish over how it’s presented.
• Skip If: You want elevated seafood dishes. The fish is good but prepare simply.

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Best Seafood in Palma Old Town: Marina Bay

Marina Bay is on the old marina at the edge of Old Town, with a terrace over the water and a diverse Mediterranean seafood menu. It’s a little pricey, but the atmosphere and the food both delivered.

🏆 My Personal Pick

Marina Bay is my pick for best restaurant in Palma de Mallorca Old Town. The seafood is fresh, the marina setting is one everyone should see once in Palma, and the food and atmosphere are both excellent, which is more than I can say for some other harbor spots. I had the gambas al ajillo, the tuna tataki, and a burrata salad, and all three were great. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it, and the terrace over the marina is the best spot to be at sunset. Book ahead if you can, and go for the seafood even though the menu is broad.

• What to Order: The gambas al ajillo and the tuna tataki, with a burrata salad to share.
• Best If: You want fresh seafood and a marina view, and you don’t mind paying a bit more for the setting.
• Skip If: You want a cheap, casual meal. This is a pricier for the setting and seafood.

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Best Restaurants in Palma Old Town: What to Know Before You Go

A few things make dining in the Old Town go smoothly:

• Book the popular spots ahead, since Marc Fosh, Quadrat, and Marina Bay all fill up, especially for dinner and on weekends. But note that many restaurants are closed on Sundays and some on Mondays too. So plan ahead.
• Go at lunch for the value, since most set lunches are well below their dinner prices.
• Walk a few streets off the Passeig del Born, for more affordable and local options the further you get from the main strip.
• Eat late, since Mallorcan restaurant don’t fill for dinner until around 9pm, and arriving at 7 often means an empty room.

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Best Restaurants in Palma Old Town: FAQs

What area is best for restaurants in Palma Old Town?

The La Lonja district by the water has the highest concentration of sit-down restaurants, from seafood spots to Italian and Argentinian. The streets around Plaça Sant Francesc and the historic centre are where you find the fine-dining establishments like Marc Fosh and Quadrat. The Passeig del Born is the most touristy and the priciest, so the best value is usually a few streets away unless you know specifically where to go.

What food is Palma de Mallorca known for?

Palma de Mallorca food centers on island classics like pa amb oli, sobrassada, tumbet, and fresh Mediterranean seafood. In the Old Town restaurants you’ll find those alongside contemporary Mediterranean tasting menus, Italian, French, and Argentinian cooking, since the historic centre has a wide range of influences.

Do you need a reservation for Old Town restaurants in Palma?

For the popular ones, yes. Book Marc Fosh, Quadrat, and Marina Bay ahead, especially for dinner and weekends. The more casual spots like Bondo Cocina and Le Bistro are easier to walk into, but a reservation is still worth it in high season. Note that many restaurants are closed on Sundays.

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Where to Stay in Palma: My Top Picks

• Hotel Nakar is a sleek design hotel on Avenida Jaume III. It’s central and walkable to the Old Town and the tapas districts. The rooftop Sky Bar looks out over the city to the cathedral, and it’s an easy, stylish base right in the middle of everything.
• Hotel Hostal Cuba is a 4-star boutique hotel in Santa Catalina, in a 120-year-old building with a well-known rooftop Sky Bar and sea-and-city views. It puts you in the heart of the trendiest food-and-drink district, though the Santa Catalina nightlife means it can be noisy late on weekends, so ask for a quieter room.
• Hotel Saratoga is an iconic 4-star superior hotel on Passeig de Mallorca, family-run since 1962, with three pools including a rooftop pool and a seventh-floor Sky Bar with cathedral and port views. Can you tell I like sky bars? It’s central, comfortable, and a step up for a stay with a bit of polish.

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🍪 Final Bite

The best restaurants in Palma Old Town cover a lot of ground in a small area, and these are the seven to build your trip around:

• Book Marc Fosh for the best Michelin meal in the Old Town, in a 17th-century convent.
• Reserve Quadrat for an elegant garden dinner at the Sant Francesc.
• Head to Le Bistro for a relaxed French dinner in the historic centre.
• Go to Santa Chiara for creative Italian in La Lonja.
• Choose Bondo Cocina for honest market-to-table cooking off the tourist streets.
• Know about Ca n’Eduardo for the view and fresh fish, but manage your expectations on the cooking.
• Save Marina Bay for fresh seafood on the marina, my favorite in the Old Town.

Been to Palma and found an Old Town restaurant I should add? Tell me in the comments, I’m always adding to the list before the next trip.