Mallorca's Taste Conquers Spain: Seven Restaurants in TheFork's Top 100

Mallorca's Taste Conquers Spain: Seven Restaurants in TheFork's Top 100

Five addresses in Palma, plus Peguera and Montuïri — a strong statement for the island's cuisine

On a windy morning in Santa Catalina, while delivery vehicles screech and a barista slides the next café con leche across the counter, the island has once again attracted attention: seven restaurants on Mallorca are included in the annual list of Spain's 100 most popular restaurants, compiled by the online reservation platform TheFork.

The rankings as they appear on the list are clear: Japo Santa Catalina takes 12th place, Harajuku Gastro Sushi is 21st, Daikiya 30th, Hungry Gastro Food Bar 41st and Kaizen 46th — all five in Palma. Outside the capital are Chicos del Mar in Peguera (57th) and Es Pati de Montuïri in Montuïri (68th). On Menorca, Llucasaldent Gran in Alaior is listed at 64th.

Such placements are more than trophies on a wall. For the head chefs, the service staff and the suppliers on the island they mean visibility across Spain — and often fully booked tables on evenings when otherwise only the streetlights are on. In Palma you can feel it: passersby stop, look at menus, and locals swap recommendations at the bus stop on the Passeig del Born.

TheFork is one of the major restaurant booking platforms; internationally it lists tens of thousands of venues, in Spain there are around 12,000 entries, supported by over 20 million guest reviews. The 2025 edition covers 13 autonomous regions and 20 provinces. Particularly strongly represented are Catalonia (34 mentions), Madrid (20) and the Valencian Community (16). The Balearics account for eight mentions — a sign that the island has a firm place on the national culinary map.

Thematic variety is also interesting: Mediterranean cuisine makes up about one fifth of the list, fusion cuisine about one seventh, and Spanish classics just over one tenth. International cuisines such as Japanese, other East Asian, Indian or Argentine offerings are gaining ground. That fits Mallorca: here traditional Mallorcan cuisine meets new ideas, exchange in small open kitchens and guests who like to try something new.

For the island economy such mentions are a door opener (see Mallorca remains a magnet for gourmets: Eleven Michelin stars and five green awards). Hoteliers, tourism companies and also small producers of oils, cheese and wine benefit when reservations increase and food lovers travel specifically. Still, everyday life remains, fortunately: market traders at the Mercat de l'Olivar haggle over radicchio and tomatoes, delivery vans maneuver through narrow streets, and behind tilted kitchen windows experimentation continues.

What sticks? A call to everyone who lives here: support local venues in the low season. A visit on a cool Wednesday evening creates work for local teams and helps creative concepts survive for years. For tourists it is an invitation to eat off the beaten path and get to know the island from its flavorful side.

Being placed on a national top list is not everything. But it shows: Mallorca does not remain stuck in the postcard cliché. The island has a lively, changeable gastro scene that negotiates both tradition and international influences. In a city like Palma, between calls from the harbor and the sound of mopeds, you can taste it most clearly. Read more in Mallorca's Restaurants: Too Much Sameness, Too Little Courage — How the Island Rediscovers Its Flavor.

In short: Seven restaurants on Mallorca are included in TheFork's Top 100 2025 (five in Palma, plus Peguera and Montuïri). The list emphasizes diversity and firmly places the Balearics on Spain's culinary map.