Why I love Palma

When I began living here, I remember waking up in my flat in El Terreno, walking out onto our terrace, looking out to the sea, and really appreciating the clear blue sky every single day. After London, just that blue sky was a novelty and a blessing. I loved my barrio too. I could be down in the marina, admiring the expensive yachts, or up in Belver forest, enjoying the fresh air, within just five minutes’ walk. I loved the fact that from wherever you were in the city, within half an hour walk you could reach the architectural gem that is La Seu cathedral. I love the bustling social life, terraces filled with happy tourists and stylish locals at all hours of the day...

I could write a lot more about any of the above, but seeing as I was a food columnist, I thought I might focus on food. For a relatively small city, Palma has a pretty diverse gastronomic scene. There are obviously plenty of Mallorcan and Spanish places, as well as the usual suspects such as French, Italian, Chinese or Indian restaurants. But there are also possibilities to try some pretty exotic cuisines, such as Bulgarian, Venezuelan, Hawaiian or Georgian. In fact, I have even discovered some of these in Palma, rather than in London. From street food to Michelin star restaurants; there is plenty of choice for everyone’s pocket and palate.

Now, instead of talking about “the best” or “the most innovative” places (as I typically do), I wanted to focus on the places where I felt most loved during the eight and a half years I have been living here…

These days I live slightly out of town, in Torrenova, and I love the fact that I can roll out of bed and walk to my local bakery Forn Son Ferriol. With just a nod of the head and a couple of gestures they know whether that day I want only a cortado con avena, largo de café or a croissant and an orange juice as well. Also in La Villa, every time I get some Argentinian pepas and empanadas from Tentaciónes, the most sincere, loving hug by Carolina, the owner, comes gratis!

In Palma, there are places where they remember how I take my coffee even if I haven’t been there for weeks – Santina, Bacan, Mistral and Surry Hills, to name but a few. I love specialty coffee and all these great people who make effort remember how their customers take it!

I love restaurants where the chef comes out and talks to every table, at least for a moment, to see whether everything was all right. Jonay Hernandez at La Vieja (Canary Islands inspired cuisine in Sindicat), Santi Taura (a name tahat needs no introduction in Mallorca) and Adrian Quetglas at Dmenu all do that. Each time I ate at any of these restaurants, I honestly felt that their gestures were not a formality, but a genuine care.

Another place where I ate recently and felt very much loved was Lo Divino, run ad owned by charming Dino. On my last visit, when I could not decide between two desserts, he told me: “Pick one, and I´ll invite you to the other!”

The other day I was passing by Mama Carmen’s, feeling too stressed notice my friend Alejandro standing at the door. He shouted after me, and after I briefly told him my woes proclaimed: “There’s nothing a bit of cake won’t cure!”, treating me to a slice of one of his deserts.

One of my most memorable moments in Palma was at Modi, a Georgian restaurant in Santa Catalina. After the meal, the owner Dato offered me and a friend some precious red wine made by his family back in Georgia and read us poetry in Georgian. I did not understand a word, but I felt loved by this guy who was a stranger just an hour earlier!

To sum up, there are a million things I love about Palma, but its gastro scene and the loving, caring people within it are certainly at the top of my personal list!